Is there going to be another book in the series (Waterfire Saga, Tea Rose) or a sequel to the Jennifer Donnelly book I just finished?

Let me just say first that I get this question a lot … and I am SO appreciative of it; there’s no better praise an author can get than a reader asking for more. So THANK YOU for asking!

I do wish I could write more books in both the Waterfire and Rose series (after all, there is still evil lurking beneath the waves, and young Katie Finnegan has a story to tell!), as well as sequels to at least some of my standalone books (especially These Shallow Graves … I LOVE Oscar and must know what’s next for him!).  But, alas, there is only one of me and there are only 24 hours in a day — and my plate of new work is already overflowing.  It will be some time before I can write a sequel or a continuation of anything.  

So … if you’re wanting more of the Jennifer Donnelly book or series you just finished, I can say “thank you!” again … and then offer two humble suggestions:

One, in the short term, you can try one of my other books (assuming it’s in your age range); my stories are different from one another, but people tell me that there’s a consistency in the themes and the storytelling and the emotion that threads through all my books.  If you liked the Waterfire Saga, you might want to try Lost in a Book, which has strong fantasy elements and a Disney connection; if you liked the Rose Saga, you might want to try These Shallow Graves, which is set in Gilded Age New York; if you liked Revolution, you might want to try A Northern Light, which is set around a tragic historical event and tackles some challenging coming-of-age issues.  

Two, please be patient — writing/publishing a book takes time, and I’m usually well onto another book before the last one even comes out (I’m already writing the book after Stepsister, which isn’t out until May!).  So even if I could start a sequel or continuation now, it would be some time before it reached you. 

But I’m with you, and hope to see sequels/continuations one day, too! 

Is there going to be a Waterfire Saga movie?  A Tea Rose series?  A Stepsister movie?

I hope so to all of the above! But the motion picture process is very separate from the book making process, and the decision of whether to develop a film or a series from one of my books is not mine to make.  So I’m waiting with baited breath along with all of you, hoping to see my stories and my characters assume a new life on screen!

With that said, here’s the film status of the books I get asked about most:

The Tea Rose Saga: I get CHILLS thinking about the Tea Rose on film — to see Joe and Fiona dreaming their big dreams on the Old Stairs (which still exist and look just as they did a century ago) … I’d be a blubbering mess! The film option to the story has been bought and negotiations to produce it are underway. I’m not a part of those discussions so I don’t have any details, but what I have heard is encouraging and I hope I’ll have something to announce soon! 

Stepsister: SO EXCITED for this one! Rights have been purchased by William Morris Endeavor and they’re working on adapting this story to film. I don’t have any details at this point — and I don’t want to spoil anything, since you haven’t read the book yet — but stay tuned. When/if I get any news to share, I’ll do so!

The Waterfire Saga: Animated or live action?? That’s what I wonder. But I’m afraid I don’t have news on this. Disney has the rights, and I’m sure whatever they did with it would be awesome, but I don’t know what their plans are.  They produced a GORGEOUS video trailer back when Deep Blue was announced — check it out if you haven’t seen it!

What is your favorite book?

My number one all time favorite is Ulysses by James Joyce.

I also love The Quiet American by Grahame Greene, The Shining and The Stand by Stephen King, The Passion by Jeanette Winterson, A Woman of Substance by Barbara Taylor Bradford and To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Octavian Nothing and Feed by M.T. Anderson. Winger by Andrew Smith. Simon Vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli.

I grew up on a mixed diet of mass and class, and I still read that way. I hate it when people apologize for what they read. Some bestsellers aren’t exactly literary. So what? They’re fun and rip-roaring. Who instituted the book police and why do we have to answer to them? Grrrr!

What is your favorite movie?

There are so, so many.

The Silence of the Lambs. Capote. Brokeback Mountain. Matchpoint. School of Rock. The Remains of the Day. Howard’s End. Born into Brothels. Richard III (Ian McKellan’s). 25th Hour. The Secret of Roan Inish. The Black Robe. The devastating and astonishing War Dance. Superbad. And Caddyshack. To name but a few.

I used to be a big fan of horror movies, but not anymore. I watched 28 Days Later when it came out on DVD and got so scared, I’ve sworn off the genre for life. 28 Days Later broke the cardinal rule of zombie engagement – they made the undead speedy. There should have been a warning. Rated R for Running Zombies.

What fictional character do you most identify with?

I love so many characters, but there’s one character I feel especially close to – Clarice Starling, from Silence of the Lambs. Because like her, I am – to quote Hannibal Lecter – a “well-scrubbed, hustling rube”.

