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Sorry I've been such a bad blogger lately. There's been a LOT going on.

- We moved Teen into her dorm room on Saturday. Of course, that night I dreamed about nursing (this dream might only make sense if you've ever been a nursing mother). It's a big change for all of us. Sniff!

- Last week, I heard from a Pennsylvania teen on FB. She wanted to know if there was a sequel to Girl, Stolen. We started messaging back and forth and this is what she told me: "To be honest, I was never, ever interested in books, or anything school related. I found Girl, Stolen in my school library, and the cover looked interesting, the one where she has her hands in front of her face. That was the first time I've ever read a book without being told to by a teacher. You've really inspired me to read, and now I'm taking home books from different libraries everyday! Thank you so much, I can't believe I've been missing out on books through out school, now I'm in love with them."

- I leave for the Writer Police Academy in North Carolina on Thursday.

- I have a bunch of deadlines and they keep getting closer. (Cue spooky music.)

- Look what just got highlighted in School Library Journal - The Night She Disappeared. http://www.slj.com/2012/09/books-media/read-watch-alikes/watch-and-read-spotlight-on-media-tie-ins-house-at-the-end-of-the-street-and-spine-tingling-thrillers-for-teens/

I'm so excited to announce that I've just signed a contract for the film option of The Night She Disappeared, my latest young adult thriller, which came out March 13.



Maggie Field of Maggie Field Literary Consulting discovered The Night She Disappeared while searching for new novels with film potential. She alerted a production company called Tempest, which has now purchased the option.

So what is a film option? Basically, it is the rental of movie rights for a book. For however long the option specifies (say a year) , the purchasers hold the film rights while they create a screenplay and see if they can gain interest in funding the film. If they do, then they buy the film rights outright. Otherwise, when the option runs, out the rights revert back to the author, who then is free to repeat the process.

About The Night She Disappeared
Gabie drives a Mini Cooper. She also works part time as a delivery girl at Pete's Pizza. One night, Kayla - another delivery girl - goes missing. To her horror, Gabie learns that the person who called in the fake pizza order had asked if the girl in the Mini Cooper was working that night. Was Kayla's fate really meant for Gabie? She becomes obsessed with finding Kayla. Gabie teams up with Drew, who also works at Pete's. Together, they set out to prove that Kayla isn't dead-and to find her before she is.

Tomorrow I'll be celebrating the publication of not one, but two books: The Night She Disappeared and Eyes of Justice.

If you live in the Portland area, come join me Tuesday, April 3, at 7 pm at Powells Cedar Hills in Beaverton. There will be chocolate!


The Night She Disappeared
Rights have sold in Germany, England, and Turkey. It's also a Junior Library Guild Selection.

"When 17-year-old Kayla Cutler, an employee at Pete's Pizza, disappears while delivering an order, her fellow employees are shocked and disturbed. Unfolding over the two weeks after Kayla vanishes, Henry's (Girl, Stolen) heart-pounding mystery alternates among the perspectives of numerous characters, including Kayla's co-workers Gabie, who is traumatized by Kayla's kidnapping (and believes that she was the intended target), and Drew, a "straight-C stoner" who is supporting his drug-addicted mother, as well as a diver searching the Willamette River, a psychic, Kayla herself - and the man who kidnapped her. As Kayla plots an escape from the room in which she's being held, Gabie and Drew try to investigate what happened to her, holding out hope that she's still alive. It's a riveting story that many readers will finish in one sitting, full of suspects and augmented by police reports, interviews, and newspaper articles that, along with the variety of voices, make the events feel all the more real. Each chapter is a surprise, and the tension builds steadily until the inevitable climactic face-off. "
- Publishers Weekly

"In this plot-driven, page-turning thriller, the narrative switches between characters in first person from various perspectives. Henry provides just enough detail to provide depth and complexity to the characters. Documents and transcripts are used throughout the book to provide more insight into evidence and police reports made regarding the disappearance of Kayla. The narrative reveals from the outset who has taken Kayla and how she is being treated. The reader must wait with bated breath to see when and if the characters will uncover the truth as the suspense builds to a fever pitch near the end of the book."
- VOYA,

"This fast-paced, gripping thriller incorporates many different devices to keep the story moving along. Medical reports, 9-1-1 transcripts, and chapters told by a variety of characters will keep readers involved."
- School Library Journal

"The thriller is narrated using a collage technique. Interspersed with the kids' and perpetrator's first-person accounts are police reports, 911 transcripts, webpages, interviews, etc., which add interest and texture....Gabie and Drew's budding relationship is believable, and it has a strong wingding climax followed by a feel-good ending."
- Kirkus

"The Night She Disappeared is a genuine thriller that races along from first page to last. Tightly plotted and neatly told."
- Marcus Sedgwick, award-winning author of Revolver

Since I was shown the cover for The Night She Disappeared, it seems like I see girls from behind on so many covers. Can you think of some more?

There's an an ad in Shelf Awareness for The Night She Disappeared. (Pets.)


For the first time in my career, I have a UK edition of a book -in this case, Girl, Stolen.. I've always heard it's hard to sell a mystery or thriller in the UK because they already have so many excellent writers in that genre. Coals to Newcastle kind of deal.

I dreamed that a few years ago I gave birth to a baby, but things didn't work out. It was stunted and never learned to walk. The doctors determined that it hadn't spent enough time inside me. The solution: Push it back up. They did not listen when I protested that the baby was now far too big to go back.

Could this have anything to do with my crazy deadline?

While these might totally change, I wanted to share some new covers with you guys (after I got permission from my editor).

This one's for my next book. It's what the cover of the ARE (Advanced Readers Edition, which seems to be the in-term now, instead of ARC, or Advanced Readers Copy). (Does anyone know why ARE is now in vogue?) The cover may change for the real book, which won't come out until March 2012. What do you think?


And here's what they are thinking of using for the cover of the paperback of Girl, Stolen, which also comes out in March 2012. While I love the hands over the face cover, Marketing had some concerns the book looked like a problem novel for girls (you know, Ami has an eating disorder or Amanda's dad is touching her at night). They wanted to project it was a thriller that would appeal to both sexes. Again, what do you think?