RACE THE SANDS Book Necklace Countdown: Book 15

I'm counting down to the publication of my 20th book, RACE THE SANDS, out 4/21, by sharing pics of each #booknecklace my husband gave me to celebrate each of my prior books...

Book 15 (MG): THE STONE GIRL'S STORY is about a twelve-year-old girl made of stone who, when the carvings that brought her and her stone friends to life begin to fade, must go on a quest to save them all. So my husband gave me a #booknecklace made of stones!

THE STONE GIRL'S STORY is, at its heart, a story about stories. I believe that stories are as essential to life as food, water, and shelter. They're how we understand who we are. I wrote this book for everyone who wants to shape the story of their life and choose their own destiny.

It was surprisingly tricky to write about a character made of stone. She can't smell, taste, or sleep. Her stomach never drops, clenches, or feels butterflies. I couldn't use any of the common physical reactions to convey emotions, because stone. Made for a fun writing challenge!

THE STONE GIRL'S STORY is a Mythopoeic Award Finalist!

Got some wonderful news: my book, THE STONE GIRL'S STORY, is a finalist for the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children's Literature! I'm so thrilled, honored, and grateful! Thank you, Mythopoeic Society! You made my day! And congratulations to all the other finalists!

http://www.mythsoc.org/news/news-2019-06-05.htm

Lovely present!

Got the loveliest present in the mail from my magnificent editor Anne Hoppe at Clarion Books / Houghton Mifflin Harcourt! An early finished copy of SPARK (my upcoming book for kids) and the paperback of THE STONE GIRL'S STORY! I love holding them in my hands for the first time! Kind of like holding a new baby. Except quieter.

 

Stone Girl on the Shelf

My husband bought me new bookshelves, so now a stone girl is sitting with her story.....

THE STONE GIRL'S STORY comes out today!!!

I am beyond thrilled to announce that today is the pub day for THE STONE GIRL'S STORY, my fifteenth book!!! It's a fantasy adventure for kids, published by Clarion Books / Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.  

Makya is a girl made of living stone.  Forever twelve years old, she has outlasted the father who carved her and engraved her body with the stories that gave her life. But now the magical marks that animate her and her stone friends are fading, and she must leave her home for the first time to find help if she wants her story -- and those of her friends -- to continue.

This book is very special to me, because it's a story about stories.

I spent my childhood telling myself stories: every Barbie doll was given a quest, every paper airplane had its own family, and every stuffed creature I could cram onto my crowded bed had a backstory, dramatic adventures, and a redemption arc. 

When I realized at age ten that writers are people -- ordinary people -- my world changed. I began obsessively chasing stories, collecting cool names for characters as if hoarding Halloween candy, squirreling away scraps of paper and spending hours drawing maps of fantastical lands. And I wrote story after story after story, at first filling notebooks decorated with Lisa Frank unicorn stickers and later filling the hard drive of my laptop…until eventually, through the sheer stubbornness of not stopping, I became a writer. It is the only thing I have ever wanted to be.

Stories are as essential to life as food, water, and shelter. They’re how we understand the world and ourselves. They comfort, challenge, and change us. They have the power to save us in dark times, and they can give us the tools to save ourselves. I wrote THE STONE GIRL'S STORY for everyone who wants to shape the story of their life, who chooses to control the narrative of their destiny, who believes that stories have power. And at its heart, this book is the story of a girl learning to become a writer. Which is why it means so much to me.

For more about THE STONE GIRL'S STORY, including the first two chapters, please visit my website. I had so much fun writing Mayka's story and am so happy to be able to share it with you!

5 Days Until Pub Day!

5 days until pub day for THE STONE GIRL'S STORY! I'm getting excited! And nervous. And terrified. And mildly nauseous. But mostly excited! 

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

 

Excerpt of The Stone Girl's Story

Excerpt of THE STONE GIRL'S STORY now live! Just posted the first two chapters of my forthcoming middle-grade fantasy book, coming out on 4/3 from Clarion/HMH! Click through for a sneak peek and meet Mayka, a girl of living stone!

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

 

A Lovely Gift from My Editor

Got the loveliest gift from my wonderful editor Anne Hoppe at Clarion/HMH! A shiny new hardcover of my next MG book, THE STONE GIRL'S STORY, hot off the presses!!! This is the first time I've held a copy in my hands, and I just want to sit here and pet it! Comes out 4/3/18!

2nd Star for THE STONE GIRL'S STORY!

Eeeeep!!! A 2nd STARRED REVIEW for my new middle grade book, THE STONE GIRL'S STORY! Thank you, Publishers Weekly! This is very happy making.

https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-328-72945-3

Starred Kirkus Review of THE STONE GIRL'S STORY!

Well, this totally made my day. The first trade review came in for my next middle grade book, THE STONE GIRL'S STORY (out 4/3/18). From Kirkus. And it's a STAR!!! When I saw it, I made a sound much like the sound my cat makes when she sees a bird out the window. Eeeeep!!! https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/sarah-beth-durst/the-stone-girls-story/

 

Cover Reveal for THE STONE GIRL'S STORY

Look at the pretty!!! So excited to share with you the cover art, by Brandon Dorman, for my next book for kids, THE STONE GIRL'S STORY, coming from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt / Clarion Books in April 2018!

http://sarahbethdurst.com/StoneGirl.htm

Announcing THE STONE GIRL'S STORY!!!

Very excited to announce the sale of my next middle-grade book, THE STONE GIRL'S STORY, to Anne Hoppe at Clarion Books / Houghton Mifflin Harcourt!!! Huzzah!!!