I've been invited to speak at several different events between now and the end of 2016, which means I'll be traveling around the country quite a bit. Here's where you can find me in April:
Saturday, April 2, 2016,
Literary Orange
Irvine Marriott
18000 Von Karman Ave., Irvine, CA
Panel - Young Adult: Trending Teen Literature (1:50-2:30 pm).
Sunday, April 3, 2016, 1:00 pm
Barnes & Noble - Redlands
Citrus Plaza Shopping Center, Redlands, CA
Reading and signing for THE STEEP AND THORNY WAY.
Thursday, April 7, 2016, 6:30 pm
Salem Public Library, Loucks Auditorium
585 Liberty St SE, Salem, OR
Author talk for teens and signing.
Saturday, April 9, 2016
Los Angeles Times Festival of Books
University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Panel - Perspectives on the Past: Writing Young Adult History (1:30-2:30 pm).
Saturday, April 16, 2016, 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Deschutes Public Library Teen Lit Fest
Bend High School, Bend, OR
Panels - Beyond Google: The Heart of Story Research (11:00 am-11:50 am); Slasher Girls and Monster Boys (1:00 pm-1:50 pm).
In addition to preparing for and embarking upon my speaking engagements, I'm busily wrapping up the final editing stages of my next adult novel, Yesternight, and hurrying to finish the first draft of my next YA novel, Odd & True. If you contact me via email or social media between now and the end of 2016, please definitely expect delays in my responses. Thank you for your patience!
Monday, March 28, 2016
Tuesday, March 8, 2016
THE STEEP AND THORNY WAY Publication Day!
The Steep and Thorny Way is here!
I'm so thrilled to announce that The Steep and Thorny Way is now available from Amulet Books in both hardcover and ebook formats.
I started writing this Hamlet-inspired 1920s tale of racism, murder, survival, and friendship in 2013. Work on The Uninvited forced me to put the book aside for almost a full year, but then I came back to the manuscript feeling more passionate than ever about finishing it. Thanks to my editor, Maggie Lehrman, and my agent, Barbara Poelle, for believing in my vision and allowing me to share this book with the world.
For a list of my upcoming speaking appearances, please visit my Events page.
Praise for
THE STEEP AND THORNY WAY
A 2016 Junior Library Guild Selection
★ “A fast-paced read with multiple twists, the novel delivers a history lesson wrapped inside a murder mystery and ghost story.”
—Kirkus, starred review
★ “A powerful, gripping, and exceptionally well-executed glimpse into a little-known corner of U.S. history.”
—Booklist, starred review
★ “Unique and riveting historical fiction that feels anything but dated.”
—School Library Journal, starred review
“Shakespeare’s Hamlet serves as the obvious framework for the plot, but the story soon shakes that off, evolving into its own unique and harrowing account of the ways in which people hurt each other out of ignorance and fear.”
—The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
“A rollercoaster ride of a novel.”
—Bustle
“Cat Winters clearly and descriptively depicts a way of life in rural Oregon that most are not aware of . . . The historical accuracy provides a powerful sense of realism.”
—ALAN Picks
“Winters is a genius at subverting expectations.”
—Barnes & Noble Teen Blog
“Winters stands apart as a unique YA literature
storyteller . . . The Steep and Thorny Way will provoke thought about how far we’ve come as a society and how far we have yet to go.”
—BookPage
storyteller . . . The Steep and Thorny Way will provoke thought about how far we’ve come as a society and how far we have yet to go.”
—BookPage
“Cat Winters proves herself the master of YA historical fiction in this richly woven, theatrical tale of haints, friendship, and a time period we don't dare forget.”
—Megan Shepherd, author of The Madman's Daughter series
“Haunting, visceral, and atmospheric, Cat Winters's The Steep and Thorny Way is a fantastic read from one of the best in the genre.”
—Renée Ahdieh, author of The Wrath and the Dawn
“A tale of secrets, murder, intolerance, friendship, and restless spirits, seen through the eyes of the vibrant, truth-seeking, pistol-slinging Hanalee. Marvelous.”
