My Upcoming Appearance at Portland's Wordstock

Wordstock, Portland's major literary festival, is relaunching this year at the beautiful Portland Art Museum on Saturday, November 7, and I'm happy to say I'll be one of the featured authors. In fact, I'll be making a few different appearances throughout the festival.

Here's more info about the event and where you'll be able to find me.

Saturday, November 7, 2015
Wordstock: Portland's Book Festival
Portland Art Museum
1219 SW Park Avenue, Portland, OR
(Tickets, $15; free for anyone 17 and younger and anyone with a valid high school student ID.)

My Wordstock Events:

11:00 am:
Pop-up reading of The Uninvited
Northwest Art (Main Building, 3rd Floor)

A short reading of my newest book. I'll be appearing in front of artwork painted during the novel's setting. 

12:00-12:50 pm
Toil and Trouble: Monsters, Witches, and Ghosts, Oh My!
Oregon Community Foundation Stage at the Miller Gallery

A discussion with a little something scary for everyone: haunted houses, murderous neighbors, and all-too-possible realism (no vampires here). Authors Virginia Boecker (The Witch Hunter), Paige McKenzie (The Haunting of Sunshine Girl), and three authors from the new anthology Slasher Girls and Monster Boys—Kendare Blake, McCormick Templeman, and April Genevieve Tucholke—talk about things that go bump in the night… and day. Moderated by Cat Winters (Slasher Girls and Monster Boys)

1:00-1:50 pm
An Hour of Oregon Art Beat
OPB Stage at the Fields Ballroom

An hour with OPB’s Oregon Art Beat, featuring a coming-of-age tale set on Mount Hood, Martin Marten, with author Brian Doyle; best-selling author of the Wildwood series and Decemberists frontman Colin Meloy talks about the difference between writing for songs and writing for books; Lauren Redniss will discuss her fascinating new work of visual literature, Thunder & Lightning; and award-winning author Cat Winters on her haunting new novel, The Uninvited. Hosted by Katrina Sarson.

2:15-3:00 pm
Book signing
Kridel Grand Ballroom, Portland Art Museum, Mark Building, Third Floor

If you live in the area or will be traveling to Portland for the event, I hope to see you there.

My Two August Releases Are Now Available

Back in 2013, I sold my adult novel The Uninvited to HarperCollins, and my short story "Emmeline" sold to Penguin as part of the YA horror anthology Slasher Girls & Monster Boys. Back then I learned that The Uninvited would be published in Summer 2015 and Slasher Girls & Monster Boys would release in Fall 2015. I imagined celebrating their publications about three months apart from each other.

Well, it turned out that Summer 2015 for HarperCollins and Fall 2015 for Penguin fell so close together that these two books ended up publishing only a week apart. They're both available as of today, and I'm so thankful that both publishers allowed them to head out into the world.

Here's more info about both books.

Available from William Morrow/HarperCollins

ISBN 9780062347336

“. . . exquisite and magical. This story is a gem with so many facets that uphold the tenets of the Gothic genre, the sensibilities of a romance, and the illuminative window to the past of a historical piece.”

—USA Today’s Happy Ever After

“Dark and romantic . . . at once horrifying and tender.”
—Publishers Weekly

“. . . a haunting paranormal tale.”

(4 stars)

—Romantic Times

“Winters is a talented writer who takes her readers on an audacious ride with this book, her first novel written for an adult audience. The plotting is near perfect.”

—Historical Novels Review

ORDER ONLINE: 

~ Signed Copies ~

HarperCollins • Amazon • Barnes & Noble •  
Powell's • IndieBound • Amazon UK •  
Book Depository • BAM • Indigo

Available from Dial/Penguin

ISBN 9780803741737

“Cat Winters’s ‘Emmeline’ is a haunting story of love and loss in wartime . . . This is satisfying, disturbing horror for the modern YA audience.”

—Publishers Weekly 

“Gross, creepy fun.”

—Kirkus Reviews

“These chilling tales are full of suspense and dread that will haunt readers long after the last page has been turned.”

—School Library Journal

ORDER ONLINE:

~ Signed Copies ~

Penguin • Amazon • Barnes & Noble •

Powell's • IndieBound • Amazon UK •
Book Depository • BAM • Indigo

Please visit my Events page to find out where I'll be appearing to promote both books.

