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Cassandra Clare will collaborate with three fellow young adult novelists, Sarah Rees Brennan, Maureen Johnson, and Robin Wasserman. The four writers will be working on a new novella series called Tales From The Shadowhunter Academy (similar to The Bane Chronicles short story collection).
According to Clare’s blog post, each of the ten novellas will come out on a monthly basis as eBooks. Once all ten novellas have been digitally published, they will be compiled in a print book.
Margaret K. McElderry Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, will release the first one, entitled Welcome to Shadowhunter Academy, on February 17th. Clare announced on her Facebook page that Devon Bostick, an actor on The 100 television series, has signed on to narrate the audiobook edition of this book.
We’ve collected the books debuting on Indiebound’s Indie Bestseller List for the week ending October 19, 2014–a sneak peek at the books everybody will be talking about next month.
(Debuted at #1 in Hardcover Fiction) Gray Mountain by John Grisham: “Her new job takes Samantha into the murky and dangerous world of coal mining, where laws are often broken, rules are ignored, regulations are flouted, communities are divided, and the land itself is under attack from Big Coal. Violence is always just around the corner, and within weeks Samantha finds herself engulfed in litigation that turns deadly.” (October 2014)
Young adult writer Maureen Johnson has penned a short story, a prequel to the Shades of London series, called “The Boy in the Smoke.”
Readers will be able to access it for free on the social storytelling website, Wattpad. So far, a section of it has been posted online. Three more parts will be unleashed throughout the rest of the month.
Here’s more from the press release: “‘The Boy in The Smoke’ takes place before The Name of The Star, the first of the Shades of London series, and details the events that led to Stephen Dene developing the ‘sight’ that brought him to his unusual occupation as de facto leader of the Shades, London’s secret ghost-fighting police. A section of the short story will release every Monday for a month, beginning on August, 18th, till the story is published in its entirety.”
Last night, novelistCassandra Clare headlined a 92Y event to celebrate the launch of the sixth and final book in The Mortal Instruments series, City of Heavenly Fire. Fellow writers Maureen Johnson, Holly Black, Kelly Link, and David Levithan joined her on stage.
The group kicked off the night by reading a series of voice mail messages that were recorded by the protagonists some time in between book five, City of Lost Souls, and book six. Johnson announced that this material would be featured in the print edition of The Bane Chronicles; this short story collection is due out for release on November 11, 2014.
At one point during the night, Black teased that Clare plans to have "lots of fairies" in the stories of her forthcoming new series, The Dark Artifices. In addition to the first installment of Dark Artifices, Clare's fans have plenty of projects to look forward to including the middle-grade Magisterium series co-written with Black and a trilogy set in the Edwardian era called The Last Hours. What do you think? (Photo Credit: Joyce Culver)
Alison Lester Children’s Laureate and Sarah Davies award winning illustrator and friend were the keynotes at the Children’s Book Council Christmas dinner. Heaps of authors and illustrators celebrated with the community of book lovers.
Society of Women Writers (SWW) in the Mitchell Library – with its heritage sandstone columns and magnificent rooms – addressed by Professor Yerbury – introduced by historian and author Maria Hill, who’s the President of the Society of Women Writers.
Wonderful event.
Unleased Festival with festival convenor Jodie Wells Slowgrove – who organised a weekend festival of authors and publishers. it was a buzz! Linda Jaivin gave insight into her travels and life in China – she was so entertaining. Read her books!
Tim ferguson comedian author who manages his MS with style and humour. Publishers including Paul Collins Ford Street Publishing, Zoe Walton RandomHouse, Heather Curdie Penguin.
But BEST fun was being won by Maureen Johnson (author of Boofheads and many other books) to give her a mini mentorship. Love doing it and watch out for her new series!
Today we’re celebrating the launch of Maureen Johnson’s newest young adult novel, THE NAME OF THE STAR. Besides Books of Wonder in Maureen’s hometown, New York, Blue Willow Bookshop in Houston was the first stop on her tour. The house was packed with teenagers eager to get a first glimpse at this much anticipated Jack The Ripper thriller/ghost story/romance.
