Today I’m doubly excited to announce the release of not only two fantastic projects from Upstart Crow Literary, but also the first two books I personally sold long, long ago.

No longer do I have to tell editors, conference attendees, friends, and family that the books I’ve sold will come out “soon.” Now when someone asks what I do and I try to explain my job, I’ll have actual books I can direct them toward. So, as you can probably imagine, I’m super excited for two very talented authors.

Elsewhere_FINAL First up is Jacqueline West’s amazing BOOKS OF ELSEWHERE, VOL I: THE SHADOWS, out today with Dial Books for Young Readers. Jacqueline was the first client I ever signed, and her debut surely doesn’t feel like one. Before writing for children, Jacqueline’s poetry and short fiction were published widely in literary journals. I could tell the first time I read sample pages in her initial query that Jacqueline was a seriously talented writer, and I’m ecstatic that the public will soon get to read her fantastic work themselves!

To learn more about the book, which is the first in a new series, head to the official website, check out Jacqueline’s author profile on the Penguin website or read what Publisher’s Weekly had to say about the project in their starred review.

DDay_LowResIf you follow me on Twitter, you’ve likely heard me raving about Shaun David Hutchinson’s THE DEATHDAY LETTER, which also comes out today from Simon Pulse. THE DEATHDAY LETTER, or DDL, as Shaun and I have been referring to it for nearly two years, is a hilarious, poignant story unlike anything many readers have experienced before. This was another story that grabbed me right from the query because the concept of a boy who receives a letter informing him he has 24 hours to live was so, well, whacked out and awesome.

Read more about Shaun on his blog, check out his page on the Simon and Schuster website, and go out and grab yourself a copy of this hilarious book!

I couldn’t be more excited for these amazing books. They represent two different aspects of my taste–in THE SHADOWS, a classic middle grade that could have been published 50 years ago and not felt much different, and in THE DEATHDAY LETTER a hilarious high-concept story that will delight teen readers.

Congratulations to both Shaun and Jacqueline, and I hope for much future success down the road!