Summer Events

The release dates of both The Uninvited and Slasher Girls & Monster Boys are now under two months away! In the works are blog tours, readings, and one highly creepy online promotion.

If you live in the Pacific Northwest, here's where you'll find me discussing and signing the books this summer:

Tuesday, August 11, 2015, 7:00 pm
Powell's Books at Cedar Hills Crossing
3415 SW Cedar Hills Blvd., Beaverton, OR
Launch party for my adult debut novel, THE UNINVITED.

Thursday, August 20, 2015, 7:00 pm
Powell's Books at Cedar Hills Crossing
3415 SW Cedar Hills Blvd., Beaverton, OR
Launch party for the YA horror anthology SLASHER GIRLS & MONSTER BOYS, with April Genevieve Tucholke, McCormick Templeman, and me.

Friday, August 21, 2015, 7:00 pm
The Book Bin
450 Court St. NE, Salem, OR
Reading and signing for SLASHER GIRLS & MONSTER BOYS, with April Genevieve Tucholke, McCormick Templeman, and me.
 
Friday, August 28, 2015, 7:00 pm
Elliott Bay Book Company
1521 10th Ave., Seattle, WA
Reading and signing with Wendy Webb, M.J. Rose, and me.

Monday, August 31, 2015, 7:00 pm
Annie Bloom's Books
7834 SW Capitol Hwy, Portland, OR
Reading and signing with Wendy Webb, M.J. Rose, and me.

The Great SLASHER GIRLS & MONSTER BOYS ARC Giveaway (U.S. only; ends Monday, May 18, 2015)

I'm part of the upcoming YA horror anthology Slasher Girls & Monster Boys (Dial, August 18,2015), and I'm thrilled to announce that we're running a giveaway for advance reading copies of the book. Here are the details:

HOW TO WIN:

We want to see you at your creatively slashiest. Show us your macabre side and post a pic of something scary to Instagram or Twitter, under hashtag #SLASHERGIRLSARC.

SCARY PIC SUGGESTIONS 

1. Hold a séance

2. Read a horror story in a cemetery

3. Recreate a horror scene from film/tv

4. Play light as a feather, stiff as a board

5. Say Bloody Mary 3 times in a mirror at midnight

6. A selfie with your Slasher boyfriend/girlfriend/platonic friend--Pinhead, Freddy, Xenomorph Queen...

7. Draw a chalk outline of a body on a sidewalk. Possibly yours.

SUPER SPECIAL ENTRY: Dig your own shallow grave. Anyone who goes to this much trouble will be placed in their own pool, i.e. your chances of winning are extremely good. Shallow grave guidelines: Be safe about digging. We’ll not be responsible for bodily injury due to spade mishaps, digging near power/gas lines, or digging on a too hot day, etc. Keep it safe, keep it shallow. On a beach, perhaps. Or in your garden.

Enter the giveaway as many times as you want (but dig your grave only once). The Special Pool entries will be given priority.

And don’t let us hinder your slashy creativity. If you have other ideas, let’s see them! Tweet us your fave horror quotes! Show us your…scary dogs? Just keep it legal. And don’t forget to RT and use the hashtag #SLASHERGIRLSARC.

(U.S. only; ends Monday, May 18)

PRE-ORDER:

Amazon • Barnes & Noble •  Penguin • Amazon UK

Visit the Slasher Girls & Monster Boys website.

Early-Spring Updates

Thank you so much to everyone who entered my Halloween-in-March giveaway! I'm coming up for a short breather between deadlines, so I thought I'd take a moment to give some more updates on all three of my upcoming projects.

Also, I realized I haven't yet officially announced over here that I had the honor of being selected as a judge in School Library Journal's 2015 Battle of the Books. On March 23, you'll be able to see the bracket I got to judge and learn which book I chose to send on to the next round. It's been an incredibly fun experience.

Here's the latest info on all of my forthcoming books.

THE UNINVITED

Adult Fiction
Coming August 11, 2015 
William Morrow / HarperCollins
ISBN 9780062347336

I've finished all of my work on this book, aside from promoting it, and now I'm just waiting for its summer release date to arrive. Here's the book's launch party info:

Tuesday, August 11, 2015, 7:00 pm
Powell's Books at Cedar Hills Crossing
Beaverton, Oregon

If you're interested in reviewing the novel, head to Edelweiss, and then click "Request Digital RC" in the box in the upper-right-hand side of the page. Print review copy requests should be directed to Lauren Jackson at HarperCollins.