Where and how do you write?

I write in a room in my house in New York’s Hudson Valley. I usually have a pot of strong tea and a bar of dark chocolate for company and courage. I plot and plan and scheme and dream in longhand, but I do the actual writing on my computer.

Why do you write?

Because I love words and stories so much.

Because I would be grief-stricken every day of my life if I couldn’t write.

Because I’m obsessed and compelled.

Because I’d be utterly useless at anything else.

Do you ever think about doing anything else?

When the writing is hard, yes.

And the writing is hard every single time I sit down to do it, so I think about doing something else a lot. Mostly, I’d love to run a coffee bar or a tea house. Something where you get to talk to lots of people all the time and be around chocolate cake. Sometimes I think I’d like to be a forensic pathologist, because it looks so cool on TV, but I know I’d throw up on my shoes at the first whiff of a dead body. I’d also love to be a farmer, to raise chickens, grow potatoes, to be a painter, to restore wrecked houses, run an animal sanctuary, go back to journalism, open a second-hand bookshop, and become president so that the country could finally be run properly.

Luckily, a writer gets to do all those things through her characters. So I guess I’ll stick with writing.

What advice do you have for young writers?

There’s only one thing that makes you a writer – and that’s writing.

Writing – any kind of writing: journals, term papers, letters to your grandmother – will hone your ability with words. As you keep writing, you’ll learn how to do more with less. You’ll get a feel for simplicity and elegance, when to let rip and when to hold back, and how the subtle art of suggestion can lend incredible power to a paragraph or scene. These are all things I still struggle with. I have a tendency to overwrite, but when I do nail a scene, I can sense it, and it’s a tremendous feeling.

Reading is also incredibly important. It shows you how other writers do it, how they succeed and where they fail. Whether it’s a novel, a newspaper article or the copy on the back of a cereal box – it’s all writing. Someone had to think about it and make choices. It’s your job as a reader to decide how well the author did. You may not be aware of it, but every time you get lost in a story, or intrigued by a magazine article, you’re also picking up pointers on structure, plot, and style. I couldn’t afford to go to grad school, or take a workshop when I started trying to write, so I used what was available to me – good books.

Another crucial key to writing is finishing what you start. Lots of kids, and older people, too, tell me that they have so many stories started. Started is good. Beginnings are good. But you have to finish. Finishing is what makes the difference between ideas and books. Force yourself to sit down at your desk – glue your butt to your chair – and work through the problems. It’s very important. It’s very good discipline. It forces you to see an idea through from beginning to end and to do the hard work of bringing the various threads of the story together in a satisfying way. Do this and you’ll become more confident in your ability to tell a story. The problems of structure and plot and narrative drive may not get easier for you – they certainly haven’t gotten any easier for me and I’m on my eleventh novel – but with experience and a bit of confidence, you’ll become braver about facing them…and besting them.

Lastly, listen to your own thoughts and feelings very carefully, be aware of your observations, and learn to value them. When you’re a teenager – and even when you’re older – lots of people will try to tell you what to think and feel. Try to stand still inside all of that and hear your own voice. It’s yours and only yours, it’s unique and worthy of your attention, and if you cultivate it properly, it might just make you a writer.

How do you do your research?

For me, research is more an art than a science.

I usually start out with a good, general history of the time period I’m researching to give me a solid grounding in the era. Then I roll up my sleeves and get dirty. I visit archives, libraries, museums, and historical societies to try to dig up as many primary sources as I can.

Diaries. Memoirs. Oral histories. Census records. Tax records. Photographs – tons of old photographs. Newspaper articles. Paintings. Old clothes. Old books. Menus. Bills. Magazines. Letters and postcards. I need to see all of these things, as they all help me clasp hands with people from the past, and understand them, and fully inhabit their world.

It’s also important for me to physically spend time in the place where a story is set. Sometimes I’m talking to people, asking them about their experiences and feelings. Other times I’m looking at old buildings, walking old streets, figuring out where characters worked and lived. Sometimes I’m sitting in a pub, listening to the rhythms of local speech, studying faces and body language, or watching the Thames flow by. Always I’m trying to see and hear and smell what my characters would have seen and heard and smelled.

It’s important to me that the history is there, in my novels, and that it’s correct, but I want it to feel seamless and smooth, natural not intrusive.

I love to research and if there were no such thing as a deadline, I’d probably never stop. I don’t know how to explain how I know I’ve done enough, but I do know I can’t start writing before I feel sure and easy in whatever time period I’m writing about.

How did you get published?

It took me a long time to get my first book published. There were many days when I thought it would never happen.