Earlier in the day, Maureen had a school visit in Pasadena, TX, and must have made some comment about special prizes for anyone who showed up at Blue Willow in costume. A couple of fans took her up on it, and got cool YA Saves shirts as prizes. I don’t think Maureen expected the staff to participate, but when she got there, look who greeted her!
I had a rare opportunity to interview Maureen before she headed off to the Austin Teen Book Festival, so here we go:
VC: Your fans always hope that each of your books will be a series, yet many books are stand alone jewels, such as The Keys to the Golden Firebird, The Bermudez Triangle, and Devilish. I know everyone is thrilled to see the words SHADES OF LONDON BOOK ONE in the front of The Name of the Star. But which do you prefer writing, stand alones or series?
MJ: I like both, but with a series I can get into the world more. There were two books that I visualized as a series from the beginning—this one, The Name of the Star, and Suite Scarlet. I like to keep moving on world building. Suite Scarlet had the cast for a continuing series.
VC: During your event at Blue Willow Bookshop, many of your fans were eager to hear about your writing process. One asked if you ever participate in NANOWRIMO (National Novel Writing Month).
MJ: No. Writing is my job. I write all the time, so writing all day in November is like asking a chef to cook every day in November. Plus, I can’t stop what I’m doing to follow NANOWRIMO’s rules. I think it’s great, and I support others who do it, but when you’re writing for a career it’s just not something you’d do.
VC: You mentioned that you came up with the idea for The Name of the Star
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Release Date: September 29, 2011 Series: Shades of London #1 Publisher: Putnam Juvenile Buy:Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Rory Deveaux is just a typical American teen, anticipating a year of boys with accents and bizarre British customs as she settles in at her new London boarding school. But Rory's in for a lot more than she bargained for, as London finds itself in the grip of a brutal serial killer -- a man imitating the grisly murders of Jack the Ripper more than a century ago. A man no one can see. No one, that is, except Rory.
In The Name of the Star, Maureen Johnson's signature snappy style creates an unexpected blend of humor and horror, and readers will be surprised to find themselves laughing aloud in the midst of this gruesome nightmare. Jack the Ripper holds a morbid fascination for modern imaginations, a twisted awe at getting away with murder -- literally. Johnson strategically plays off this strange seductiveness to draw unsuspecting readers into a heart-pounding thriller laced with a deadly taste of déjà vu.
Rory is an utterly disarming heroine. With her easy southern charm, quirks and quips, her narration is delightful to read. Her fresh, light voice provides a striking counterpoint to the otherwise grim tale, and the outrageous stories she tells of her eccentric family back home will leave readers in fits of laughter. Rory is so full of life, readers will feel as though they've known her their whole lives. She's a believable blend of determination and occasional fear, optimism and wry wit. She's not perfect; sometimes she says or does dumb things, as humans are wont to do -- and her guileless, unassuming attitude makes her all the more winning. It's impossible not to cheer for Rory as she struggles with this unfathomable new world and determinedly faces off against an unstoppable, remorseless killer.
Despite her heartwarming and hilarious heroine, Johnson slices a sharp blade of terror through the novel. There is a terrible irony in the fact that the citizens of London known exactly when and where each murder will happen, but are powerless to stop it. By drawing on the sensationalism of Jack the Ripper, Johnson takes the latent fear and turns it into a bone-chilling nightmare. The horror and hopelessness increase with each grisly crime scene, and a sense of despair settles over the novel as London sits helplessly by. Readers will be on the edge of their seats with their hearts in their throats as this hair-raising thriller marches inexorably toward its terrifying conclusion.
Johnson brings each and every one of her secondary characters to life, from Rory's hilarious house mother and boisterous field hockey coach (an activity of which Rory is not a fan), to her smart and sweet crush/make-out pa
8 Comments on Review: The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson, last added: 10/1/2011
I have been DYING to read this book. However, since I'm prone to nightmares, I've opted to get it from the library first, rather than buy it and find I can't handle it.
