Stuff I Did in May

It's June.

I like June.  But I love May.  I love the leaves popping out of the trees, the new flowers, the baby animals, and all the other life-is-great, rah-rah-rah moments.  Also, the lack of mosquitoes.

Some things I did in May:

- Got a year older and discovered the true joy of Facebook: all the lovely birthday wishes.  Also ate a Carvel ice cream cake.  (It's my birthday tradition.  My husband promised me when we got married that he'd always get me a Carvel ice cream cake for my birthday.  It was practically part of our wedding vows.)

- Picked strawberries.  They were melt-in-your-mouth delicious.  And when you mixed in sugar, they were divine.  (Yes, I do judge the quality of a month by its food.)

- Saw a deer in my backyard.  I attempted to sneak closer in a bid to befriend it like Snow White, but it bolted.  Later, I told a friend about it, and he said, "Were you scared?"  At the time, I thought this was a comment on my usual lack of bravery.  But then I started thinking...  Should I have been scared?  Are there man-eating deer on Long Island?  So I am now on the lookout for carnivorous Bambis.

- Turned in SWEET NOTHINGS to my editor at Walker / Bloomsbury.  Yay!

- Walked a red carpet with thirteen other YA authors and then was followed by a marching band at a book festival called Authors Unlimited:

- Attended my high school reunion and did not claim that I invented Post-Its.

So that pretty much sums up the month.  In June, I'm diving into a new writing project, attending BEA (BookExpo America), and watching out for vicious deer.

For those of you attending BEA, please stop by the SFWA booth (#3591) on Wednesday June 6th at 2pm.  I'll be signing copies of DRINK, SLAY, LOVE and would love to say hi!

Announcing SWEET NOTHINGS

I have been keeping a secret...

*tip-toes, looks furtive*

Not about the portal to other worlds in my basement. Everyone knows about that. But a better secret... books!

I sold two new books!!!

Excuse me while I add a few more exclamation points to that.

TWO NEW BOOKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here's the announcement in Publishers Marketplace:

Children's: Young Adult
Sarah Beth Durst's SWEET NOTHINGS, about a teen in the paranormal witness protection program, who, haunted by dreams of carnival tents and tarot cards, must remember her past and why she has strange abilities before a magic-wielding serial killer hunts her down, to Emily Easton at Walker Children's, in a very nice deal, in a two-book deal, by Andrea Somberg at Harvey Klinger (world).

SWEET NOTHINGS will be published in fall 2013, followed by a second TBD book in fall 2014. (Both of these follow VESSEL, of course, which comes out in fall 2012.) I am, as you might imagine, over-the-moon excited about this, and I hope you'll join me in performing the traditional Snoopy dance of joy!!!