MY LADY JANE tour stops!

Friends! Readers! E∂ians!

We have some exciting news, and that news is book tour! That's right, the three of us will be on the road (actually, we'll be in the air, since we're turning into majestic eagles and flying) in just a few weeks, and we're excited to see you! 

Here's a complete list of our stops:

June 7, 2016 - 7pm
The King's English in Salt Lake City, Utah

June 8, 2016 - 7pm
Redwood City Downtown Public Library (books sold by Kepler's) in Redwood City, California

June 9, 2016 - 6pm
Barnes and Noble in Idaho Falls, Idaho

June 10, 2016 - 7pm
Anderson's Books in Chicago, Illinois

June 11, 2016 - 4pm
Teen Book Fest at Barnes and Noble in Skokie, Illinois

June 13, 2016 - 7pm
Blue Willow Bookshop in Houston, Texas

June 14, 2016 - 6pm
Books of Wonder in New York City, New York

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IMPORTANT: Please make sure you click through to the store's website for more information. All events are free, but some want you to RSVP, and many require a book purchase at the store to enter the signing line.

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If we're not coming near you (boo, sorry!), you can still order signed books. Many of these stores will ship both domestically and internationally, so click to their websites and see if they can help! There's a good chance the stores will also have our backlists, so if your collections are missing any of our books, check to see whether the stores will have those in stock as well.

A couple other small notes:

Photos: We are happy to take photos with our readers, but sometimes, due to time and space, it isn't possible. We leave it up to individual bookstores as to whether or not we will be able to do this.

Gifts: Sometimes our sweet (adorable, thoughtful, smart, strong, other positive adjectives) readers want to bring gifts for us. Thank you! We love presents. We only ask that you keep in mind our limited luggage space. Small, squishable items are great. (We all knit. Just sayin'.)

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And that's it! Let us know if you have any questions!

CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YOU!!!

Big News

We're one month away from MY LADY JANE hitting the shelves! This is always the part of the publishing process that's the toughest (UGH the waiting), but it's also the part where a bunch of super exciting stuff happens. We have some big news! Warning: this post is going to have a lot of exclamation points!!!!

News Item #1

MY LADY JANE is going to be printed in England! We consider this to be something of a miracle, since we're talking about messing with English history here, but it's happening! It will be released on September 1, 2016, with this cover:

We are totally and completely charmed by this cover! We giggled for hours after we saw it-- Gifford with a horse head! The eye-rolling Jane! The way "not entirely" is scribbled into the title! We are so happy that our readers in the U. K. will get to read this book!

News Item #2

MY LADY JANE is going to be an audio book! It will be released on June 7--the same day as the hardcover. It's narrated by Katherine Kellgren, who we picked specifically because we loved the way she narrated Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. It will be the coolest thing ever to hear this proper British voice telling our little Jane story. We can't wait to hear it!

News Item #3 (You might want to sit down for this one. . .)

MY LADY JANE is on its way to being made into a movie!

Now everybody take a deep breath, because we have to clarify that the book is in the very beginning stages of this process, and having your book being made into a film is a long and difficult road. It could be a really long time. Or it could be never.

But still. . .

Ridley Scott's company, Scott Free, is currently working on the development of MY LADY JANE for the big screen.

This is crazy exciting news to us. We love Ridley Scott's films so much, and we're completely thrilled and honored to have his name attached to our book!

News Item #4

We're going on tour! We can't announce the wheres and whens just yet, but the Lady Janies will be traveling all over the country in June, signing and meeting our readers and having a veritable blast. Check back soon on our Events page for the details.


And. . . that's all our news!

On This Day: Jodi's Birthday!

All hail Queen Jodi!

It's Lady Janie Jodi's birthday today! So Brodi and I wanted to take a moment to talk about how very much we love and appreciate our bestie and fellow co-author, Jodi Meadows.

Cynthia: We have a running joke with the Janies that Jodi Meadows is the one who grates the cheese --not CUTS the cheese, just to be clear, this is not a fart joke. Ahem. Every morning when we are working at one of our little writing retreats, we make breakfast together. I scramble the eggs, Brodi cuts the tomatoes, and Jodi grates the cheese. And in our talks about who-does-what in the writing of our books, Jodi loves to say that all she really does is grate the cheese.

But she does SO MUCH MORE than that.

Brodi: Yeah! She also maintains the peace and the calm and the positivity. And she also finds the coffee.

Exhibit A of how Jodi loves coffee

Cynthia: She does! I have a growing collection of pictures that I am someday going to collect into an album called JODI-LOVES-COFFEE.

