April 27th, 2013
Above and the Auroras.
Embargo is off!
I’m honoured to announce that ABOVE is a nominee for the 2013 Aurora Award for Best YA Novel, alongside work from Kelley Armstrong, Charles de Lint, Cory Doctorow, Neil Godbout, and Mitchell Plested.
–and that “Hold Fast”, which appeared in Strange Horizons last June, is nominated as well in the Best Poem/Song category, alongside work from Carolyn Clink, David Clink, Sandra Kasturi, and Helen Marshall.
The final ballot’s available for your examination here, and congratulations to everyone nominated!
April 24th, 2013
Going Out in Public: April/May edition!
Spring’s finally sticking around here, and I am daring to leave my writer cave. Which means: A bucket of upcoming public appearances! Behold the list of them!
- If you’re interested in hearing about the writing process, Toronto’s underground spaces, and the secrets of cities, I’m doing a Keep Toronto Reading event on just those things on Thursday, April 25, 2013 at 7pm, at the Kennedy/Eglinton branch of the Toronto Public Library. There will be books for sale at this one, if only a handful!
- The Apocalypse Tour is riding again, with a few Southern Ontario dates! On Thursday, May 2, 2013, we’ll be at Essa Public Library’s Angus Branch in Angus, Ontario at 4pm — and by we, we mean Megan Crewe, Adrienne Kress, Maureen McGowan, and Cheryl Rainfield.
- On May 4 at 2pm, Megan, Maureen, Cheryl, and I will descend upon Chapters South London to answer questions, sign books, and terrorize the populace. There’s a Facebook event page here if you’re minded to RSVP, and it’ll be Maureen’s birthday, so a good round of the happy birthday song is welcomed and encouraged!
- On May 5 at 2pm, Megan, Maureen, Cheryl, and Courtney Summers will finish this mini-leg of the Apocalypse Tour without me at Chapters Oshawa, because I am flaking to lead a Jane’s Walk that afternoon.
- Finally, I will be at the Nebula Awards Weekend in San Jose, CA, from May 16-19, 2013. I plan to have a kicky awards dress and a minimum of jet lag.
And that’s the news!
April 3rd, 2013
And finally, some news you’ve (okay, I’VE) been waiting for…
It’s in Publishers Marketplace, and that makes it true, so:
My second young adult novel, On Roadstead Farm, will be published by Clarion Books, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, with editor Anne Hoppe, who’s also edited Melissa Marr, Merrie Haskell, Garth Nix, and Terry Pratchett (!).
What is this book even about? Have some unofficial cover copy I just wrote up right now!
Hallie Hoffmann has spent her sixteenth summer trying desperately to keep her family farm together. Her sister, Marthe, is pregnant, and her brother-in-law Thomas marched in the spring to war against the Wicked God Southward–a war which ended at midsummer when a normal man turned hero, the mysterious John Balsam, cut out the Wicked God’s heart and disappeared.
The trouble is, so has Thom.
When a mysterious war veteran from the north asks to hire on for the winter, Hallie sees her chance to keep Roadstead Farm alive–and to apologize to her sister for a summer of fighting by protecting their home. But the Wicked God’s twisted creations aren’t far behind: monstrous animals whose touch sucks the life from flesh, trees, or stone. Because the kindly Heron has the one thing everyone in the world wants: The knife that somehow killed a God.
And all hell is coming after him.
So basically it’s a post-epic fantasy, post-apocalyptic, literary dustbowl novel with bonus! Creepy Spider-birds and dealing with people’s war PTSD and a good helping of kissing. Like you do.
Street date when I have one. 
March 15th, 2013
Mother Russia rain down down DOWN–
Longtime readers will know that it is officially spring in my house when I get the inexorable urge to put on The Sisters of Mercy’s Floodland, open all the windows, clean house, and dance around in my socks. This, um. Happens every year.
Apparently I was late on it this year, because I was all the way to the white house in the red square before I realized I was humming it to myself. With the window open. Making bread.
So apparently it’s spring, guys. Happy spring!
February 26th, 2013
Superheroes is out in the world!
A little earlier than expected: the SUPERHEROES anthology is on sale and out in the world!
I have a piece in here: “Wild Card”, which is a novelette written as part of the Shadow Unit universe. And it is very exciting for me to be in the same book with Peter S. Beagle, who wrote what was probably the book that’s affected me most in, well, life.
It’s available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Enjoy!
February 20th, 2013
Norton.
I am so bewilderingly surprised to say this, but:
Above is a nominee for the Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy. Also known as the YA wing of the Nebula Awards.
Official announcement here, rife with jaw-droppingly good company: congrats to everyone on the ballot!
(I continue stunned. The Nebulas. What a world. )
January 3rd, 2013
An unexpected reprint
Announced today, so I can announce it too: “Wild Card”, which is a novelette written as part of the Shadow Unit universe (and if you haven’t checked out Shadow Unit, you really should!) will be reprinted in Rich Horton’s new SUPERHEROES anthology!
It’s available for preorder at Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and should be hitting shelves all over around March 1st!
January 1st, 2013
Begin as you mean to go on.
A long sleep-in after a cozy New Year’s party; blackberry pancakes for breakfast; a quiet afternoon; a work date with the boyfriend; words written for ON ROADSTEAD FARM, and some on a short story besides; St. Lawrence Market pierogies and a spinach salad for dinner; a clear sky, a telescope, and the stars.
Sounds about right.
Happy New Year, everyone.
December 22nd, 2012
First appearance of the New Year!
…it’s officially official: I’ll be reading at the ChiSeries, in Toronto’s Kensington Market, on January 9th at 8pm, alongside YA authors Bryan Dearsley and Andrew Wagner-Chazalon. Snacks, drinks, and words for everyone!
RSVP at the event page, and check it for further details — hope to see you there!
December 11th, 2012
Best!
Now that it’s no longer embargoed, I can very excitedly let you know:
Kirkus Reviews has named ABOVE as one of their Best Teen Books of 2012!
So yes. Sweet.
