Monday, March 10, 2014

The Colours of Madeleine


Oh, look, I'm just always here blogging.  It's too much, you know.  It's like I can't stop talking.

Ha ha.  I haven't been here since 2011. I  can't believe it.  I knew it had been a while, but I honestly didn't know it had been that long.  Time!  It's crazy these days.  I'm very sorry.  I think part of the problem is that months go by and then how can anything be significant enough to justify breaking the silence?  It's like when you run into a friend you haven't seen for years, and there is too much to say, which translates into having nothing to say.  If you'd seen the friend all the time you might say, 'I had to get a new car battery this morning' and 'I'm finally over that ear infection', but as it is, you only say, 'Oh yeah, I've been great.  Busy.  You?'

Anyway, I do want to blog again one day, but this is not a real post.  This post is only for three reasons:

(1)  To tell you that I am blogging somewhere else for the month of March 2014 


This blogging takes place at a website about books for young people called Inside A Dog.   I hope very much that you will join me there.  Here is a link to my first post.


(2) To tell you that I have written two new books.  



One came out a year ago, so this is timely of me, mentioning it now.  Ha ha again.  The other one only just came out, so that's more like it!  A Corner of White is the first in the 'Colours of Madeleine' trilogy, which is set partly in our world and partly in the Kingdom of Cello.  Madeleine Tully lives in Cambridge, England.  She begins writing letters to Elliot Baranski, a boy who lives in the farming province of the Kingdom of Cello, through a crack that has opened up between worlds in a parking meter.  The Cracks in the Kingdom is the second book in the trilogy.  Madeleine and Elliot must work together to locate Cello's royal family - who have been abducted and brought here to our world - at the same time as they try to find a way to break open the crack and find a way to travel between worlds.


(3) To show off about the two new books.  


A Corner of White won the NSW Premier's Literary Award (Ethel Turner Prize) and the Queensland Literary Award (Griffith University Prize), and was shortlisted for the Western Australian Premier's Book Awards. In the US, it was a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book, has been named a finalist for the Nebula Prize (Andre Norton Award), and was a Kirkus Best Book of the Year, a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, a Horn Book Fanfare Book, and a Los Angeles Public Library Best Book of 2013. Paul Gagne of Scholastic Audio Books produced a superb audiobook of A Corner of White, filled with perfect performances, and it was chosen as one of Audiofile Magazine's YA Audio Books of the Year.


The Cracks in the Kingdom, Book 2 in the Colours of Madeleine trilogy has already received three starred reviews: 'Madcap, whimsical, smart and even heartbreaking, but Moriarty never drops the dozens of balls in the air. By turns coming-of-age and wild adventure ...this volume complicates the characters, expands the world building and sets things up for a grand finish ... Even better than the first' (Kirkus Reviews, starred review).

I hope you have all had a wonderful three years.  I look forward to chatting again.  By the way, I owe some of you replies to beautiful and sometimes heartbreaking letters.  Thank you for those, and please know that I am thinking of you and will reply.

See you all again in five or six years.  Ha ha.  No, seriously, that could easily happen.

21 Comments:

Blogger The Bookish Manicurist said...

It's wonderful that you're back, Jaclyn! Congrats on the awards and on the Colours series, it's wonderful! xox

8:03 a.m.  
Blogger The Bookish Manicurist said...

It's wonderful that you're back, Jaclyn! Congrats on the awards and on the Colours series, it's wonderful! xox

8:04 a.m.  
Blogger Jaclyn Moriarty said...

Thank you so much, The Bookish Manicurist! I don't think I deserve any comments at all after all this time - I couldn't even remember my password for this blog - and here you are being so kind. Thank you again. And what a brilliant idea for a blog you have: I love the cover of Cracks in the Kingdom so I lo-o-o-o-ve your nail art for the book (and your generous review). Maybe I will refer to it on my blog at inside-a-dog if that's okay? Jx

10:27 a.m.  
Blogger Grace said...

Hello!