This is sad for me, as I know Maureen has written an incredible story but I don't know if I will be able to read it.
@Steph -- You should definitely read it! It's SO much fun! They only had like 75 at BEA, I think, and you had to get a number to get one.
@Nancy -- I am a HUGE chicken, but though this one did freak me out at times, it wasn't to the point that I had to stop reading. The humor of the style sort of balances out the scary stuff, I think. I definitely recommend giving it a try!
I've been really iffy about this book because I'm not a big fan of serial killers. But if there's a paranormal element I might not be as scared by it. Give me ghosts and I'm okay! Real killers nonononononoono! :D But your review sounds really good, so I might have to add it to my wishlist!
I like the sound of the balance of light and dark - humor and horror - that goes on in this one. I'm not a big fan of blood and gore, though...is there a lot of graphic violence in this one? Or is much of it psychological or implied?
@Danya -- Oh no, definitely not gory! I think a photograph of one of Jack the Ripper's victims is described, which was kind of gross, but other than that it's really more psychological.
Publisher: Putnam (September 29, 2011) ARC: 370 Pages Series: Shades of London #1 Genre: YA Paranormal (Ghosts) Maureen Johnson'sWebsite | Blog | Twitter
From Goodreads. The day Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London marks a memorable occasion. For Rory, it's the start of a new life at a London boarding school. But for many, this will be remembered as the day a series of brutal murders broke out across the city, gruesome crimes mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper events of more than a century ago.
Soon “Rippermania” takes hold of modern-day London, and the police are left with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. Rory spotted the man police believe to be the prime suspect. But she is the only one who saw him. Even her roommate, who was walking with her at the time, didn't notice the mysterious man. So why can only Rory see him? And more urgently, why has Rory become his next target? In this edge-of-your-seat thriller, full of suspense, humor, and romance, Rory will learn the truth about the secret ghost police of London and discover her own shocking abilities.
Review by Kate
THE NAME OF THE STAR, by Maureen Johnson, is a fantastic ghost story/mystery thriller involving one of the most notorious serial killers of all time, Jack the Ripper. Rory thinks that going to England for her senior year will be great, especially on a gorgeous campus but soon enough a copycat is reenacting the murders of the Ripper and leaving no evidence behind. Rory is the only witness to a strange man at the scene of one of the crimes but she seems to be the only one who saw him. Soon enough she is thrust into the dangerous world of the Shades with no turning back.
When I heard that this book was about Jack the Ripper I was excited because I think it is interesting reading about the psychology behind past serial killers and their crimes. But this book went well beyond my expectations. Johnson created characters that jumped right out of the pages and into my heart. Rory was a great main character and I became very attached to her situation. I loved her humor and blatant hatred for anything sporty. She cracked me up when complaining about her horrible hockey skills and it definitely made her seem very real.
Although it seemed that Rory didn't have much of a life back in the U.S. she definitely gained some really great friends and a possible romance at her new school. With her new friends she was able to cope with her new ghost-seeing status and help the Shades with a very dangerous case.
This book was beautifully crafted into a non-stop action and suspense story that I found I could not put down. Johnson created a magnificent start to a series that will definitely be a great competitor in the YA genre. I am very excited for the next in the series!! Oh and just stating now, I am definitely Team Stephen!!
0 Comments on ARC Review: The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson as of 1/1/1900
It's the Christmas after Ginny returned from Europe. She and Keith are still in a weird transatlantic thing. Maybe. She hasn't heard from him lately. Then Ginny gets a message from someone who has the envelope that got stolen at the end of 13 Little Blue Envelopes, so she's off to England to surprise Keith and finish the journey she began last summer. But, Oliver has other plans. He won't give Ginny the envelope. He's memorized it and if she wants it, he gets to come with her and they'll sell the artwork as soon as they get back and he gets half the cash. Keith won't let Ginny travel alone with such a f***wad and so he's in, too. With Ellis, his new girlfriend.
