I’m so excited to share the cover for my second middle grade novel: THE TARNISHED GARDEN!

For those who loved The Gilded Girl, get ready for new adventures, more house dragons (kittens!), and Maeve’s wild magic in my spin on The Secret Garden. -- Coming April 2022!

Thank you to the artist, Geneviève Godbout, for another stunning illustration. She got the details so perfectly right that my jaw dropped when I saw it. The shadowy figure on the fire escape in the background, the school uniform and Maeve's messy braid, the kittens and their shadows! Thank you to the designer, Aurora Parlgreco, and the team at FSG Books for Young Readers & Macmillan Kids for being so wonderful to work with. I'm one happy author!

You can now ADD THE BOOK ON GOODREADS. 
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More about The Tarnished Garden:
The Manhattan School for Magic is the newest kindling school in New York, but Maeve O’Donnell knows she doesn't deserve her place there. Though her sister, Izzy, is one of the school's founders and a hero to those who can now kindle, Maeve can't control her magic and she lives in fear of anyone—especially Izzy—finding out.

When Maeve’s worst fears come true and her magic goes rogue, it damages not only the new school but Izzy’s reputation as well. While trying to repair what she’s broken, Maeve discovers a mysterious garden in the tenement neighborhood of the Tarnish, a hidden place where her magic actually works. As her magic and confidence grow, she befriends the others for whom the garden is a haven: a litter of talking kittens (house dragons, of course) who need Maeve’s help to find their missing mother. But someone else is searching for the kittens, too, someone who doesn’t care how many magical sites they have to destroy to stop magic’s expansion. And Maeve’s unstable magic might be the only way to save her sister’s school from being snuffed out next.

Thank you to everyone for your support! It's wonderful to have The Gilded Girl out in the world and where I always wanted it to end up: in the hands of readers. I love hearing from readers who enjoyed the book! It's been such a wonderful experience to get messages as people finish reading. 

Here's a slideshow from my "book birthday."  I had a wonderful day filled with middle grade author friends! I signed books at The Village Well and Barnes & Noble, had a virtual launch party filled with Julie Abe (and special guest, Lorelei Savaryn) and celebrated outside with Melissa Seymour and Karina Evans. Thank you to my family, friends, and readers for making this the debut day of my dreams!

"Changed in the Retelling" Panel

In the same way a chef can freshen a familiar dish with a new approach, so do these authors engage readers with their fresh perspectives on familiar stories from around the globe. Alyssa Colman (The Gilded Girl), Genevieve Gornichec (The Witch’s Heart), Nghi Vo (When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain, The Chosen and the Beautiful), Heather Walter (Malice), and Kiersten White (The Camelot Betrayal) discuss the ways their choices make these tried and true adventures more accessible and exciting for new readers with Maryelizabeth Yturralde (Creating Conversations).

Join us #WonderConAtHome 11 AM on March 27th. Watch the Replay for free. 

Join author ALYSSA COLMAN as she celebrates the launch of her middle grade novel, THE GILDED GIRL. Fellow author JULIE ABE (Eva Evergreen, Semi-Magical Witch and Eva Evergreen and the Cursed Witch) hosts the evening with Chevalier's Books. There will be readings, games, and special guests.

This event is open to the public but you must RSVP in advance to receive the Zoom link. RSVP HERE. 

Signed Pre-Orders of THE GILDED GIRL are available through Chevalier's Books.
Anyone who pre-orders through Chevalier's will receive a free Gilded Girl bookmark and house dragon sticker (the cat with the dragon shadow from the cover) with their copy. (You'll understand and hopefully love the house dragon after you've read.)
Thank you and I look forward to celebrating with you!