1. Okay, so the biggest news is….(via PW Children’s Bookshelf, couldn’t find a direct link):
Regina Hayes at Viking Young Readers has signed YA novelist Sarah Dessen’s 11th novel, The Best After Ever, which will be released in May 2013. Set in the fictional beach town of Colby, where several of Dessen’s novels take place, it features 18-year-old Emmeline, who is spending her last summer before college working for her family’s vacation rental business and enjoying a summer romance with a young aspiring filmmaker. Leigh Feldman at Writers House brokered the deal for world rights.
So now you know why I wasn’t blogging, was talking about how tired I was AND kept posting encouraging writing-related quotes on Twitter. Because I was finishing the book I began ALL the way back in September 2010. I kept working on it all the way up until last April, when I had to set it aside to promote WHAT HAPPENED TO GOODBYE, then picked it back up in December. Whew! Thanks for your patience. I’m so excited to share more with you about this as I can. And there’s more fun book stuff, too! Stay tuned….
2. Today is also a Big Day in that my parents are moving from the house where they have lived since 1973. This has been a long time coming, but it’s still bittersweet to me. I’m happy that they’re moving to a smaller place with less upkeep and more of a community. But this is the house I spent my ENTIRE life in until I was 18. I watched Good Times and M*A*S*H there with my brother. Wrote my first stories on a manual typewriter at a little desk in the TV room. Covered my bedroom walls with quotes and pictures in high school when I was tormented and dramatic. SO much happened in that house, and today I’ll go over to watch everything be carried out. I’ve never seen it empty, ever. I think it might make me feel empty, too. Am bringing a camera. And tissues. Last night, I was up in my old room, where my mom now has her office. She’d taken everything off the door, exposing what was underneath: some quotes I’d written there, probably around 1986:
Yes, so that WOULD be Pink Floyd and the Talking Heads. The other quote you can’t make out is from THE BELL JAR: “To the person in the bell jar, blank and stopped as a dead baby, the world itself is the bad dream.” Yes, I had a quote about a dead baby on my bedroom door. As you can imagine, I was a lot of fun in high school. Sigh.
3. Over in the coop, one of my hens is sitting on eggs. Again. This is the third time she has tried to have chicks, and I am SO crossing my fingers for her. Because man, it’s NOT easy to be a hen on eggs. The other chickens, for whatever reason, totally gang up on her. They hover and cluck. Poop on her HEAD to get her to move. And I thought pregnancy was tough! But she’s such a tough girl. She stayed right there, poop and all, until my husband moved her and the eggs to their own mini coop. We are not yet telling my daughter there might be chicks: too much risk of the whole “circle of life” thing. But Spring makes me hopeful, so I am keeping my fingers crossed. You have to love a tough Mama, whatever the species. You GO, girl.
4. This week’s book recommendation: YOUR VOICE IN MY HEAD by Emma Forrest. I’d heard great things about this book but because I was finishing my own novel, I was brain dead and reduced to reading mostly US Weekly and my horoscope. (It happens. Towards the end of a draft, I can barely write my name.) But now that I’m done (yay!) I’ve had time to read and finally got my hands on a copy. It’s a memoir and it is SO GOOD that now I want to go find all her other work, which is how you can tell you really love something. PLUS when I Tweeted about how much I loved it, she tweeted me back. WHAT?? My day=made. Whoa and whoa, again.
5. Finally, a big thank you to everyone for reading this, and being so patient while my entries were so few and far between. Things have been crazy here, writing and chickens and moves and otherwise, but I’m hoping that between now and when revisions begin I’ll be able to start doing more entries. I miss this blog! But writing has to come first. I can’t BELIEVE I’m at number eleven. I feel like THAT SUMMER just came out, like, yesterday. You guys rock for reading and tweeting and helping me through those tough writing days, even when you didn’t even know you were doing so. So thanks. Here’s to what comes next!
Have a good weekend, everyone!
Yay for another SD book out in the world. Cannot wait!
Huzzah! You are awesome – I can’t believe this’ll be book 11 either.
Don’t worry about not blogging as much, your books are totally worth the sacrifice of no posts 
Can’t wait to read it, and love the title.
Also, go little momma hen! We never had a hen successfully hatch eggs, but then, they could never stay on the nest either…Sounds like yours has spunk
I am so ready for another Sarah Dessen book! Also, my school uses Lock and Key as one of the books for the Women and Literature course. I am also going to use one of her books when I start teaching, knowing I hope to teach 10th grade and that was when I started reading her books!!!
Your latest book sounds great! Can’t wait!
I’m soooo freaking excited for this book! Next year Will be my last summer before college so i’ll be able to relate! And her romance is wih a filmmaker? Thats my type too
you’re reading my mind! Haha, i really cannot wait!!!