I just wanted to say that I love all of your books, and you're quite possibly my favorite author of all time. I've read each of the Ashbury High books about thirty times each, and A Corner of White five times (give me time. It didn't come out all that long ago in America). I must say that your writing style and unique voice are unlike anything else I've ever read-- even when writing something as simple as a blog post, the tone of your writing remains the same, and I love it. I also adore the letter-writing style, as you mentioned above, and I have to say that I think it is pulled off flawlessly in each of your books, tying every loose end together without ever entering a direct narrative. You capture teenage emotions wondrously; all of your books are extremely relatable to me and have helped me through numerous tough times.

Anyway, that's probably enough fangirling for now, but I just wanted to let me know what a great impact you've indirectly had on my life. Your books are always what I turn to when I'm upset for any reason, and I also think my writing style has been shaped by reading your book so often as well. You're fairly obscure here in America (unfairly so, I'd say) but I have managed to convince several of my friends to read your books, and, additionally, I made a new friend earlier this year simply through mutual love of Jaclyn Moriarty books. Thanks for being great.

Can't wait for The Cracks in the Kingdom to come out in the US!

10:06 a.m.  
Blogger Jaclyn Moriarty said...

Grace, I'm a lucky girl to have you as my reader, and to read such kind words from you. Thank you so much for writing them, and for convincing your friends to read my books - - the idea that you made a friend because you both like my books makes my day. You are lovely. Jx

10:18 p.m.  
Anonymous Em Green said...

She's back!!! I was just googling the release date for her new book (again) and lo and behold a new blog post! And as if that wasn't enough, she is blogging all month! Well what a fantastic day it is turning out to be.

Could you also kindly ask your sister Liane to update her blog whenever she can? She has left us Moriarty sister fans hanging as well, hoping for news of a new project in the works.

Always waiting with bated breath for the next installment of your work x

4:58 p.m.  
Blogger Jaclyn Moriarty said...

THANK YOU, Em (I like that name very much)! You are very kind. And yes, I will pass on your message to Liane, although I will probably wait a couple of weeks before I do, as she is finishing her next book and I think she might be feeling a bit overwhelmed. If I tell her she has to update her blog it might tip her over the edge. But the moment she writes 'the end', I'll tell her.

12:32 p.m.  
Blogger Abby said...

Well I'm not a very good stalker, because I have been stalking your website and this blog for a good year since I read A Corner Of White.

All of this stalking was quite exhausting so I decided to give myself a month off.

Which meant I completely MISSED that the new book came out on the 1st of March.

I am now out of breath from running to the closest book store to pick it up (which says a lot about my love for you because I do NOT believe in running.)

Now to continue my stalking over at Inside A Dog. Too much excitement for one day! I'm not quite sure what to do with myself!

xx

6:57 p.m.  
Anonymous Mirjam said...

It's good to see you blogging! It's me again, haha, always anonymous on your posts on inside a dog. I just wanted to say hi to you here too :D I'm a huge fan of your work and I've been reading your books for so long I don't even remember not knowing who you are. Your characters are like my friends, especially Cassie, Lydia and Emily. It's like I know them, and you know them, and we met at a party or something and now we're chatting. It's weird. But fun!
You're a big part of my life, and I wanted to thank you for that. I hope to maybe some day run into you or something so that I can inaudibly mumble about how great you are :)

6:58 a.m.  
Blogger Jaclyn Moriarty said...

Abby, I am honoured to have you as a stalker. And I'm deeply moved that you ran, despite being opposed to running, to the store to get the new book. Thank you so much.
And Mirjam, thanks for your comment here and your anonymous comments at Inside A Dog! I hope that we do run into each other one day as you seem lovely.
xx

9:54 a.m.  
Blogger Gerbera Daisy Diaries said...

Wanted to tell you how much I love this series! First series I've continued past the 1st book since a boy named Harry. How long do I have to wait for #3??!!

5:23 a.m.  
Anonymous sabiya said...