I worked on my first novel, The Tea Rose, for ten years. I had a day job at the time, so I wrote very early in the morning and on weekends. There was a lot of ripping up and starting over. A lot. When I was at a point where I thought I had a saleable manuscript, I wrote to a slew of literary agencies, and luckily, the agency I wanted to work with most also wanted to work with me. My agent, Simon Lipskar at Writers House, praised the manuscript, but it had flaws and he was not shy about pointing them out. Thank God. Writers get one crack at any given editor, and the work had better be the very best it can be when that editor reads it. Simon’s comments and criticisms were initially hard to hear, but they made my book better. It took me over a year to rewrite the book and fix the problems. It took Simon another year to sell it. I was a first time author and historical fiction was not in vogue when he was pitching it. There were a lot of rejections. A lot of disappointments. And then…magically…there was a sale. Simon, who is book smart and street smart and as tenacious as a bull terrier, called me at work. The advance was small, he said, but the editor was wonderful and she was with a major house. That night, I drank champagne and danced on my dining room table. I had finally become an author.

I wrote a whole essay on this. Click here to read it.

How do I get published?

First and foremost, write a good book.

Once you’ve done that, find an agent. Yes, you do need one. Most publishing houses are swamped with unsolicited manuscripts and most editors have no time to read them. Some houses won’t even accept them anymore. Instead, they depend upon literary agents, with whom they have relationships, to know what they’re looking for and to send them good, polished manuscripts.

To find an agent, I consulted the Writer’s Market guide, which lists agencies and their agents, and gives a bit of info on who and what they represent. I also read Publisher’s Weekly, a weekly trade journal with columnists who report on literary deals and the agents making them. The Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators can also be helpful, if you’re writing for kids. Read, research, do your homework. Educate yourself as much as you possibly can. When you’ve decided upon an agency you’d like to approach, write a stellar pitch letter. And I do mean stellar. A pitch letter tells the agent about your work and invites him or her to read a sample. It should be brief, mistake-free, and utterly compelling.

There are many guides, like the Writer’s Market guide, that can give you tips on how to write a pitch letter. You can find them in the publishing reference section of your local bookstore, through your library, or through online bookstores. Spend time on this. Write and rewrite your pitch letter until it’s perfect. Agents, like the rest of us, are busy people with demanding jobs and lives. You only have seconds to capture an agent’s attention with your words, so make those words shine.

When you’ve found an agent, get a thick skin. You’ll need it, for he will have criticisms. Nobody’s work is perfect; everyone can use constructive comments. Your agent is presumably smart and talented – after all, that’s why you chose him, right? – so listen to him. You both want the same thing – the best possible book. And when the book is sold and you have an editor as well as an agent, listen to him, too. Be open. You don’t have to make every change that is asked for, but you must understand why the change is being asked for before you can decide whether or not to make it.

A word on money – reputable agents do not take money from you until they’ve sold your work. After a sale, they charge a percentage of the gross, usually 15%. For foreign sales, the domestic agent will typically charge 10% and the foreign agent 10%. Agencies usually charge for expenses as well – things like postage, printing, etc.

Within an agency, you may work with several agents. I have one agent for my adult books, another for my children’s books, and I work with a foreign rights agent as well.

Choose your agent wisely and well. This is an extremely important partnership – one that will affect you artistically and financially. This person will become at the very least a business partner – and possibly an editor, advisor, sounding-board, confidante, and if you’re as lucky as I’ve been with my agents, a friend.

Lastly, keep faith with yourself. We all read about the writers who wrote their first novel in two weeks, sold it in ten minutes, and hit the bestseller list in five seconds. They are the exceptions, not the rule. Writing is hard. Publishing is hard. The book world is, in my opinion, the very best one to be in, but it’s also a business and as such is challenging and competitive. You need to be tough to weather the inevitable rejections and setbacks. When trying to get published, stubbornness is a virtue. Cultivate it.

And as Winston Churchill said, “Never, never, never give up.”

I wrote a piece a few years ago about how I got published — it’s here.

What do you do about writer’s block?

I don’t really believe in writer’s block. If I get stuck, I know it means I haven’t thought hard enough about a particular problem. At that point, I leave my computer screen, get paper and a pen, and start writing out questions. Like, Why is this scene boring? Why is this character flat? Or even, Why does this chapter stink? The answers start coming….kind of like from a Ouija board…and eventually I see what’s wrong and get myself unstuck.

What don’t people know about you?

I wish I had a kanagaroo. Many kangaroos. I love Edinburgh and Reykjavik. I hate ziplines and trapezes. I’m in awe of people who can knit.