Advance praise for the novel is listed here.

SLASHER GIRLS & MONSTER BOYS

YA Anthology
Coming August 18, 2015 
Dial / Penguin
ISBN 9780803741737

The anthology now has a website!

I still haven't received the go-ahead to reveal the name of my individual story, so I'll stay mum for now. I will say this, though: my story is a companion to one of my novels.

All of us contributing authors just received promotional posters for the book, and I'll likely send some out via a giveaway in the coming months. I'll also be taking posters with me to all of my upcoming events.

THE STEEP AND THORNY WAY

YA Fiction
Coming March 2016
Amulet Books / Abrams

Earlier this month I turned in revisions for this book, my third YA novel, which I'm happy to say is scheduled to release next March. I have a few more editing and proofreading stages to go for this one, and I'm still probably four to five months away from seeing what the Amulet Books designer will be creating for the cover. I should be able to reveal many more details about the novel in the fall. I can't wait!

Updates on All Three of My Upcoming Releases

I just wrapped up two intense months of meeting multiple deadlines, including judging a round for School Library Journal's 2015 Battle of the Books, which was quite an honor. Now that I have time to come up for a little breather, I thought I'd talk a little about the current status of my upcoming books. I'm in the amazing position of having three(!) new releases debuting between August of this year and Spring 2016, and even my husband and kids have some trouble keeping all of the books straight.

Here's the latest info for all three of those releases, as well as some details to help keep track of which book is which. (Click on the titles for more info and pre-ordering options.)

THE UNINVITED

Coming August 11, 2015 
William Morrow / HarperCollins
ISBN 9780062347336

Jazz. Gin. Ghosts. 

The Uninvited is my adult debut novel, set in the same 1918 time period as In the Shadow of Blackbirds. What makes it an adult novel versus a YA one? The main difference is that my main character is a 25-year-old woman instead of a teen. The book entails more cussing and sex than my already-published YA novels, although my upcoming YA short story (see the next book listed) does involve a sex scene.

The bottom line: This is still very much a Cat Winters novel, despite the protagonist's age and her occasional nakedness. You'll find a blend of the paranormal and history, and the book is also being called a psychological thriller. Advance praise for the novel is listed here.

SLASHER GIRLS & MONSTER BOYS

Coming August 18, 2015 
Dial / Penguin
ISBN 9780803741737

My second August release is a YA horror anthology involving short stories written by fourteen different authors, including me!

We've all finished writing and editing our stories, and the book is now beautifully typeset. I've heard that advance review copies are in the works, as well as a website for the book. I'll reveal the title of my individual story as soon as I receive the go-ahead to do so. (Update: There's now an official Slasher Girls & Monster Boys website).

The bottom line: This one's going to be scary, kids. All fourteen of us authors were asked to write stories inspired by classic horror movies and books. The book is for teens (and adult readers, too, of course), but some bravery and a lack of squeamishness will be required. Horror fans should be pleased.

THE STEEP AND THORNY WAY

Coming Spring 2016
Amulet Books / Abrams

This is my Hamlet-inspired YA novel involving a biracial girl in 1920s Oregon. I just handed my editor my revisions for the book this morning, and the novel will undergo two more stages of edits before the book is typeset, proofread, and turned into a finished product.

I won't say too much more about this one before the official synopsis gets released with the cover this fall (probably around September or October), but I will mention that, like In the Shadow of Blackbirds, it does involve a murder, a mystery, and a ghost.

The bottom line: My agent and early readers have called The Steep and Thorny Way my strongest book yet, and I'm incredibly proud of the novel. I'd personally say the book is appropriate for ages 14 and up.

Synopsis and Preorder Info for SLASHER GIRLS AND MONSTER BOYS

Good news! Penguin has now released the synopsis and the full list of authors for the August 2015 YA horror anthology, Slasher Girls and Monster Boys. Preordering options are also now available, although you'll still need to wait a little longer to see a cover. I'm thrilled to bits to have a short story appearing in this book.

Without further ado, the synopsis . . .

