I had a blast writing for younger readers this time around. Space Taxi: Archie Takes Flight is the first in the series. The second, “Space Taxi: Water Planet Rescue,” will be out in September.

Check out the awesome (and informative!) website our publisher is making for the series. They have lots of cool stuff planned in the coming months but you’ll be able to check out a preview now, focusing on the science behind the story. You can also read a sneak peek of the story!

🙂
Wendy

Book Two!

THE CANDYMAKERS’ CHOCOLATE CHALLENGE

coming out Spring 2016

I know that sounds like a long time, but in the publishing world it really isn’t (plus i can’t start writing it for another few months!!). The title might change, but the plot will involve Logan, Daisy, Philip and Miles hitting the road in a tricked-out RV to find Logan’s grandfather’s original formula for the Life is Sweet chocolate. Each character will have their own motivation for going on the trip, and will have their own quests along the way.

Ok, so here’s the thing. You guys are AWESOME! And you’re not afraid to ask for what you want, that’s for sure! I’m sorry for the wait…but here goes. Like I said…two sequels. One I still can’t officially tell you for a few more days, (but if I HAD to give a hint…I’d say it has something to do with candy! ;o)

But there’s one other I CAN tell you about…

It’s a snowy day here in New Jersey, perfect for curling up with hot chocolate and a book. I’m grateful for the owner of my wonderful Indie bookstore who loans me advance reading copies of upcoming books. The hardest part is choosing which to read first! Speaking of my local bookstore, just a reminder that if anyone wants to order books as gifts this season, if you order through them, I’ll go in and sign them with a message and she will send them. Here’s the info: http://www.spartabooks.com/contact-us. You can even do it online and write in the message box who you want it signed for.

How awesome are you all? You helped THE LAST PRESENT to turn up at #13 on the New York Times bestseller list its first week out! It’s all very exciting! Maybe I should listen to you and think about writing an offshoot of the series or something…hmm…

I’m still going through the comments on the last post, but I wanted to say how moved I am by your thoughts about the book, and the whole Willow Falls series in general. I think you’ll find I used almost all of your suggestions for what you wanted to see in The Last Present. So this was really a collaborative effort. 🙂

Happy back-to-school everyone! I love buying new school supplies, even when they’re not for me! Clean crisp notebooks full of possibility, sharpened #2 pencils, new lunch box with Shaun Cassidy on it…ok so they probably haven’t make those since the days i was in 6th grade but you get my drift. 🙂

So the biggest news is that THE LAST PRESENT will be coming out on September 24th. That’s just around the corner. Hurrah! The action picks up right where 13 GIFTS left off so even though you could read any of the first three books out of order, I think you’ll be happier if you read 13 GIFTS before THE LAST PRESENT. And 13 GIFTS is out in paperback now to make that even easier. That’s the less-big but still exciting news 🙂

As always, if you purchase the book through my local wonderful independent bookstore (Sparta Books: 973-729-6200 [email protected]), I’ll sign ’em, they’ll ship ’em. And if you order PI IN THE SKY before the end of the week (June 15th), I’ll toss in an added (yummy) treat.

But supporting your own community bookstore would be great, too. Or, you know, anywhere books are sold. Or borrowed (gotta love the library!!) :o).

Well, you asked to read the first chapter…how about the first SEVEN chapters? The full book won’t be out until June 11th, but my ever-so-kind publisher is offering this sneak peek early. It’s like a third of the book!

If you have any kind of e-reader it’s easy to order it directly from whoever provides your ebooks, or Amazon (and probably other places) allows you to read it right on your computer as well. When you look it up make sure to add “preview” to the title or else you’ll just get sent to the regular book. It should look like this:

MANGO IS TEN TODAY!!

It’s been ten years since my first book — A Mango-Shaped Space — was published and it’s been a wild ride!! It took 49 rejection letters and many years of writing before that first acceptance letter, and I’m so grateful to Little Brown and Company in Boston (now NYC) who took a chance on a new writer and a strange story about a girl who sees letters and numbers in color. I want to thank all the teachers and librarians and booksellers and editors and parents and my fellow writers and especially the young readers who have read my books and haven’t stopped asking when the next one is coming out. Thank you for welcoming my stories into your heads for the last decade; I’m honored by that each and every day.

Will be posting a real blog entry in the next few days with some fun news, but just wanted to tell you today THE CANDYMAKERS is Kindle’s Kids Deal of the Day (April 3)! You can get the ebook from Amazon for only $1.99!

Happy Passover / Easter / Spring Break!

xo

Wendy