Big News!

You waited a few days for this post, but I swear it was worth it...

I HAVE A BOOK DEAL!!!

It was just announced in Publisher's Weekly, so that means I can finally, finally, tell you all. It has actually been hard to wait; I swear, questions about whether or not I have anything new coming out doubled in recent weeks and I couldn't say anything.

But here it is. A new book. Coming out. The Explorer's Code.

Like the blurb above says, The Explorer's Code is "reminiscent of classic middle-grade mystery-adventures such as The Westing Game" and I was channeling The Westing Game hard when I wrote it. The book is about three kids who go to spend a weekend in Idlewood Manor (an old manor house built at the turn of the 20th century) in the Shenandoah Mountains of Virginia.

While there, all three kids, separately, start to realize the house is more than it seems. One discovers a secret room, another finds codes and ciphers hidden in the walls, and the third realizes the house has been changed since the days when it was lived in, in very specific and odd ways. Each of them starts to circle around a mystery in the house, and they begin to solve the puzzle of Idlewood.

It was a blast to write. My outlines were ridiculous, trying to make sure all the codes made sense in context and that the characters were all where they needed to be at every moment.

This is the kind of book that you, the reader, can solve as well. The codes are all present, as are all the clues. I really love books that let the reader in on the game, so I wrote one.

Guys, I'm excited. I'm really excited.

The Explorer's Code is being published by Imprint/Macmillan and is scheduled to his stores early 2021. Stay tuned for more developments!

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to squee into a pillow for a few minutes.