For fans of Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, Lois Duncan, and Daphne Du Maurier comes a powerhouse anthology featuring some of the best writers of YA thrillers and horror

A host of the smartest young adult authors come together in this collection of scary stories and psychological thrillers curated by Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea’s April Genevieve Tucholke.

Each story draws from a classic tale or two—sometimes of the horror genre, sometimes not—to inspire something new and fresh and terrifying. There are no superficial scares here; these are stories that will make you think even as they keep you on the edge of your seat. From bloody horror to supernatural creatures to unsettling, all-too-possible realism, this collection has something for any reader looking for a thrill.

Fans of TV’s The Walking Dead, True Blood, and American Horror Story will tear through tales by these talented authors:

Stefan Bachmann
Leigh Bardugo
Kendare Blake
A. G. Howard
Jay Kristoff
Marie Lu
Jonathan Maberry
Danielle Paige
Carrie Ryan
Megan Shepherd
Nova Ren Suma
McCormick Templeman
April Genevieve Tucholke
Cat Winters

PREORDER: 

Amazon • Barnes & Noble •  Penguin • Amazon UK

Looking Ahead to 2015 . . . Two Book Releases, Writing Workshops, Secret Projects, and More

In recent posts I've talked quite a bit about my novel that's coming up in 2015, but I actually have two works of fiction releasing from two different publishers next year . . . and they're publishing only one week apart from each other.

Here's a rundown of the books you'll be seeing from me next year, as well as a peek at the books I'll be working on behind-the-scenes and some of my scheduled 2015 events.

2015 RELEASES:

THE UNINVITED
Coming August 11, 2015 
William Morrow / HarperCollins
ISBN 9780062347336

My adult fiction debut returns to the 1918 setting of In the Shadow of Blackbirds, although instead of California, this one takes place in Illinois, the site of the real-life lynching of a German-American named Robert Prager—a murder that made national headlines during the volatile final months of the World War I era. In The Uninvited, a young woman finds herself drawn to the brother of a German immigrant whom her father and brother killed in a violent act of vengeance for a war-related death. The novel is a ghost story, a love story, and a psychological thriller . . . and I can't wait to share it.

SLASHER GIRLS & MONSTER BOYS 
Coming August 18, 2015
Dial / Penguin

This YA horror anthology will feature original new tales by thirteen authors, including myself. From what I've heard, we won't be revealing the titles and synopses of our stories until the weeks leading up to the release of the book, plus there are a few other surprises about the anthology's theme that are yet to be announced. A cover is currently in the works, and hopefully we'll be able to reveal it soon. I've previewed some of the other authors' stories, and I can say with certainty that readers are in for a creepy and gripping treat just in time for the Halloween season.

BEHIND-THE-SCENES BOOKS

THE STEEP AND THORNY WAY
Coming Spring 2016
Amulet Books / Abrams
 
My third YA novel won't release until 2016, but 2015 will be the year when all of the fun stuff occurs—the major edits to get the book in shape, the cover design, the cover reveal, the preparation of advance reading copies. I cannot wait to share more info about this one, but I will say that it's a Hamlet-inspired tale involving a murder, Prohibition, and the KKK in 1920s Oregon. My Hamlet character is a biracial girl named Hanalee who's struggling to survive in a state gone terribly rotten.

THE TOP-SECRET BOOK

I've started writing a new work of adult fiction, so when I'm not in the midst of working on my other projects, I'll be busily typing away on and conducting research for this yet-to-be-announced new novel.

2015 APPEARANCES:

Saturday, January 17, 2015, 2:30-4:00 pm
The Next Level Professional Series
TaborSpace, The Annex
5441 SE Belmont, Portland, Oregon
Success Panel: How a Writer and Writer/Illustrator Got Their Starts, with Cat Winters and Nicole Rubel.

Thursday, March 12, to Sunday, March 15
Left Coast Crime 2015
Doubletree by Hilton Portland
1000 Northeast Multnomah Street, Portland, Oregon
Attending, potentially speaking. More info TBA.

Saturday, May 30, to Sunday, May 31, 2015
SCBWI Oregon's 2015 Annual Spring Conference
Holiday Inn Portland South
25425 SW 95th Ave., Wilsonville, Oregon
Faculty member. Subjects and times of workshops TBA.

More 2015 events are in the works, including possible appearances outside of Oregon. Please keep an eye on my Events Page for updates.