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!

My Halloween-in-March Ghostly Giveaway!

The Halloween season doesn't arrive for seven more months, but that doesn't mean we can't start celebrating. I have advance copies of TWO upcoming ghostly reads sitting here beside me, so it seems to me that a Halloween-in-March giveaway is in order.

Here's what I have waiting for early trick-or-treaters:

One signed advance copy of my upcoming WWI-era ghost tale, The Uninvited.
Age range: Adult Fiction
What it's about: Twenty-five-year-old Ivy Rowan sees the ghosts of loved ones right before someone is about to die. When she enters into a relationship with a German immigrant—the brother of a man her family members killed in retaliation for her brother's death in the Great War—she grows fearful of the increasing number of spirits she witnesses.
What to expect: Jazz. Gin. Ghosts. Sex. Love. Mystery. Psychological horror.

 ~ Coming August 11, 2015, from HarperCollins ~

AND. . .

One advance copy of Lauren DeStefano's upcoming middle-grade ghost tale, A Curious Tale of the In-Between.
Age range: 8 to 12
What it's about: Pram Bellamy's lifelong best friend is a ghost named Felix. When a living boy who's also interested in the spirit world enters her life, Pram finds herself embarking upon an otherworldly journey involving a lady spirit medium who may or may not be a phony.
What to expect: Lovely prose. Peril. Spirits. Heartbreak. Hope. Friendship. A fictional world reminiscent of those of Roald Dahl and Neil Gaiman. I absolutely loved this book.

~ Coming September 1, 2015, from Bloomsbury ~

Little peeks inside the advance copies:

The first page of The Uninvited.

The title page of A Curious Tale of the In-Between.

The target audiences for these two books are vastly different: one's an adult novel; one's a middle-grade read. However, I'm combining these two 2015 ghost tales into one Halloween-in-March prize package that will likely appeal to my fans and Lauren's. I'll also throw in some of my brand-new swag. 

You must be 13 years or older to enter. Open internationally.

Enter here:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

HAPPY HALLOWEEN IN MARCH!

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.