I'm conflicted about this book. I loved seeing Europe in winter and revisiting some of the places Ginny had gone the previous summer. It has a lot of the same feel of adventure and travelogue of the first book. BUT. The romantic subplot is just SO WRONG AND HORRIBLE that it completely ruined the book for me. There's more on my Spoiler blog, because I have to talk about the very end, so it's spoilery, and full of adult language and no astricks.
ARC Provided by... publisher at ALA
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0 Comments on Last Little Blue Envelope as of 1/1/1900
you can still listen in through the podcast! I LOVED how articulate, clear, strong, and intelligent YA author Maureen Johnson was!
I also called in (since Gurdon slammed Scars in her WSJ essay). I was glad to be able to say a short bit–and so grateful, as always, for all the lovely YAlit people’s support through Twitter! It really makes a huge difference.
I found it…hard…to have Meghan Cox Gurdon tell me that she pities me. Pity feels…far away from compassion, and can be condescending. I think it usually makes the person pitied feel awful. And I found it hard that again, Meghan thinks that most teens can’t relate to dark books because it’s not their experience (she thinks). I SO wish I’d been able to get in that 1 in 3 girls and 1 in 8 boys are sexually abused before the age of 18. That alone shows how many teens need “dark” fiction, and that’s just one issue. Never mind teens who haven’t been through such things but have friends who have.
But Maureen Johnson was so articulate and smart (I knew she would be), and so was the teen reader! And the Twitter support–you all are wonderful!
Cheryl,
I heard the radio show today and I have to say that I was so impressed with how respectfully and articulately you defended your book and the need to shed light on the so called “dark” topics.
As a psychologist, I recognize the need to talk about the very things that make people uncomfortable. I applaud your efforts.
You just gained a new reader!
Cheryl Rainfield said, on 7/6/2011 8:46:00 PM
Oh, Jennifer, thank you! (beaming) I so very much appreciate your telling me that; it means a lot. I’m so glad you thought i was respectful and articulate! It was important to me to call in (even if scary) and ended up being a very positive experience. I’m so glad you’ll check out Scars!
And I agree–it’s so important to talk about the things that some people find uncomfortable. The secrets and pain and things that hurt. It helps to talk about them…and to be heard.
Lisa Jenn Bigelow said, on 7/7/2011 5:40:00 PM
Ooooo, that woman’s viewpoint still makes me so mad. (Every time I hear more from her, I get madder… after her 2nd article, I had to write a post myself.) You and Maureen did a great job of explaining why she’s misguided, even if she still doesn’t see it. Kudos to you!
Cheryl Rainfield said, on 7/7/2011 5:59:00 PM
Thank you, Lisa! I’m glad to hear it. And I thought Maureen was amazing! So glad you wrote a post on her 2nd article. I, ahem, couldn’t read her 2nd yet. Glad you could and did.
The wonderful Maureen Johnson, who started the #YASaves movement on Twitter in response to Meghan Cox Gurdon’s WSJ article that slammed so many good books (including Scars) will be on NPR TODAY at 11am EST!! I hope some people will call in to support her!
You go, Maureen!! I am so very grateful for strong, reasonable voices like Maureen, who know that YA books make a positive difference in teens’ lives. And that if a book doesn’t work for you, personally, just put it down!
0 Comments on YA author Maureen Johnson on NPR TODAY with Meghan Cox Gurdon, talking about “dark” YA! as of 1/1/1900
We’re in ALA Annual Countdown Mode here in the office – it’s only one week away! Dozens of boxes have been filled with galleys and we can’t wait to share them with you. However, while galleys are certainly a huge incentive to come by Booth #1315 to say hi, we also want to offer up our OUTSTANDING list of authors and illustrators signing in our booth during the conference:
Yesterday deadly tornadoes swept through Joplin, Missouri, leaving many homeless. Author Maureen Johnson will auction off a full critique of your book to raise money for these disaster victims.