—April Genevieve Tucholke, author of Wink, Poppy, Midnight
—April Genevieve Tucholke, author of Wink, Poppy, Midnight
ORDER ONLINE:
Sunday, March 6, 2016
#BadassHistory Online Launch Party
Even if you can't make it to one of my readings and signings for The Steep and Thorny Way, you can watch me talk about the novel at the #BadassHistory Online Historical Fiction Launch Party, TODAY, March 6, 2016, at 8 pm EST. Meg Medina (Burn Baby Burn), Sharon Biggs Waller (The Forbidden Orchid), Jessica Spotswood (A Tyranny of Petticoats), and I are all releasing YA historical fiction books this week, so we decided to celebrate with readers at a Google Hangout.
Watch us here or at the #BaddassHistory Google Page.
Watch us here or at the #BaddassHistory Google Page.
Friday, March 4, 2016
Cover reveal: YESTERNIGHT
I'm in the middle of preparing for next week's launch of The Steep and Thorny Way (details about launch activities listed here), but I just also learned that the gorgeous, atmospheric, vibrant cover for my second novel for adults showed up on Goodreads. My editor at HarperCollins gave me the go-ahead to reveal it over here, so, without further ado, I present to you Yesternight . . .
From the author of The Uninvited comes a haunting historical novel with a compelling mystery at its core. A young child psychologist steps off a train, her destination a foggy seaside town. There, she begins a journey causing her to question everything she believes about life, death, memories, and reincarnation.
In 1925, Alice Lind steps off a train in the rain-soaked coastal hamlet of Gordon Bay, Oregon. There, she expects to do nothing more difficult than administer IQ tests to a group of rural schoolchildren. A trained psychologist, Alice believes mysteries of the mind can be unlocked scientifically, but now her views are about to be challenged by one curious child.
Seven-year-old Janie O’Daire is a mathematical genius, which is surprising. But what is disturbing are the stories she tells: that her name was once Violet, she grew up in Kansas decades earlier, and she drowned at age nineteen. Alice delves into these stories, at first believing they’re no more than the product of the girl’s vast imagination. But, slowly, Alice comes to the realization that Janie might indeed be telling a strange truth.
Alice knows the investigation may endanger her already shaky professional reputation, and as a woman in a field dominated by men she has no room for mistakes. But she is unprepared for the ways it will illuminate terrifying mysteries within her own past, and in the process, irrevocably change her life.
Yesternight, by Cat Winters
October 4, 2016
William Morrow/HarperCollins
A paperback original
ISBN 9780062440860
From the author of The Uninvited comes a haunting historical novel with a compelling mystery at its core. A young child psychologist steps off a train, her destination a foggy seaside town. There, she begins a journey causing her to question everything she believes about life, death, memories, and reincarnation.
In 1925, Alice Lind steps off a train in the rain-soaked coastal hamlet of Gordon Bay, Oregon. There, she expects to do nothing more difficult than administer IQ tests to a group of rural schoolchildren. A trained psychologist, Alice believes mysteries of the mind can be unlocked scientifically, but now her views are about to be challenged by one curious child.
Seven-year-old Janie O’Daire is a mathematical genius, which is surprising. But what is disturbing are the stories she tells: that her name was once Violet, she grew up in Kansas decades earlier, and she drowned at age nineteen. Alice delves into these stories, at first believing they’re no more than the product of the girl’s vast imagination. But, slowly, Alice comes to the realization that Janie might indeed be telling a strange truth.
Alice knows the investigation may endanger her already shaky professional reputation, and as a woman in a field dominated by men she has no room for mistakes. But she is unprepared for the ways it will illuminate terrifying mysteries within her own past, and in the process, irrevocably change her life.
PREORDER:
Also coming in ebook and audiobook editions.
Tuesday, March 1, 2016
THE STEEP AND THORNY WAY Blog Tour & Launch Party . . . plus a Major Online Historical Fiction Launch Party!
1. The Steep and Thorny Way Blog Tour
Hosted by Rockstar Book Tours, this daily presentation of guest posts and reviews is already underway, and it involves a chance to win one of five finished copies of the book (U.S. only).