But seriously, though, Jodi is a huge part of why the Lady Janies work. Brodi and I have had so many conversations about how Jodi is actually the most essential part of our group--she wrote the point of view of JANE, after all--she's like the sparkly purple glue that holds the Lady Janies together. If it were up to just Brodi and I, we'd be a total mess. But Jodi is like the gravity that keeps us on the ground (and corrects our grammar, without being judgy about it).

Jodi's also known as "the quiet one," the one standing silently in the background while Brodi cracks jokes and I blabber on about history.

Brodi: But if you get her talking about the right subjects, such as knitting or grammar or the proper placement of a period, or world building, or unicorns, she will talk your ear off. I have always admired her for being able to fly under the radar and then bob her head up for just a second to say something absolutely brilliant, leaving me wondering why I'm talking at all in the first place.

Cynthia: I liked Jodi the minute I met her. It was clear from the very start that she was an ultra smart, super sweet, completely awesome human being. And my opinion of her has only gotten stronger every day I've been around her since we met. I feel so unbelievably blessed to have Jodi as one of my friends--she is the very best kind of friend, the kind who is always there cheering for you no matter what, the kind of friend who will tell you what she really thinks but will always be kind about it, the kind of friend who inspires you to be a better person yourself.

Jodi writing in one of her many notebooks

Brodi: Not to mention that she is just an amazing writer! The first time I met her was on my first book tour. Harper put me with Jodi and Cynthia, and it was magic. I introduced myself to Jodi, and she shoved a pair of hand-spun/hand-knitted mitts into my hands. A gift. Little did I know that four years later, we'd all be knitting together with a passion! And writing. With a passion.

Cynthia: Jodi is also one of the hardest working writers I've ever met, which has been so inspiring for me to witness. She is just a great example of a writer who does the work, day in and day out, no excuses. And that's how we get her beautiful, intricately-woven novels. Jodi is such a thoughtful person--and I think that thoughtfulness is part of why her books are so rich in wonderful, imaginative details. She's kind of my writing hero.

Brodi: She is my human hero. I want to be the kind of human she is. This past weekend, at Y'allwest, a participant who had met all the authors said Jodi was "hands down" the nicest. And she was right.

So happy birthday, dearest Jodi! We both love you so much, and we're so glad to be writing books with you!

Jane and Jodi, just hanging out

One Year Ago Today, We Were in England!

One year ago today, the LadyJanies were at Jane Grey's home of Bradgate! It's now a park. Please enjoy our video, in which Brodi has her hand down her pants twice.

Happy Book Birthday to The Mirror King

Hello, Lady Janie Cynthia Hand here. It's a special day today! Our fellow Janie, Jodi Meadows, has a new book that is hitting the shelves today! It's the second (and final) book in the Orphan Queen series, and it is (this kind of goes without saying) FANTASTIC, so we thought we'd take the time to tell you about it (in case you didn't already know. . .)

Here's some info on the first book of the series, THE ORPHAN QUEEN.

Wilhelmina has a hundred identities.

She is a princess. When the Indigo Kingdom conquered her homeland, Wilhelmina and other orphaned children of nobility were taken to Skyvale, the Indigo Kingdom’s capital. Ten years later, they are the Ospreys, experts at stealth and theft. With them, Wilhelmina means to take back her throne.

She is a spy. Wil and her best friend, Melanie, infiltrate Skyvale Palace to study their foes. They assume the identities of nobles from a wraith-fallen kingdom, but enemies fill the palace, and Melanie’s behavior grows suspicious. With Osprey missions becoming increasingly dangerous and their leader more unstable, Wil can’t trust anyone.

She is a threat. Wraith is the toxic by-product of magic, and for a century using magic has been forbidden. Still the wraith pours across the continent, reshaping the land and animals into fresh horrors. Soon it will reach the Indigo Kingdom. Wilhelmina’s magic might be the key to stopping the wraith, but if the vigilante Black Knife discovers Wil’s magic, she will vanish like all the others.

Jodi Meadows introduces a vivid new fantasy full of intrigue, romance, dangerous magic, and one girl’s battle to reclaim her place in the world.

I feel extra fond of OQ because I have a wonderful memory of driving around Virginia with Jodi Meadows, back when we were first conceiving of MY LADY JANE, and the three of us each reading from our works-in-progress. I read a little from the draft of my book, THE LAST TIME WE SAY GOODBYE, Brodi read from a hilarious book about a teen who runs a poker ring that she was working on (that I'm going to be poking at her to finish until my dying day), and Jodi read from THE ORPHAN QUEEN. And it was just. so. freaking. good.

And now you all can read it too, and it ends on a doozy of a cliffhanger, so you'll want to move right on to THE MIRROR KING to see how it ends.

Wilhelmina has a hundred enemies.