Here’s the tweet about the auction, so far bids have risen to $250: I’m auctioning off a CRITIQUE of YOUR BOOK. The money goes to Shelterbox. Tweet your bid with #mjcritique. Auction ends 2pm EST [on May 24th].”
She also urged other authors to join the campaign: “OTHER AUTHORS: it turns out critiques are AWESOME. You can auction off your own for @shelterboxus. Maybe use tag: #critiqueforjoplin.”
The rgz Street Team is a group of teens who bring YA reviews to our blog, led by Postergirl Miss Erin. Find out more.
Today, Priya reviews two fantastic reads. Up first, one of last month's featured books, Scarlett Fever by Maureen Johnson:
"As Scarlett Martin's rigorous sophomore year begins in New York City, her life takes a turn for the extraordinary. Her eccentric boss' demands are getting weirder and weirder, her brother suddenly becomes a notorious and hated TV villain... and that's just the beginning.
"Scarlett Fever is the sequel to the hilarious novel Suite Scarlett, and it is every bit as witty and exciting as its predecessor, if not more..."
"A Conspiracy of Kings is the fourth book in The Queen's Thief series, and in my opinion, it's the best one. This book focuses on Sophos (one of the minor characters in the previous books) and his dangerous adventures and epic rise to power as the king of Sounis.
"There were three main things that made me enjoy A Conspiracy of Kings: the characters, the writing, and the plot. I really liked Sophos' character in this book - he was easier to sympathize with than some of the other characters. I felt that he was more accessible to readers and more people would be able to connect with him and understand his actions.
"The writing was wonderful as usual - suspenseful and fast-paced. The plot was also fabulous, with several twists and turns. Megan Whalen Turner has this amazing ability to completely fool the reader and take them on this journey only to reveal some secret or something..."
Last month, I posted an open invitation to the Hopewell Hotel, asking if anyone was interested in participating in a roundtable discussion of September's picks, Suite Scarlett and Scarlett Fever by Maureen Johnson. Before I knew it, I had a number of volunteers, ready and willing to talk about hotel life, New York City, Law & Order, and unicycling actors - not necessarily in that order.
(Psst....If you want to be a part of the October roundtable, where we'll discuss Lips Touch by Laini Taylor, please leave a comment below with your email address!)
Little Willow: Let's jump right in. What was your favorite part of Suite Scarlett?
Melissa Walker: Being introduced to the Martin family was sheer delight. I've never met characters whom I wanted to know in real life so quickly. I think my favorite parts were the intros to each of them -- I was so excited to hang out with them for a while!
Lindsay F: When Spencer punched Eric. Big brother to the rescue!
Marjolein: I loved that there was a big piece for theater,(I think Suite Scarlett itself would be a perfect story to turned into a play!) the long gone glory of the Hopewell and the mysterious Mrs.Amberson with her even more eccentric demands.
Little Willow: What was your favorite scene in Scarlett Fever?
SamanthaRowan: When Max muscles Dakota out of being Scarlett's lab partner. It's a good piece of foreshadowing and it reaches all of us on a deep level. We all remember the pressure of finding a lab partner or being picked for the dodge ball team.
Melissa Walker: I loved it when Scarlett met Lola for lunch and they finally talked openly about things with Chip. It felt so real and sisterly, especially for these two girls who love each other but don't always communicate well. Fantastic moment.
Lindsay F: When Scarlett pushed Max off his stool. ...I think I just may like violence in MJ's books.
Mariah: When Spencer got pelted with doughnuts!
Little Willow: Do you think Suite Scarlett warranted a sequel? Why or why not?
Micol Ostow: Definitely! Scarlett and her world are so colorful that I think there must be infinite sequels and stories to tell!
Mariah: Yes, because the characters could never stop giving wonderful stories and making messes of things!
SamanthaRowan: Yes. There were certainly enough story lines to follow. There's probably a logical sequel to Scarlett Fever too.
