Announcement!!!

I am pleased to announce...

Okay, "pleased' is an understatement. We're talking a Sleeping-Beauty-took-a-nap kind of understatement. Rapunzel-had-long-hair kind of understatement. Hans-Christian-Andersen-needed-therapy kind of understatement...

I am delighted and thrilled and so unbelievably happy to tell you that I have just signed a contract for two new YA fantasy books with Simon & Schuster!!! Yippee!!! My new beauties are called (at least until the titles get changed, as they always do) ICE (coming Fall 2009) and IVY (coming Fall 2010).

Here's the official announcement from the December 1, 2008 edition of Publishers Marketplace:

Children's: Young Adult
Into the Wild and Out of the Wild author Sarah Beth Durst's ICE, a modern arctic adventure inspired by the Norse folktale, East of the Sun, West of the Moon, and IVY, the story of a 16-year old thrown into a magical realm at Princeton, who must race against time to save herself, her world, and any hope she has of college admission, to Karen Wojtyla at Margaret K. McElderry Books, in a two-book deal, by Andrea Somberg at Harvey Klinger (world).

YAY!!!

Okay, that needs a lot more exclamation points.

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am very, very, very excited about these new books. My wonderful agent and my fabulous new editor actually made the deal over the summer, but the official announcement had to wait until all the details had been worked out, and I have been just bursting at the seams to officially tell you the news. And now I can! And did! And... EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Um, sorry about that outburst. It couldn't be helped. Anyhoo, in the days, weeks, and months to come, I'll tell you lots more about these new books and their journey to publication. And as the pub date for ICE approaches, there will be much talk of the north pole, polar bears, and a certain Norse fairy tale, and my website and blog will get a distinctly Arctic makeover. But for now, if you feel so inclined, I hope you'll join me for the only activity that could possibly capture the spirit of this moment... Oh, yes, that's right...

Snoopy.

Dance.

Of.

Joy.

Now, dance with me! Dance!!! Dance like you're an iconic canine surrounded by a troop of fluffy bunnies!!!!!