So excited about The Best After Ever! Can’t wait to read it when it’s ready!
I am SO excited! I love Colby and cannot wait to read your next book…just in time for summer (of next year). Congrats, and well wishes for the revisions!
I’m so ridiculously excited about your new book.
In a couple of months, my parents are moving from the farmhouse they’ve lived in since 1980 (when I was three). I’ve still got a fully-functioning bedroom there, even though I’ve lived elsewhere since right after college and in another state for ten years. So I’ll be going home to clean out that room and help them move. I’m bound to burst into tears at some point.
(side note: They are moving into my sister’s house, which is actually on their farm, while my sister moves 20 miles away. And they’re selling their house to my kindergarten teacher. Small town Arkansas, indeed).
I am so excited to hear about your new book coming out! I know it will be as good as all of the other ones. I started reading your books when I was 13, and now I am 20 and still enjoy reading them. Your books are what made me fall in love with reading. I never thought it was possible until I picked up DREAMLAND, read it in a couple of days and then picked up THIS LULLABY. So thank you, for letting me fall in love with reading, as well as your wonderful characters.
I feel the exact same, I started reading your books when I was young, and I still do now that I’m 21. I’ve fallen in love with the characters in all your books and keep rereading them till the binding comes loose. Now I have a kindle though, and can read it whenever I want. Thanks so much for your books!
I too have read your books since I was in seventh grade and it all started with “The Truth About Forever.” I’m 20 today and still can’t wait for new books of yours to come out! You capture the young adult perspective very well, so it isn’t hard to relate to the characters! Thanks for writing!
Yay for Book # 11!! and…LOVE Talking Heads! I saw them in Chapel Hill in 1983. In my next life, I’m planning to be Tina Weymouth. Or Chrissie Hynde. Or Sarah Dessen.
Congrats Sarah! Can’t wait
OMGGG!!! I’m SO happy!!! Another Sarah Dessen book! I live reading youuu!
It must be hard, leaving that house. I hope you got everything you nedded from that house, emotionally speaking
Love reading you Sarah!!
i am super excited about a new book.!!!!! i cant wait to read it.
YAY YAY YAY another Sarah book!
Your poor chicken! :O Why did the others pick on her like that?
I’m super exctied about your new book! Will be counting down the days! I heart you! hahaha And your books and blogs! YAY!
Oh Sarah! I have to say that I totally adore you and your books and am totally excited about the next one. Even though I am a twenty-something (much closer to 30, than 20) single mom, somehow I can always relate to your books. Your tweets, blogs and etc. ALWAYS make me smile. You just seem like a super cool chick that I would love hanging out with. One thing I want to know, though, is WHEN DO YOU SLEEP?! You seem so ridiculously busy, but still manage to be witty and fun and write these amazing novels and take care of chickens and a husband and a child! You are my hero! Thanks a bunch for all you do and being an inspiration to average girls like me! I wish you all the best with the new book! Take care!!
A new Book! Hurray!
And Talking Heads. Ah. There are a lot of memories in my head with those songs in the background!
Congrats!
Yeah a new book!! Can’t wait
Congratulations on book #11!! I can’t wait to read it!
I work in publishing, and when I saw this book deal on an industry email a few days ago, I was so excited!!! I can’t wait to read it!
So i have to wait a whole year? Let the countdown begin!
Holy crapy, number 11 already? YOU go, girl! Can’t wait for it to be out (one year and one month from now, but who’s counting?). Have been missing your writing so much, need to reread one of the old ones ASAP
SARAH! I was hoping to applaude you one day but of course I never knew where to comment.
I’ve read every single one of your books over and over, also saw the movie with mandy moore that i can not remember at the moment. >.<
BUT! You're absolutely amazing, and I'm SO excited for you new book release.
Back before I moved from Colorado I collected five of your books, and now their all in Good will because I was not able to take them with me. D: <– sad face.
I'm sorry to hear about the chicken… sounds like the mom really wants them to hatch, how cute! and if i were around I'd keep an eye on them 24/7. Like that movie with the geese.
-AmandaRoseS
P.S. LOVE YAH!
:O Can’t wait for the new book to come out!!!!
Even if Sarah Dessen is a famous novelist, she can still be normal and freak when a writer tweets her
One word: CONGRATULATIONS!!!!
Congrats on the chickens, the move, and the book! Cannot wait to hear more.
A friend of mine sent me a direct link yesterday for the announcement and I’m sure my neighborhood heard my giddy scream!! CANNOT. FREAKING. WAIT.
I just died reading about your book ahaha!! Except I’m soooo sad it won’t be out for more than a year
I’m gonna be thinking about it everyday until then 
Yay! A new book, but that is a long time to wait, (too long)! I’ll have to re-read them again.