Melissa Walker: Yes, and I would very much like to follow the Martin siblings into middle age. Please, Maureen?
Lindsay F: I think Suite Scarlett was a good stand alone novel. However I think Scarlett will always be doing something worth writing about. I feel like Scarlett Fever was more of a cliff hanger than S.S.
Marjolein: Defininetly warrented a sequel, and I am still curious what is going to happen now that I finished reading Scarlett Fever.
Little Willow: Which of Scarlett's siblings did you like the most? Why?
Olivia Wood (elfarmy17): Oh, Spencer, definitely. He's the older brother I've always wanted. He has his own life, but he's okay with sharing parts of it with Scarlett. As she says (somewhere in a paragraph regarding Spencer's past gi
Over at her blog, Maureen Johnson gives her thoughts regarding the current "boys' crisis" in YA lit. Here's an excerpt, but check out the entire entry. Spot on, Maureen!
"I’m not saying that we shouldn’t be working harder to improve boys’ literacy. Quite the opposite. I’m suggesting that in doing so, consider the many female authors and readers of today, and think about how we grew up—and frankly, how female readers are still growing up. You can’t turn a blind eye to the basic reality that 50% (or more) of the school population is still getting a steady diet of male authors, even though an astounding variety of women are writing books of extraordinary quality. And it is certainly not the case that we are running out of male authors. That concept is demeaning to everyone."
Maureen says, "Chelsea has been chasing fame all her life. Why do you think people want to be famous? Why do you think Chelsea's brother Max rejects the quest for fame?"
Featured Author Maureen Johnson hand-picked songs for the playlist that accompanies Suite Scarlett and Scarlett Fever this month (take a sneak peek, left). Listen to the full soundtrack with the player in the right-hand sidebar or see the list of songs in the September issue!
Cassandra Clare will collaborate with three fellow young adult novelists, Sarah Rees Brennan, Maureen Johnson, and Robin Wasserman. The four writers will be working on a new novella series called Tales From The Shadowhunter Academy (similar to The Bane Chronicles short story collection).
We’ve collected the books debuting on Indiebound’s 
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"As Scarlett Martin's rigorous sophomore year begins in New York City, her life takes a turn for the extraordinary. Her eccentric boss' demands are getting weirder and weirder, her brother suddenly becomes a notorious and hated TV villain... and that's just the beginning.
"A Conspiracy of Kings is the fourth book in The Queen's Thief series, and in my opinion, it's the best one. This book focuses on Sophos (one of the minor characters in the previous books) and his dangerous adventures and epic rise to power as the king of Sounis.
Game: Unicycle riding.
I was considering reading this one. I definitely think I will! I don't think I picked this one up at BEA though - don't remember seeing it!
I have been DYING to read this book. However, since I'm prone to nightmares, I've opted to get it from the library first, rather than buy it and find I can't handle it.
This is sad for me, as I know Maureen has written an incredible story but I don't know if I will be able to read it.
@Steph -- You should definitely read it! It's SO much fun! They only had like 75 at BEA, I think, and you had to get a number to get one.
@Nancy -- I am a HUGE chicken, but though this one did freak me out at times, it wasn't to the point that I had to stop reading. The humor of the style sort of balances out the scary stuff, I think. I definitely recommend giving it a try!
Looking forward to reading this one - even more so after reading such a positive review - thanks.
It's great, isn't it? I really like how detailed your review is too.
I've been really iffy about this book because I'm not a big fan of serial killers. But if there's a paranormal element I might not be as scared by it. Give me ghosts and I'm okay! Real killers nonononononoono! :D But your review sounds really good, so I might have to add it to my wishlist!
Liza @ Book Crook Liza
I like the sound of the balance of light and dark - humor and horror - that goes on in this one. I'm not a big fan of blood and gore, though...is there a lot of graphic violence in this one? Or is much of it psychological or implied?
@Danya -- Oh no, definitely not gory! I think a photograph of one of Jack the Ripper's victims is described, which was kind of gross, but other than that it's really more psychological.