2014 is going to be a crazy year for me. Some highlights.
January - I turn 40. Bring it.
February 11 - Austenland releases on DVD/Blu-ray.
March 4 - Dangerous publishes. This is the book I first sold with a synopsis in 2005. It was a complicated book, and I spent a lot of time and a lot of drafts on it, also letting the Austenland screenplay, Midnight in Austenland, and Palace of Stone come first while I untangled and rewrote. I'm so excited and so happy with this book. I've heard people call it "Hunger Games meets The Avengers," which is very complimentary IMO but I think does give a pretty good idea of what kind of story to expect. I hope you guys love this one. I'm incredibly fond of it. Always a risk to genre-hop but I'm so happy I did.
March 25 - EVER AFTER HIGH: The Unfairest of Them All publishes. This is the second EVER AFTER HIGH novel, cover reveal to come. FYI I don't have any part in the merchandise, i.e. dolls, clothes, etc., or the games and webisodes (I'm not that cool!). But I've really enjoyed writing the novels to help tell the story of the clever and playful world Mattel created. Here's a lovely article in Kirkus Reviews about the first book.
June 24 - SPIRIT ANIMALS 4 publishes. This is the series that started with Brandon Mull's Wild Born, and a different author is writing each book in the 7-book series. TItle and cover announcements to come!
July 15 - EVER AFTER HIGH 3 publishes. TItle and cover announcements to come! This one is going to be so fun. Dean has been helping me with Ever AFter High 2&3 (it'd be too much too fast for me to do alone) and we're having a blast with this one.
October 14 (I think) - The Princess in Black! The first book in my and Dean's early chapter book series, illustrated by the phenomenal LeUyen Pham (pronounced Lay-win Fam). I've seen the final art (full color illustrations each page, 80 pages long) and I'm trying not to FREAK OUT with excitement. Oh heck, I'll just go ahead and freak out. OHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHYOUGUYS!!!
So...yeah, five books in one year. I did work on Dangerous for years, completing it over a year ago, and Princess in Black is short. But still. I never, ever, ever after imagined I'd see 5 books in one year. I'll be on the road a lot in 2014, doing two book tours as well as conferences, festivals, etc., so I'll see many of you! Tours TBA.
ps. Princess Academy 3 (title and cover TBA) will probably pub March '15.
pps. I've got lots of TBAs so check back here. My new year's resolution: blog post each Monday. What's yours?
Five books in a year, wow! Didn't you do a post way back about how you couldn't do one book per year anymore?
I love Ever After High and I can't wait to see what Dangerous is like.
Posted by: Eliza | December 30, 2013 at 03:19 PM
That's amazing! Good luck! If I could write that much next year, I could totally get my own career off to a start! x)
Posted by: Mariah Porter | December 30, 2013 at 03:32 PM
Happy early birthday! I'm so excited for Austenland on DVD... I had this weird fear that it might not go to DVD so I'm really glad it will be in my grubby little paws shortly. :D
Posted by: Jamie | December 30, 2013 at 03:33 PM
Wow, Shannon! You're almost as prolific as Brandon Sanderson ;)
Posted by: Lindsay | December 30, 2013 at 03:34 PM
I love that I am older--and as a result, wiser--than you.
What a great year this is going to be. And I thought 2013 was pretty amazing.
You inspire the best in all who know (and read) you. XO, Dawn
Posted by: Dawn Meehan | December 30, 2013 at 04:00 PM
I found a website with Ever After High games! So exciting :)
http://www.dressupgames.com/celebrities/ever-after-high.html
good luck with everything this year!
Posted by: rinna-girl | December 30, 2013 at 04:33 PM
There was a Nathan Hale interview and it mentioned a sequel to Calamity Jack coming out
in 2013. Hasn't come out yet?
Posted by: Noah | December 30, 2013 at 06:07 PM
Amazing! Hope 2014 brings you to Atlanta again!
Posted by: Nicole H. | December 30, 2013 at 06:43 PM
Dang it! I was hoping that your upcoming events would include another set of twins! : )
Posted by: Janeil Jones | December 31, 2013 at 11:16 AM
You. Are. Amazing. Five books in one year? That's unheard of! But not for Shannon Hale! So excited to see what you've written (particularly excited for Dangerous)!
Posted by: Danielle | January 01, 2014 at 11:05 AM
I thought Princess Academy 3 was going to be published in 2015...or did I read that wrong...
Posted by: Imaanzg | January 01, 2014 at 01:07 PM
Wow. You've said before that it doesn't really get easier with time... do you still think that now? Because before you weren't putting out 5 books every year, that's incredible!! Is it easier to finish and publish now than it was before?
Posted by: Bekah | January 02, 2014 at 04:36 PM
A Happy New Year from Japan!
Posted by: Akiko from Japan | January 06, 2014 at 02:41 AM
I love that you've taken the risk of genre-hopping. I can't WAIT to read Dangerous and am so incredibly impressed that you have 5 books out this year. Congratulations!
Posted by: Melissa | January 12, 2014 at 10:21 PM