Y’all. Y’ALL. I know that this has been a crazy week already, what with the Cavendish cover reveal and all (yay!), but . . .
I CAN FINALLY SHARE SOME NEWS WITH YOU.
(Yes, this post will probably be quite caps locky. I’M SORRY OKAY.)
So, if you’ll recall (from various blog posts and tweets galore), I’m a little obsessed with The Nutcracker.
Oh my god I’m like twirling around right now. TWIRLING.
Well, okay, so, about a month and a half ago, this happened:
YES. This is the book formerly known as Cracked, my Nutcracker re-telling which has been such a dear, crazy project of mine for months and months (and years, really, when you think about how long I’ve loved The Nutcracker), and now it is BECOMING REALITY.
I can’t say much right now about Winterspell yet, but I can tell you at least a little bit more! Read on:
To find her abducted father and keep her sister safe from the lecherous politicians of 1899 New York City, 17-year-old Clara Stole must journey to the wintry kingdom of Cane. There, Anise, queen of the faeries, has ousted the royal family in favor of her own totalitarian, anti-human regime. Clara’s only companion is 18-year-old Nicholas, Cane’s rightful prince, whom she freed from a curse that left him trapped in disfiguring faery magic — but time is running out, for both Nicholas and Clara’s family. A deadly secret threatens to destroy Clara and Nicholas even as it binds them irrevocably together. And the land of Cane is anything but sweet.
Words cannot even BEGIN to describe my excitement about Winterspell. Not only is it my first foray into YA fiction (eeeep scary but awesome!), it is a re-telling of one of my favorite fairy tales, and it also gives me an excuse to watch A WHOLE LOT OF FREAKING BALLET YESSS. Which includes Center Stage, right? I mean, I’m totally using this as an excuse to watch Center Stage.
Also I’m excited because this means I can NERD OUT ABOUT THE NUTCRACKER WHENEVER I FEEL LIKE IT. Oh my god, y’all, I need a fan or something, I’m swooning over here.
DANCING.
PRETTY.
FAERIES.
SWORDS.
KISSING.
FANTASY I GET TO WRITE STRAIGHT-UP FANTASY NOW.
WINTERSPELL.
*bounces away to find cheese*
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Tags: Agent Lady, ANNOUNCEMENTS, Awesomesauce, Book Deals, Cracked, Diana Fox, Editor Lady, omgomgomg, RADs, Simon & Schuster, The Nutcracker, Winterspell, YA Fiction, Zareen Jaffery
Claire is a Texan living in New York City! She writes fantastical stories, and her daemon is an ocelot but sometimes a unicorn. When presented with the choice to high five or not to high five, she will always choose TO HIGH FIVE. Her first novel, 
EXCLAMATION FREAKIN MARK!!!!!!!!!!
Okay, no, seriously, I am SO FREAKIN HAPPY FOR YOU <3 I can't WAIT to get my hands on this book. CRACKALACKINTACULAR <3 Congratulations honey! <3 <3
Omg yay! Congratulations!!!!!
Yaaay this sounds so awesome! Congratulations! If I were you I would just be a little ball of excitement right now.
Congratulations!! The book sounds amazing. And yes, this sounds like a fabulous excuse to watch Center Stage (best. dance. movie. ever!)
Congratulations, Claire!
Yayy! Well done!
This books sounds AMAZING. Congratulations!! I can’t wait to read it!!
This is so amazing!!! Congrats Claire! <3
Woohoo!!! Huge congrats!! And you just said the magic words that always but always hook me — swords, kissing — I’m so there!
This, like everything else you’ve done in the past 6 months, sounds SO AWESOME! Makes me think of the dozens of times we watched The Nutcracker at grandma’s house. Love it!
I’M SO EXCITED! I’m scaring patrons with my lunatic grin right now. YAYYYYYY!!!!
CONGRATULATIONS! So exciting. As a ballet dancer, my favorite ballet of all time just happens to be The Nutcracker. Definitely going to add this to my to-read list.
That is awesome and the book sounds great! I think you are entitled to all the caps your little heart desires!
WOO! Yeah! That’s so awesome! Congratualtions – I can’t wait to read it!
Congratulations! Very exciting!
YAY! That’s so great and amazing! And yes, dance movies FTW!!! Congratulations!
Congrats ! The book sound amazing I can’t wait
- Jess
Congratulations, Claire! A YA take on THE NUTCRACKER is ingenious. The title WINTERSPELL is beautiful, and I bet the cover will be gorgeous.
Doing my HAPPY DANCE right now, with a ballet TWIRL, of course!!!!!!!!!!
:D
Awesome, Claire! So happy for you! I can’t wait to read it! I have always loved the Nutcracker.
Eeeek oh my gosh, I’m so excited for this book already! It sounds PERFECT. Even the name is beautiful. Congratulations, I can’t wait!
Wow! I thought it was the cover. I am late to the game. Congratulations. This does sound awsome. Can’t wait to read it.
SO FREAKING EXCITED FOR YOU!!!! no wonder why you couldn’t sleep last night!
congratulations, girlie!!!! <333
Eeeeee! Amazing! I have been hoping to read this since I read about it here on your blog. I used to watch The Nutcracker when it came on tv at Christmas, break out my ballet shoes and pretend to be Clara all over my living room
Congrats, congrats!! Such good news!
P.S. Netflix has TONS of ballets on dvd. Some of them might even be available to stream if you need emergency fixes.
HOLY $%&*( Claire – I have been in love with this story since I found the summary under your books section and your tumblr pictures. Why? I LOVE The Nutcracker. I am SOO excited for you and for me and the rest of the world to read your book. IS IT OUT YET? Hahaha.
Congratulations to you Clara and the Prince
p.s. Please tell me there’s a hot Mouse King. Hes my fave <3 <3
*squee* I’m so excited for you, Claire! And excited to read your YA book! I <3 The Nutcracker tale as well. First your beautiful cover reveal and now this big reveal, such awesomeness in one week! =)
Congrats Claire; can’t wait to read it…oh, by the way, I’m a New Yorker living in Texas!
Writing a fantasy about faeries, swords, and kissing is always something to dance over. Fantasy books are awesome. But writing a fantasy with a kick butt premise based on a story that you’re obsessed with…
Go girl. You dance. And I’ll just wait patiently until the book comes out because I love reading and writing fantasy books and that book sounds amazing. Can’t wait. Congrats!
This book sounds so awesome! Exactly the sort of thing I love to read. Can’t wait for it to hit shelves!
CONGRATULATIONS!!
OMG! Congratulations! I’m so excited for this! It sounds so good!
Congratulations! This is so exciting–the story sounds amazing!!!
Oh, wow, this sounds AMAZING, Claire! And I love the title. Congratulations!!!
Squee! Congratulations, Claire!
Congratulations! Yay