It will also be my last summer before Uni, hope it will reflect my summer in some way! And I agree with what everyone else has said, I can’t say it much better!
Oh amazing news! I have all your books, and I love them all. So I cannot wait for another one.
I’ve been blogging about you a lot of my blog lately, cause you totally inspire me to try and write contemporary (which I am still yet to try) and the first thing I did was post about this when I read it! I’m that excited!
Thanks for being such an awesome writer!
If you love Sarah Dessen, scream of happiness because she’s publishing a new book with me! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
HUFFAH!!!! Cannot wait! I read the first sentence and I screamed (thank gosh I was home alone) because I knew what was coming next! Thank you!
I am SO EXCITED.I was like, “Ahhh!” and my mom thought I saw a bug or something. I’ve read ‘em all! And I will be counting down until book number eleven comes out!! I tell my frieds about your books. They’re not much readers, but my penpal Jade, just read The Truth About Forever and Along for the Ride. You are a top reccomendation on McKenzie’s list of favorite authors!!
AHHHH!!!! I am SO HAPPY you’re writing another book, Sarah! Although the book description didnt say too much, I can tell your next novel is going to be AMAZING!! You’re so talent; I dream about being as sucessful as a writer as you’ve become.
Hey Sarah, just wanted to let you know that you are amazing and I can’t wait to read your next book! You have so much life in you and you write in the most amazing, real life way. Personally Freshman year of HS has gone well for me, but I’m hoping that it will continue that way! Just wanted to share some love with you! You amaze me and thank you so much for writing some of the books that seriously have changed how I see the world and that got me through Middle School! Thank you! <3 u!
And you know, I’m pretty much going CRAZY for you next book!!!
Hi Sarah! Congrats on finishing your book!!!!
I still cannot contain my excitement over the news of your latest book! I hope I will be able to meet you when you go on tour next year, Sarah! That would be my dream come true. I want to write books that are as extradionary as yours someday. Why can’t it be May 2013 yet??
Dr. Barbour just told us how you mentioned him in his book and I agree — one of the hardest classes! Can’t wait for May 2013!
Hi Sarah! I cannot wait for your next book! I am SO excited. And I love to read your blog but if you were busy writing it is fine with me if you don’t write on this blog because then you would work on your books and I love them and can’t get enough of them. I hope everything works out!:)
Hey it’s great to hear news about another book! I love how lately your books are coming out in May. Which also happens to be my birthday month! I love the title and can’t wait to read it! Have a great weekend and a lovely Easter!
I really hope that this next book will be a turn around from What Happened to Goodbye. Sorry to say, but I felt like the magic was missing in that one.
I’m really hoping that The Best After Ever will make me feel the same way I did when I read (and re-read) That Summer through Lock and Key. *fingers crossed*
I can’t wait until May 2013. I need it now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I’m so excited!!! I can’t wait for another book! All of your books are so well written and truly captivating! What is most amazing is that both my mom and I can read your books and even with the age gap we both enjoy them! I actually squealed with excitement when I read this post, and then had to explain my little outburst to my friends, hahaha. Your blog posts are so funny! I love reading them! Thanks for keeping us updated and entertained!
[...] Och relativt ofta händer det ju att man ramlar över en riktigt bra bok. Ibland händer det till och med att man hittar en bok som bara är så där fantastiskt-oerhört-sjukt bra att man vill bara ha mer! J K Rowling kommer förmodligen vara en flitigt använd sökterm på min dator det här året för att nämna ett exempel. Liksom Sarah Dessen nu när sommaren närmar sig. Vissa böcker är så starkt säsongsförknippade. Och på tal om Dessen har Viking Young Readers precis köpt rättigheterna till hennes elfte roman, The Best After Ever, som kommer att släppas i maj 201… [...]
OH MY GOSH I AM SOOOO HAPPY YOU ARE FINALLY RELEASING ANOTHER BOOK!!! You are my favorite author, and I have been waiting FOREVER for your next novel. Now it’s finally here! I’m also super glad you’re back to blogging, and I cannot wait to hear more about everything!
Okay, so this is my third comment to this single blog! I know Iam a bit too obessive over this news, but come on, Sarah Dessen is writing another book
!! Can you please please come to Boston when you do your book tour, Sarah! You have literally no idea how much I would love and apperciate that.
Good luck to the chicken! I hope her chick makes it! Very excited about the new book! Whoop!
Super excited about the new book!
Please be sure to check out my blog, where I recently devoted a post to you, and all your work!
Feel free to comment, I’m looking for some feedback.
18books.wordpress.com
Sounds like another Amazing story can’t wait! AHHH! Can we have a sneak peak?
YAYY. I can’t wait for The Best After Ever! Just when I think you’ve written it all, I read this even awesomer, super intriguing premise! Can’t wait x)