I can sometimes be a tease. I’ll promise something juicy…then say I’ll divulge in three days time. Some may say this is smart, that this is how I nabbed a husband. Others may say this is Grade-A Nastiness. Either way, I was up to my old antics on Tuesday when I promised BIG NEWS…on Thursday.
Well, my friends, it’s Thursday. And here’s the scoop:
My agent, Laurie McLean, sold the rights to my YA Thriller, THE BRIMSTONE BLEED, to Scholastic! POW!
Here’s the write-up in Publisher’s Marketplace:
Victoria Scott’s new YA thriller, THE BRIMSTONE BLEED, in which sixteen-year-old Tella competes in a grueling race, with the help of a genetically engineered animal, to save her brother’s life, to Erin Black and THE HUNGER GAMES team at Scholastic, in a two-book deal, for publication in 2014, by Laurie McLean at Larsen Pomada Literary Agents.
Freaking Crazy Town, right? Okay, let me be honest. When my agent sold my DANTE WALKER trilogy to Entangled Teen, I was afraid that this was it–I’d used up all my creative juices and 50 years from now I’d still be talking about the ONE trilogy I wrote. So when THE BRIMSTONE BLEED poured from my body, and my sister (who’s known for her painful honesty) called and said, “This…this is amazing. Editors are going to freak out over this,” I actually started to believe in my future. And that I wouldn’t just write one trilogy and be done–but that I would have a career as an author.
So I polished BRIMSTONE and then my agent and I went on “selective” sub. We submitted to houses we believed had experience launching a YA Thriller in a big way. It goes without saying that Scholastic was our first choice. I mean, I’m fairly sure THE HUNGER GAMES puts them on the map for houses-that-know-how-to-do-YA-thrillers-up-right.
After Erin Black, Editor Extraordinaire, emailed my agent and said she was flipping out over the book and was taking it to acquisitions, I vowed to find Erin and lock her in a cellar and make her repeat more of this “Victoria’s writing is truly breathtaking” stuff she’d been spewing.
After waiting five days, I nearly suffered massive coronary failure when my phone rang.
Laurie McLean calling
Panic attack. PANIC ATTACK!
Me: “Hello?”
Laurie: “Well, Tori…this is my favorite kind of phone call to make.”
Me: “Oh, my God.”
Laurie: *laughs* “Everyone at Scholastic loves your book. They’re buying it. And the sequel too. And they’re putting the same marketing team behind it that they did for The Hunger Games.”
My ghost (because I am now dead from shock): Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap!!
So, dear readers and writers and friends and family, that is my news. THE BRIMSTONE BLEED is slated for release spring 2014 from Scholastic. Thank you so much for being with me during this nail-biting time. I may not have been able to talk about it, but it made all the difference to have you there. I heart you. I heart you. I heart you.
Now…check out all these fantastic Scholastic YA books! Aren’t they fabulicious? Eek!!!!
OMG! I’m so happy for you Victoria!
Can’t wait to hear more about this new trilogy.
Congratulations!
Tori,
I always enjoy your blog posts so much! No matter what it is, it makes me smile, but this one especially! I’m so excited for you and will be waiting *most impatiently* until 2014 to read THE BRIMSTONE BLEED, although, I’m looking forward to Dante Walker much sooner! The best of luck to you!
Holy shit that’s awesome! I am so excited for you! Eeep! You go girl and I still can’t believe I met you lol! You have an amazing future ahead of you and I wish you the best and I’m excited to watch you take off to the big leagues!
Best wishes always! If you ever need a blogger for a blog tour I’m your girl ha!
O_O OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *Jumping up and down with excitement!* This is so HUGE and AWESOME, I am SUPER happy to hear this, and WOW there putting the marketing team from the Hunger Games on you…WOAH :O 2014 Can’t get here soon enough, CONGRATS!!! ^_^
OMG!! That’s awesome news!!
And if I have to complain about you being a teaser, I’ll say your books always seem too far away in time to read LOL and the blurbs just make want to read them NOW!
CONGRATULATIONS *throws confetti all around* So happy for you!
Can’t wait to hear more, let’s hope Dante doesn’t get jelous… I’ll just stay with him for a bit to make sure he isn’t
Holy, Holy Crap is right!!! Super, Super News!! Congratulations! I’m stoked for you! It’s so great to see an author rise among the ranks!!!!
That is Amazing news!!!! The book sounds fabulous – CONGRATS!
OMG, congrats!!!! That is such great news! So exciting! And the premise sounds ah-mazing!!!!
You made me cry this morning.(in a good way:) I knew 100% this was THE ONE. I believed in this book more than tou could ever know. Readers will FREAK! It is one of the best books I ever read. I am so proud of you and you are beyond talented. I love you with all my heart! -Sis XoXoXo
OMG. Congratulations!!! The Brimstone Bleeds sounds freaking amazing and I know it will do fabulous!! Now, you have written TWO books I want to read. right now.!!