Her friends have turned. After her identity is revealed during the Inundation, Princess Wilhelmina is kept prisoner by the Indigo Kingdom, with the Ospreys lost somewhere in the devastated city. When the Ospreys’ leader emerges at the worst possible moment, leaving Wil’s biggest ally on his deathbed, she must become Black Knife to set things right.

Her magic is uncontrollable. Wil’s power is to animate, not to give true life, but in the wraithland she commanded a cloud of wraith mist to save herself, and later ordered it solid. Now there is a living boy made of wraith—destructive and deadly, and willing to do anything for her.

Her heart is torn. Though she’s ready for her crown, declaring herself queen means war. Caught between what she wants and what is right, Wilhelmina realizes the throne might not even matter. Everyone thought the wraith was years off, but already it’s destroying Indigo Kingdom villages. If she can’t protect both kingdoms, soon there won’t be a land to rule.

In this stunning conclusion to THE ORPHAN QUEEN, Jodi Meadows follows Wilhelmina’s breathtaking and brave journey from orphaned criminal on the streets to magic-wielding queen.

I can't wait to read it. . .

via GIPHY

Young Adult Scavenger Hunt

Welcome to YA Scavenger Hunt! This bi-annual event was first organized by author Colleen Houck as a way to give readers a chance to gain access to exclusive bonus material from their favorite authors...and a chance to win some awesome prizes! At this hunt, you not only get access to exclusive content from each author, you also get a clue for the hunt. Add up the clues, and you can enter for our prize--one lucky winner will receive one book from each author on the hunt in our team! But play fast: this contest (and all the exclusive bonus material) will only be online for 72 hours!

Go to the YA Scavenger Hunt page to find out all about the hunt. There are THREE contests going on simultaneously, and you can enter one or all! We are part of the TEAL TEAM--

but there are also teams of many different colors for chances to win whole different sets of twenty signed books!

If you'd like to find out more about the hunt, see links to all the authors participating, and see the full list of prizes up for grabs, go to the YA Scavenger Hunt homepage. 

Scavenger Hunt Puzzle

Directions: Below, you'll notice that we've listed our favorite number. Collect the favorite numbers of all the authors on the teal team, and then add them up (don't worry, you can use a calculator!).

Entry Form: Once you've added up all the numbers, make sure you fill out the form here to officially qualify for the grand prize. Only entries that have the correct number will qualify.

Rules: Open internationally, anyone below the age of 18 should have a parent or guardian's permission to enter. To be eligible for the grand prize, you must submit the completed entry form by April 3, at noon Pacific Time. Entries sent without the correct number or without contact information will not be considered.

Scavenger Hunt Post

Today, we are hosting Wendy Higgins for the YA Scavenger Hunt! We are super thrilled about this because we are HUGE fans of Wendy's work! (Cynthia's personal favorite is her book about--wait for it--hot leprechauns, SEE ME. But seriously, that book is AH-MAZING! We can't wait to read her newest, THE GREAT HUNT!)

Here's some information about Wendy:

Wendy Higgins is the USA Today and NY Times bestselling author of the SWEET EVIL series from HarperTeen, the high fantasy duology THE GREAT HUNT, and her independently published Irish Fantasy SEE ME.

After earning a Creative Writing degree from George Mason University and a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction from Radford, Wendy taught high school English until achieving her dream job as a full-time writer. She now lives on the Eastern Shore of Virginia with her family.

Find out more information by checking out Wendy's website!

Check out Wendy's books here!

And here's a peek at the gorgeous cover of her new book: *drools*

Wendy Higgins reimagines a classic Brothers Grimm fairy tale with The Great Hunt, a dramatic, romance-filled fantasy with rugged hunters, romantic tension, and a princess willing to risk all to save her kingdom.

When a monstrous beast attacks in Eurona, desperate measures must be taken. The king sends a proclamation to the best and bravest hunters: whoever kills the creature will win the hand of his daughter Princess Aerity as a reward. The princess recognizes her duty but cannot bear the idea of marrying a stranger—she was meant to marry for love—until a brooding local hunter, Paxton Seabolt, catches her attention. And while there’s no denying the fiery chemistry between them, Princess Aerity feels that Paxton’s mysteriousness is foreboding, maybe even dangerous.

Exclusive Content -

Here's the exclusive content that Wendy sent over just for you:

An Abridged Version of Chapter One with Pictures from the Vantage Point of the Great Beast

Wendy Higgins lives on the eastern shore of Virginia, on a peninsula nestled between the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean. The forests and waterways of the eastern shore provided much inspiration for her newest book, The Great Hunt. Wendy has pieced together bits from the first chapter and combined them with pictures she took herself. This is how she imagined the beast’s slow approach of Wyneth and Breckon as they shared a seemingly private intimate moment on the royal docks.

