World Fantasy Convention 2018 Schedule

Very excited for one of my favorite cons this weekend: World Fantasy Convention! I'll be signing during the Mass Autographing on Fri at 8pm, and I'll be on the "Optimism in the New Dark Age" panel on Sun at noon. Hope to see you there! #WFC44 #WFC2018

 

Excerpt from FIRE AND HEIST

One of my favorite things to write is first chapters. And the first chapter of my next YA novel, FIRE AND HEIST (coming out 12/4), was one of my all-time favorites to write. Think Ocean's Eleven with were-dragons! You can read the excerpt here: http://www.sarahbethdurst.com/FireandHeistexcerpt.htm

Northborough Free Library

Had a very awesome day yesterday! I was invited to be the 150th anniversary guest author at the Northborough Free Library, my childhood library in Northborough, MA. It's no exaggeration to say that this place shaped the entire course of my life. 

See those shelves on the back wall (below)? After I'd read everything in the children's room, my mom took my hand and walked me upstairs to those very shelves, where she introduced me to the Belgariad, the Dragonriders of Pern, the Sword of Shannara...

Also got to see a quilt hanging in the Northborough Library's Children's Room, which has a patch for my debut novel, INTO THE WILD!

And I toured around my old hometown a bit. Very happy to see the Agway rooster is still there. Also, the Northboro House of Pizza has the same old plastic sign it's had for my entire life, which is awesome.

When I was a kid, we spelled the town "Northboro." It got fancier after I left and is now "Northborough." Still the same Northboro of my heart, though. Love that town. Thanks so much to everyone who came to my book event and to the Northborough Library for inviting me!

Book Event at Northborough Library (MA) on Saturday

This Saturday (10/13/18) at 10am, I'll be the 150th anniversary guest author at the Northborough Free Library in Northborough, Massachusetts (near Worcester, MA). This was my library when I was a kid -- it's the place where I first fell in love with books, as well as the library that appears in my debut novel, Into the Wild-- so I am beyond thrilled to be going back. Hope to see you there!

https://www.northboroughlibrary.org
 
The newspaper clipping below is from the Worcester Telegram & Gazette.  That's me, age 4, as the literal poster child for kid-who-will-be-taking-out-a-ridiculous-number-of-library-books.

NYCC 2018 Schedule

Very excited for New York Comic Con this weekend!!!  Here's my schedule:

SATURDAY 10/6
11am Signing at HarperCollins booth (#2118) - ARCs of THE DEEPEST BLUE!

SUNDAY 10/7
11am Signing at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt booth (#2008)
1:30pm "Weirdness Accessible" panel in room 1A18 with Edgar Cantero, Sarah Beth Durst, Christina Henry, Vivian Shaw, Margaret Stohl, and Maryelizabeth Yturralde
2:45pm Post-panel signing in Hall 1A, Autograph Area Table 1

Hope to see you there!

Book Culture LIC Event

TONIGHT (10/4) at 7pm I'll be at Book Culture in Long Island City for a panel discussion and signing (and snacks!). If you're in the NYC area, hope to see you there!!!

https://www.bookculture.com/event/lic-choose-your-player-how-scifi-fantasy-authors-create-legendary-characters

Here's the official panel description:

Choose Your Player: How SciFi & Fantasy Authors Create Legendary Characters 

"Whether it’s an iconic drow warrior, a thief with mystical ancestry, or a hitman from Hell, the heroes and anti-heroes that populate our favorite books are the reason we keep coming back for more of their adventures. Join R.A. Salvatore, Richard Kadrey, S.A. Chakraborty, Sarah Beth Durst, and David Pedreira for some hands-on character creation, followed by a panel discussion about the ins and outs of developing compelling characters in SFF. Light refreshments will be served."