Live Online Event for the Pixel Project

The Pixel Project is teaming up with 15 authors this fall in a campaign to stop violence against women. It's called #Read4Pixels and their mission is something I believe in very strongly: "It's time to stop violence against women. Together."

So tonight (Friday 9/14/18), starting at 8:30pm ET, I'll be live online with the Pixel Project, reading from my 3 upcoming books (THE DEEPEST BLUE, FIRE & HEIST, and SPARK) and doing a real-time Q&A. It will stream here: 

https://youtu.be/OkYf1L1CIrI 

This will be my first time ever reading from these 3 books to anyone but my cat. And it will also be my very first live online event! Eeeeeeeeeee!! Very excited! And a little nervous.  :)

I hope you can come join me! 

You're 100% welcome to just listen along, but if you'd like to join in and ask questions during my live event, all you have to do is log into a YouTube account. Here are instructions: http://reveal.thepixelproject.net/voices-and-videos/read-for-pixels/google-hangout-schedule-attending-google-hangouts/

And please also check out the Read For Pixels fundraiser from the Pixel Project at https://thepixelproject.rallyup.com/readforpixels2018 to support stopping violence against women. Lots of book bundles and other goodies are available, including signed hardcover editions of all three books in The Queens of Renthia!

Cover Reveal for THE DEEPEST BLUE

I am so excited to share with you the cover for my upcoming novel, THE DEEPEST BLUE!!!

I love the moment a book gets its cover.  Suddenly it feels so much more real -- like the story is walking out of my imagination and into the world.  And I am so extremely excited for THE DEEPEST BLUE to be heading into the world because I loved writing it so much.

THE DEEPEST BLUE is set on the islands of Belene, a string of islands besieged by a capricious ocean full of malicious spirits.  Mayara, one of the fearless oyster divers, is about to marry the love of her life when an unnatural storm hits her island, and wild spirits from the sea ravage her village.

To save her loved ones, Mayara reveals a dangerous secret: she has the power to control the spirits.  When the storm ends, she is taken into custody by the queen's soldiers and is sent, along with other women like her, to an island filled with bloodthirsty nature spirits, and left without food, water, shelter, or any tools except their own instincts and magic.  Whoever survives the Island of Testing will be declared heirs to the queen.

As the text at the top of the cover says, THE DEEPEST BLUE is a Tale of Renthia, which means it's a brand new story with brand new characters, a standalone epic fantasy set in the world of Renthia but in a different country than the Queens of Renthia trilogy.  You don't have to have read the Queens trilogy to read this book -- though readers who have will recognize one familiar face!

When we were talking about what to put on the cover, my editor at Harper Voyager asked me to send a description of the three deadliest sea monsters in the story.  This is what I sent him:

"Three of them woke, giant monsters that dwarfed imagination.  One was shaped like a dragon with a scaly serpent's body, blackened wings, and eyes that were white-hot embers.  Another was a kraken, with tentacles the thickness of a ship's hull.  And the third was a many-headed snake, with a body that could wrap around the city of Yena."

As you can see, the artist and designer took this description and ran with it.  I am absolutely in awe of the glorious gorgeousness of their work!  Thank you so much to Larry Rostant, the amazing artist who created the magnificent medallion of my leviathans, and to Elsie Lyons, who designed the cover, as well as everyone else at HarperCollins who was involved in its creation.  I am so very grateful and thrilled to have such a gorgeous cover and to be able to share it with you today!

THE DEEPEST BLUE comes out on March 19, 2019, from Harper Voyager.

https://www.harpervoyagerbooks.com/sarah-beth-durst-on-the-cover-for-the-deepest-blue/

http://www.sarahbethdurst.com/DeepestBlue.htm

Announcing PIPSQUEAK!!!

I am very, very, very thrilled to announce that I sold a new middle-grade fantasy novel, PIPSQUEAK, to my amazing editor Anne Hoppe at Clarion Books / Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, via my incredible agent Andrea Somberg!

Here's the announcement that ran in Publishers Weekly:

https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-industry-news/article/77699-rights-report-week-of-august-6-2018.html

Yay for giant kitties!!!

Cover Reveal for SPARK

COVER REVEAL!!! My next kids book, SPARK! Part resisting injustice, part Pikachu goes to Hogwarts, coming from HMH / Clarion Books in May 2019! Huge thanks to artist Brandon Dorman and designer Sharismar Rodriguez! I am so in awe of their spectacular talents!

http://www.sarahbethdurst.com/Spark.htm

Announcing RACE THE SANDS!!!

I'm beyond excited to announce that I sold two new books, RACE THE SANDS and an untitled second novel, both epic fantasy standalones for adults, to my fantastic editor David Pomerico at Harper Voyager, via my amazing agent Andrea Somberg!!!

RACE THE SANDS is about two women, a disgraced trainer and her young student, who are vying to be champions of their sun-soaked land's most beloved sport, monster racing. They are drawn into the complex politics of the emperor's succession when they discover their monster is the murdered emperor reborn.

I've been wanting to write RACE THE SANDS for a long time now -- it's been one of those ideas that just kept tugging on my imagination -- and I can't wait to finally write it! It's monster racing time!!!

https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/book-deals/article/77279-book-deals-week-of-june-18-2018.html

 

Wall Street Journal Review of THE QUEEN OF SORROW

Eeeeeeep!!! My latest book, THE QUEEN OF SORROW, was reviewed in yesterday's Wall Street Journal!!! My husband randomly found the article online and ran out to 7-Eleven to buy the paper (and some milk -- we were totally out :) ). Thanks, WSJ!

"The Renthia trilogy stands old beliefs, and even old myths, on their heads. Ms. Durst has given us a refreshing, provocative and ultimately convincing remake of modern fantasy conventions. The wonder is that we ever saw things the other way round." -- The Wall Street Journal

BookCon 2018

Had a wonderful and exhilarating time at BookCon yesterday!!! So great seeing so many awesome people who love books! Thanks so much to everyone who stopped by my panels and signings! It was wonderful meeting you!

HarperCollins BookExpo Party 2018

At the HarperCollins BookExpo party last night: me with my awesome agent, Andrea Somberg; me with my amazing publicist, Caro Perny; and a warm chocolate chip cookie with a shot of milk. Had a fantastic time!

 

WORD Bookstore Event 6/6

On Wed June 6 at 7:30pm, Peter V. Brett and I will be at WORD Bookstore in Jersey City discussing all things epic fantasy and celebrating the release of THE QUEEN OF SORROW, the final book of my Queens of Renthia trilogy! Come join us for some Wednesday night bookish fun!

https://www.wordbookstores.com/event/word-presents-sarah-beth-durst-and-peter-brett-queen-sorrow

My BookCon 2018 Schedule

This Saturday, I'll be at the Javits Center in NYC for BookCon!!! Here's my schedule. If you'll be around, please stop by and say hi!