Here are the stops:
2/29/2016- Adventures of a Book Junkie- Interview
3/1/2016- The Forest ofWords and Pages- Review
3/2/2016- Two Chicks on Books- Guest Post
3/3/2016- A Dream Within A Dream- Review
3/4/2016- Stories & Sweeties- Excerpt
3/7/2016- Jessabella Reads- Review
3/8/2016- Bookish Lifestyle- Guest Post
3/9/2016- Katie's Book Blog- Review
3/10/2016- The Fox's Hideaway- Interview
3/11/2016- MEREADALOT- Review2. #BadassHistory Party
Even if you can't make it to one of my in-person events, you can see me talk about The Steep and Thorny Way at the #BadassHistory Online Historical Fiction Launch Party, Sunday, March 6, 2016, 8 pm EST. Meg Medina (Burn Baby Burn), Sharon Biggs Waller (The Forbidden Orchid), Jessica Spotswood (A Tyranny of Petticoats), and I are all releasing YA historical fiction books next week, so we decided to celebrate with readers at a Google Hangout. You'll be able to watch us chatting live and submit your own questions.
To RSVP and receive reminders about the event, head to the #BaddassHistory Google Page. To submit questions in advance (and, if you're in the U.S., to enter a chance to win all four books), head to Twitter and use the #BaddassHistory hashtag.
Thursday, March 10, 2016, 7:00 pm
Powell's Books at Cedar Hills Crossing
3415 SW Cedar Hills Blvd., Beaverton, OR
The evening will include a reading, signing, giveaways, and desserts! If you're unable to make it to the launch party but would still like to order a signed copy of The Steep and Thorny Way, click here.
Advance Praise for
THE STEEP AND THORNY WAY
A May 2016 Junior Library Guild Selection
★ “A fast-paced read with multiple twists, the novel delivers a history lesson wrapped inside a murder mystery and ghost story. Winters deftly captures the many injustices faced by marginalized people in the years following World War I as well as a glimmer of hope for the better America to come. A riveting story of survival, determination, love, and friendship.”
—Kirkus, starred review
★ “A powerful, gripping, and exceptionally well-executed glimpse into a little-known corner of U.S. history.”
—Booklist, starred review
★ “Hanalee is a fantastic lead, armed with a two-barreled pistol and led by the lost soul of her father . . . the backdrop of Prohibition-era Oregon, punched up with bootleggers, a hidden gay relationship, the public and private face of the Ku Klux Klan, and a dash of the supernatural makes for a delightfully unpredictable page-turner . . . Unique and riveting historical fiction that feels anything but dated.”
—School Library Journal, starred review
“Shakespeare’s Hamlet serves as the obvious framework for the plot, but the story soon shakes that off, evolving into its own unique and harrowing account of the ways in which people hurt each other out of ignorance and fear. Hanalee’s narration is folksy and immediate, and readers are with her every step of the way as she pieces together the puzzle of her father’s death and wipes away her town’s veneer of acceptance.”
—The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
“Winters smartly wraps up this family mystery with racial injustices of the time period, and the result is completely compelling and a rollercoaster ride of a novel.”
—Bustle
“Cat Winters clearly and descriptively depicts a way of life in rural Oregon that most are not aware of . . . The historical accuracy provides a powerful sense of realism.”
—ALAN Picks
“Cat Winters proves herself the master of YA historical fiction in this richly woven, theatrical tale of haints, friendship, and a time period we don't dare forget.”
—Megan Shepherd, author of The Madman's Daughter series
“Haunting, visceral, and atmospheric, Cat Winters's The Steep and Thorny Way is a fantastic read from one of the best in the genre.”
—Renée Ahdieh, author of The Wrath and the Dawn
“A tale of secrets, murder, intolerance, friendship, and restless spirits, seen through the eyes of the vibrant, truth-seeking, pistol-slinging Hanalee. Marvelous.”
—April Genevieve Tucholke, author of Wink, Poppy, Midnight
—April Genevieve Tucholke, author of Wink, Poppy, Midnight
PREORDER: