Spring/Summer 2016 Appearances and Novels-In-Progress Updates

Me at Powell's Books, Beaverton, OR.

I've decided to share a few updates about my books and appearances before I disappear back into my mountain of deadlines. If I'm not working to meet a deadline, I'm either traveling for an event or making sure my kids are heading off to school in clean clothing and with packed lunches, so I apologize for any delays in responses to messages. I do greatly appreciate all letters and emails from readers.

Please also note that I'm closed to book blurbs through 2016.

Here's where I'll be appearing from May through August 2016:

Saturday, May 7, 2016
Oregon Writing Festival
Portland State University, Portland, OR
Keynote speaker; writing workshop.

Tuesday, May 24, 2016
Manchester Township High School
Manchester Township, NJ
School visit.

Saturday, June 4, 2016, 11:00 am-2:00 pm
Klindt's Booksellers Spring Author Festival
315 E. 2nd Street, The Dalles, OR
Author fair with 12 Oregon YA and middle-grade authors.

Saturday, June 25-Sunday, June 26, 2016
ALA 2016 Annual Conference and Exhibition
Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, FL
Appearance info TBA.

Saturday, July 9, 2016
ThrillerFest
Grand Hyatt, New York City, NY
Panel info TBA.

Saturday, August 13, 2016
Willamette Writers Conference
Sheraton Portland Oregon Hotel, Portland, OR
Panel - How to Break Into (and Survive!) the World of Young Adult Fiction (3:30 pm-5:00 pm). 

Here's the current status of my novels-in-progress:

Yesternight, my next adult novel, will release from HarperCollins on October 4, 2016. I'm about to go into copyedits for the book, and I've heard review copies should be available around June.

Odd & True, my next YA novel, is scheduled to release from Abrams in Fall 2017. I'm still writing the book, which is due to my editor in August of this year.

I also have an as-of-yet-untitled YA novel due to my editor in Summer 2017.

Meanwhile, The Steep and Thorny Way continues to be the book I'm actively promoting at events. Here are the latest reviews for the novel:

“With a twisting and revenge-driven plot, Winters creates a diverse cast of characters through which she explores the power of secrets and fear and the heartbreaking consequences of prejudice”
—VOYA Magazine

“For To Kill A Mockingbird fans . . . This spellbinding mystery/ghost story is fast-paced, twisty, and unafraid to take on important issues in a way that's both thought-provoking and hopeful.”
—Justine Magazine

“Haunting, beautifully written and immensely powerful, this is a story that resonates through time and history whilst delivering a clever and compelling thriller.”

—The Lancashire Evening Post

ORDER ONLINE: 

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

 

How Much Should Authors Share about Their Books in Advance?

Some writers choose to post long synopses for their novels on their websites before the official cover copy is even written. Some post synopses of their unsold novels. Others are more coy and don't even set up websites or Twitter accounts until a few months before a book's publication.

Where do I stand on the subject of sharing info about a pre-published book?

I'm leaning more on the secretive side. Anything I've revealed about the plot of In the Shadow of Blackbirds primarily comes from the short synopsis in the Publishers Marketplace announcement, and that single-sentence blurb mainly discusses the 1918 setting. On Valentine's Day I revealed there's a love story in the novel, but even then, I tried my best to give elusive, tiny details about what that love story might entail. Unless you've actually read the book, you still don't know my main characters' names, and you won't likely find them out until I release an official synopsis.

Why am I staying so mum? Why have I already turned down two opportunities to interview my main characters on other blogs?

For one thing, I haven't yet received my editorial letter. I don't want to share any information that might not even be true of my characters in the final version of the book. I also haven't yet spoken to my Amulet Books team about the novel's marketing plan.

Another reason is that I personally enjoy it when other authors keep me in suspense and offer breadcrumbs of information that lead up to a book's publication date. When I visit a writer's website and find only a short, intriguing, taunting Publishers Marketplace blurb, I typically follow the author on Twitter right away or sign up for his or her newsletter. I look forward to the gradual revelation of information: the posting of their official synopsis, their cover reveal, other eventual goodies like book trailers.

That being said, it's not easy to keep quiet about a book when you're dying to share it with the world. I can't wait to offer you so much more than a one-sentence blurb and enigmatic hints.

I'm also struggling to keep quiet about my novel-in-progress, tentatively titled The M— (the M part is actually a complete word, but I'm even going to be mysterious about what that initial stands for). I will tell you the following three tidbits about the book:

• The M— is another historical YA.
• The book involves paranormal elements.
• There's a Black Swan-style, things-aren't-always-what-they-seem vibe.

On February 28 I'll be blogging at The Lucky 13s, and the subject will be what you'd find on the menu if you ate dinner with my In the Shadow of Blackbirds protagonist (without mentioning her name!). After that, I'm going to refrain from giving any more hints about either book until Amulet Books says an In the Shadow of Blackbirds synopsis is ready to be revealed.

My lips are now sealing shut.

The images on this post are from WWI posters that warned about keeping silent,
although they're referring to war-related issues, not book plots.