A late summer breeze blew warm over the deep and wide Lanach Creek.

Moonlight caught the shock of Wyneth’s red-orange curls as she let her fiancé, Breckon, lay her back on the end of the dock.

Another breeze crested down the creek from the nearby sea, but the couple’s combined heat warded them against it.

She pulled his face to hers again, feeling brazen and greedy for his soft lips. She hated when he left for the sea; it always filled her with a pang of worry and longing. Wyneth urged Breckon closer.

A rustle sounded from the nearby dark woods. The couple stilled, listening.

The noise came again like a crackle of dead leaves and brush. Definite movement. In a rush, they sat up.

“Do you think someone’s spying?” Wyneth whispered.

“No.” Breckon shook his head, a lock of hair falling across his worried brow. “It’s most likely a deer.” But to Wyneth’s ear, he didn’t sound so sure.

Another abrasive rustle rom the trees caused them to break away again. They both stood.

In the darkness, a large shadow moved within the mossy trees as they swayed. Wyneth grabbed Breckon’s arm, and he stared intently into the trees. His dagger, which she hadn’t seen him unsheathe, glinted in the moonlight.

“Who’s there?” Breckon called. “Show yourself!”

The trees stilled. Even the bugs and frogs stopped their chatter. It was too quiet. Wyneth’s heartbeat quickened.

Just as Breckon was about to sheathe his dagger, a deep snort sounded from the trees.

“Stay here,” Breckon ordered. “I’m going to scare it off.”

“No!” She grabbed for his hand and he kissed her forehead, gently prying himself away.

Before he could take two steps from her, the dark shadow in the trees resolved itself into a gigantic creature on the sandy walkway.

It was taller than any man, standing on its hind legs. Wyneth questioned her own sanity as she stared in disbelief. Its body was massive, the size of a bear, with wiry hair like nothing she’d ever seen. Its face was as ugly as a boar’s. Tusks curled up around a dripping snout, sharp teeth shining.

The long length of the dock separated them from the thing, but it was not far enough for her. Not nearly far enough.

The great beast let out a roar, forcing a startled scream from Wyneth. Breckon bit out a curse. The thing charged down the dock; she felt the heaviness shake the wood beneath her feet with each landing.

Breckon had no plans to run from the beast. He grasped Wyneth’s waist and push her backward with all his might. She felt herself flying through the air off the dock, all breath leaving her lungs as her body submerged with a crash into the cold water.

When her wet face hit the air and she gasped for breath, it only took a moment for her to turn toward the growling sounds and see the monster reach for Breckon, towering over him.

Skies above! “Breck!”

“Swim!” He angled himself to avoid the beast’s mouth. “Get help!”

Wyneth snapped from her fear-induced stupor and the instinct of flight kicked in. She couldn’t fight this thing with Breckon, but she could do what he’d commanded: get help. She turned and swam with all her might.

After swimming nearly a hundred yards, her body was numb when she reached the dock on the other side of the creek. She pulled herself up, panting for air and cursing her wet, heavy garments. Her eyes scanned the water, but it moved at the same calm, slow speed as always. Then she allowed her eyes to seek out the dock beyond…

To find out what happens, please check out The Great Hunt!

Enter the Contest

And don't forget to enter the contest for a chance to win a ton of signed books and more! To enter, you need to know that our favorite number is 3. Add up all the favorite numbers of the authors on the teal team and you'll have all the secret code to enter for the grand prize!

Continue the Hunt

To keep going on your quest for the hunt, you need to check out the next author! Click here!

Enter The Extra ARC Giveaway

In honor of this special event, we're going to give away 1 extra ARC of MY LADY JANE. Just follow the directions in the rafflecopter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway winner and MY LADY JANE blog tour sign-up!

Greetings!

We have two things for you today: the winner of our giveaway, and a sign-up form for the blog tour.

So, first thing:

We really (really really really) enjoyed reading about whose history you'd rewrite. There were so many thoughtful, clever ideas! So we sat down and wrote books about all the historical figures you named.

Kidding. We only had time for half.

Kidding kidding. We promised you a giveaway, and a giveaway you shall have.

We picked a winner through a highly sophisticated process of random selection. First, we hired a random expert. Then, we endured an hour-long lecture on the life-cycle of ants. At that point, we realized the ad we'd placed looking for a "random expert" had not given us an expert in randomness, but an actual random expert. So we made the random expert choose a winner.

And the winner is . . .

. . . drumroll . . .

AILA! From One Way or an Author.

Aila, send us an email at ladyjanies@gmail.com with your address and we'll make sure a book reaches you!

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And now for our next order of business -- the blog tour sign-up form!

The incredible Alexa from Alexa Loves Books is running this thing, so you have to do whatever she says.

Here's the form!