I think HOLY CRAP is an appropriate response for news this huge. Congratulations!
EEEK!! Congraaaaaats!
*happy dance*
Congratulations! That is super awesome news!!!
Holy Schnikeys!!! That is SO awesome words fail me other than CONGRATS X 1 GAZILLION!!! What an awesome concept and I can’t wait to see how it all plays out!!!!
YAY YOU!!!!!! Or, ghost you? This is amaaaaazing news! I can’t wait to read all of your goodies! Very, very, exciting! Let me toss in another exclamation mark for you!
FREAKING AWESOME! Congratulations!!!
Amazing news! Congratulations!
Amazing news! Congratulations!
jadljaigneoiahieohvoiandoijatioeiaoeg
NO WORDS!
Congrats! I’m so excited for you!
Victoria, MAJOR CONGRATS! Your new book sounds ridiculous amazing, and I’m excited to read BOTH of your books. *SQUEE* <333
WOW!! Congrats!!!!!! So exciting =)
OMG. What a very big news! CONGRATULATIONS! I’m super excited for you! All the best!
Super Congratulations, girlie!!! YAY!!!
First of all, that title is freaking ROCKtastic! Second of all, I totally teared up reading this. So happy for you. *hugs*
Congratulations, Tori!!!! What awesome news!!
Courtney
I don’t think I could be any happier for you right now!!! This is AWESOME BIG NEWS, SCHOLASTIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OH MY GOOOOOOOSH! I am soooooo happy and excited for you! Holy….CONGRATULATIONS! I cannnnot wait to read alll your books–eeep!
OMG!!! That is so crazy awesome!!!! Of course, I’m not surprised at all, but SO WICKED THRILLED for you!!!!!
OMG!!!! The same marketing team as Hunger Games? Seriously? Wow!
Congratulations, this is exciting news.
Wow! What could be better than that? I’m so happy for you! I will definitely be reading all of your books and thank you for sharing your fantastic news. It’s so wonderful to hear when people’s dreams come true. Congratulations!:)
Tori, SO excited and happy for you!!!!!!!!!!! Congratulations!!!!
This news pleases me
Congrats!!!I’m so happy for you! What amazing news!
OMG. Can’t wait to read it.
2014.
Ok. Need to calm down.
But…OMG.I’m so excited!
Wow that is really amazing. You are on fire!!
U r a most amazing writer and ur mother loves u lol. Gotta say I do love Ryan’s comment
Congratulations on getting The Brimstone Bleed picked up by Scholastic, Victoria!!!!!
Congratulations!!! And it sounds amazing, putting it on my TBR list right now!!! =D
Congrats! I’ll check for this one for sure! But spring 2014!!!! Noooooo! I did the same comment for The Collector! LOL anyway I’m looking forward to read this one too!
Yay. You are my hero!
OMG. I haven’t even read The Collector yet and I;m already freaking out for The Brimstone Bleed! 2014 is sooo far away, but Dante is coming up soon, so I at least have that to look forward to! Congratulations
Oh, man. Very exciting news, indeed! How cool to share. Looking forward to reading all kinds of fascinating and quirky stories that are dancing around in your head for years to come. Congrats!
OMG!!!!! That’s SOOOOO freaking AMAZING! Super excited and wicked proud of you dude!!!! <3
How wonderful! Great news.
SQUEEEE!!!!! SO STINKING COOL! I’m so excited for you girl! And I’m very excited about the books! I live for syfy, thrillers! You are officially a rock star!
CONGRATS!!!!!!!!!!!! I AM SO EXCITED FOR YOU AND FOR ALL OF US READERS!!!!!!! GET WRITING GIRLLLL!!!!!!!
This…this is so cool! From what I can tell so far, you totally deserve to be in with these awesome authors! Congrats, chica!
♥Jessica(:
CONGRATULATIONS! I saw your tweet on Laurie’s page and dropped in to see what the deal was. That’s awesome news. Go celebrate. For the next month. LOL
OMG!! Victoria I go out of town for a few days and the world changes! This is awesome, I knew you would be BIG STUFF! I just knew it! Congrats with all my heart!
Victoria, this is completely and utterly AWESOME!!!!!!!!!! Huge Congratulations, girl!!! I adore thrillers, too, and it sounds like you have the PERFECT Scholastic Team!!! (And hey, I write MG for Scholastic, too! I love working with them! A dream come true! My 2014 YA trilogy is with Harpercollins though.
Still – another dream come true! LOL.) I’m so very happy for you!
Hey, will you be at the Houston Teen Festival February 2nd? I’ll be there on a panel. It would be fun to meet you.
I’m shocked I’m just reading this news now. Crazy. But MAJOR congrats! The Hunger Games team is great at Scholastic. I hope you get my friend Sheila Marie as your publicist. She’s great and works really hard for her titles, as everyone does I’m sure. Anywho, it’ll be awesome as you already know. So happy for you!