New book

Last year, when I was holed up in the little flat on Albert Park in Auckland (courtesy of the very generous Buddle Findlay Sargeson Fellowship), I worked on four big projects. One of them is published this week.

This is my YA novel, and it's published here in the US by Scholastic/Point. It's already selling on Amazon in various countries, as well as on other sites and in numerous US independent book stores like the great Lemuria in Jackson, MS. If there's a teenager in your life interested in a mystery involving ghosts, curses, murders, carnival/Mardi Gras parades, yellow fever, voodoo, New Orleans (especially the Garden District and Treme), Haiti, cemeteries, Roman society, high school shenanigans, or any of the above, please consider buying this for him or her. I'd like to crack the top 100,000 on Amazon!

If you need more persuasion, here's the starred review from Publishers Weekly:

"With this haunting love letter to New Orleans, Morris makes her YA debut, telling the story of 15-year-old Rebecca Brown, a proud New Yorker sent to live with a family friend while her father travels overseas. Ostracized as an outsider, Rebecca struggles to fit in and cope with her new surroundings. When she befriends Lisette, a ghost who has haunted the cemetery ever since her mysterious death 155 years earlier, Rebecca is drawn into an eerie story of betrayal, loss, old curses and family secrets. As Mardi Gras approaches, so does the culmination of something dark and angry that has been brewing for decades. This moody tale thoroughly embraces the rich history, occult lore and complex issues of race, ethnicity, class and culture that have defined New Orleans for centuries, turning the city into a character in its own right. Rather than shy away from the shameful or tragic moments of the past, Morris uses them to capture the city's essence. From Mardi Gras rituals to voodoo spells, Hurricane Katrina to jazz, this is a story that could only be told in New Orleans."

Note: I just checked on Amazon, and I've already cracked the top 25K - maybe I should aim higher (or lower)? Say, top 10K?

Comments

[Vanda Symon]

Great cover, and I loved the trailers you had in the earlier post - very cool.

Is it going to be released in NZ or do we have to do some Amazon shopping?

[Paula Morris]

It's up to Scholastic NZ: they can publish it if they want.

[Rachael King]

Aim for top 10K, definitely.

I am going to order my copy now! Great exchange rate, no excuse.

[TLB]

I'm ordering mine from the local independent, but I think you can easily get top 5,000.

[Bookman Beattie]

Great cover, congratualtions.

[Myra]

Finished it this afternoon - EXCELLENT - such a perfectly classical ghost story, but still so fresh. Neglected my own revisions to soak up your words!

[Sammy]

Will there be a sequel for Rebecca?

[Tracy Trebendis]

Started this book this morning and couldn't put it down until I finished it. The story was mesmerizing - especially loved the descriptions of New Orleans and the history of the Garden District families. Haunting and beautiful story.

[Catatonichic]

Hi there, I work for Manukau Libraries in NZ. One of our teen librarians recommended your novel Ruined because she knew I'd spent two weeks wandering around New Orleans in Feb 2009. Read it from start to finish without putting it down, got chills up and down my spine throughout and thoroughly enjoyed it. So much so I've reviewed it for our website. Will you be writing more teen novels? And would you be averse to answering 5-10 questions about your novel for our website?

[Paula Morris]

Of course - very happy to answer questions for Manukau Libraries! You can email me at [email protected]

[Caressa]

Augh, I loved it. That's all I can say. Best book I've read since When You Reach Me. I would LOVE to say that it should be a series, but I won't. It's perfect just like this. The cover is also very alluring. I would just HOPE to incorporate it into a little project I'm working on, but it wouldn't do this surreal yet fascinating and adventurous book of your's justice.