Thank you, Jaclyn. For being such a lovely, thoughtful and kind person. Your books and letters gave me hope and inspired me. Thank you so much.
I am so happy that things are going well for you - you deserve it!
Can't wait to read your new books.
Love, sabiya xx

9:33 p.m.  
Blogger Unknown said...

I LOVE your books, Jaclyn! I've read both A Corner of White and The Cracks in the Kingdom sooo many times. You are a really good writer; your character/world building is amazing, it makes your books really life-like and realistic. Well, as like-like and as realistic as a fantasy book can get. You also write in a fun and playful manner that draws you into the book. Can't wait for the next book in the series! xox

11:22 a.m.  
Blogger Jaclyn Moriarty said...

Hello Melissa, Sabiya and Esther! (That's a series of beautiful names. I'd like to put them in a book.) Thank you so much to you all for your very kind words. I have finished writing Book 3 of the Colours of Madeleine trilogy, and I'm just finalising the editing. It should come out some time this year, and it will be called A Tangle of Gold. I'll make an announcement on the website when i know the exact publication date! Thank you again!

6:48 p.m.  
Blogger Bruselle Sprout said...

I am in love with the trilogy, Ms Jaclyn! I remember loving the idea of the colours (although a bit saddening to know my favourite Colour is evil, haha) and I may have this huge book crush on Elliot! I got my friend to read it as well because she noticed I cannot get over reading the first two books. She finished both books over a weekend, and she doesn't usually read. So now we await your third book together! Can't wait to find out what happens! xoxo Ruselle

2:25 a.m.  
Blogger Jaclyn Moriarty said...

Ruselle, what a lovely message! Thank you so much to you and your friend. Is purple your favourite colour? If so, I'm sorry Purple turned out to be evil. Or maybe it's yellow? Yellow is my favourite colour and I was VERY disappointed with it when it also turned out to be so wicked.

I've just started a new blog at Tumblr which is at www.jaclynmoriarty.tumblr.com, and I'm doing a 'Colours of Thursday' post, every Thursday (I hope) as a countdown to the third book in the trilogy. I'd better write a blog post here about that, as a matter of fact. I will do that.
Thanks again for your comment and have a great day, Jx

9:35 a.m.  
Blogger Bruselle Sprout said...

It used to be yellow, but now it's purple. Either way, both ended up being evil, haha.

I visited your tumblr and the post about the LEGO was really funny!

My friend and I will await what happens with Elliot xoxo Ruselle

9:23 p.m.  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Do you have any idea of when the 3rd book, of the Colors of Madeleine, will be published?

2:56 a.m.  
Blogger Jaclyn Moriarty said...

Hello Anonymous, the third book in the trilogy will be published early in 2016. It is going to be called A Tangle of Gold. As a countdown to the release of the third book, I am writing a Colours of Thursday blog post every Thursday at Tumblr. It's at jaclynmoriarty.tumblr.com. I'm going to write an official blog post now saying all of this! Thanks for asking and reminding me to do that! J x

10:04 a.m.  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hello!
Jaclyn, I have read both a corner of white and cracks in the kingdom, they are both incredible books! I am wondering if there will be a fourth book released? (im about to read the 3rd one) anyway, these books are amazing! whenever i read them it makes me feel as if I am in the kingdom of cello!! thank you so much for writing these amazing books!! xx

11:14 a.m.  
Blogger Jaclyn Moriarty said...

Hello Anonymous, Thank you so much for being so kind about the first two books in the trilogy! I hope you enjoy the 3rd one. At the moment, I have no plans to write a 4th book but I'd love to go back to the Kingdom of Cello one day. I have a new book out in Australia at the end of this book, and in the US and Canada next year. It's called The Extremely Inconvenient Adventures of Bronte Mettlestone, and it's for 9 to 12-year-olds but anybody can read it if they like... It's not set in the Kingdom of Cello, but it is set in a region of Kingdoms and Empires a good distance south of Cello. Thanks again and best wishes, J x

10:57 a.m.  

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