I have a question that’s not answered here.  Now what?

First, if it’s a question about one of my books, make sure you check out the book pages on this site — you can find quite a bit about each one there. 

Or listen to the B&N Podcast I did during the Stepsister launch — we covered a lot of ground and I really enjoyed the conversation with author/interviewer Melissa Albert:
 

Or check out the links below and see if one of them covers what you’re looking for. I have done many interviews on a wide variety of topics — and most of these published interviews have longer, more complete answers than I can give here.  

If you still can’t find your answer, leave your question below! 

 

63 comments

  1. Reese says:

    Hi Mrs. Donnelly,
    My name is Reese and I am in 7th grade.
    Quick question:
    Is there a sequel to Stepsister?
    My teacher recommended it to me and I just finished the book!
    I LOVED it!
    I’m a new fan!
    -Reese

  2. Blythe says:

    Hi Mrs. Donnelly, I was wondering if there is going to be another book like Stepsister and Poison? I fell in love with them both. Thank you for the hours of enjoyment that you’r books have given me!

    Thank you , Blythe.

      • Jennifer says:

        I hope so! I’m all about fairy-tale retellings, and would love to see your spin on Beauty and the Beast (I know you’ve done Lost in a Book but I mean the original fairy tale–a retelling along the lines of Stepsister and Poisoned), or East of the Sun, West of the Moon, or the Twelve Dancing Princesses, or Andersen’s The Snow Queen…

        • Jennifer Donnelly says:

          I can’t say anything right now, but I’m working on a new project I’m very excited about, and I can’t wait to share it with you!!

    • Jennifer Donnelly says:

      I will be doing some online events around the time of the Poisoned launch in October, but no firm dates yet. Please stay tuned — I’ll post them here in my Events section when I have details … or join my mailing list and I’ll e-mail you!

  3. Katie says:

    First off….I love the Waterfire Saga! My is– Have you ever thought of writing a 5th book? A 5th book would amazing!

  4. Sophia says:

    Hello! My name is Sophia and I seriously love Waterfire Saga. I even chose it for my assignment at school. I would love like a sequel to the series or something. Thanks!

  5. Priscilla says:

    Hi!
    I’m doing a project for school and i would like to know why did you start writing? did you do it just for fun or something else?

    -Priscilla

    • Jennifer Donnelly says:

      Hi Priscilla: Sorry to be so long in replying — and I’m sure we’re way past your school deadline. Hopefully you were able to get your answers from the FAQ above or within one of the links to interviews. Short answer: something else. I have always been compelled to write.

  6. Kerry says:

    Hi Jennifer

    I’m currently reading the Tea Rose series for the third time and it doesn’t surprise me that I am enjoying them just as much (if not more) than the first time I read them. For some strange reason, I had never thought to reach out and contact you to say how appreciative I am for your work. So thank you for working so long and diligently on your wonderful novels. Your books have inspired me to try my hand at writing my own historical novel and I’m deep in the research and planning stages. I had a question regarding the research you did for The Tea Rose series – how did you organise your research so that it was readily accessible and usable? I’m finding so much inspirational material but having difficulty working out how to store it all and how to properly determine what is truly useful and what can be left aside. Hoping you might have some tips for me!

    Thanks so much!
    Kerry.

    • Jennifer Donnelly says:

      Answer: Hi Kerry: Thank you for your lovely comments! Your question is a hard one to answer. I’m like a magpie and gather a LOT of material (not just books, but photographs, letters, paintings, objects … just about anything) and it’s all around me when I write — on bulletin boards, on shelves, in boxes, on my desk. The things I keep closest to me are the ones that really speak to me and bring a character or a part of the story to life. I wish I had a more scientific answer for you, but this isn’t a scientific process!

  7. Trey Pope says:

    Hello Jennifer!

    My wife recently picked up Deep Blue and has been OBSESSED with it. She’s already almost through the whole saga and has adored it (even though she is very vocal to me about the things she doesn’t like ?). Valentine’s Day is obviously just a few days away, but I thought it would be a wonderful gift for her to get a signed copy of Deep Blue. How could I go about getting one? Is there any way to get in touch with you for one? Thanks! I hope to talk to you soon.

    • Jennifer Donnelly says:

      Hi Trey: Sorry we missed Valentine’s Day, but you can get a signed copy of any of my books through my local bookstore, Oblong Books — click here to order online. Make sure you provide your wife’s name on the order form, and I can personalize it for her! Thank you — I’m so happy she enjoys the story!

  8. jayden childers says:

    Dear Jennifer Donnelly,
    I’m doing a summer reading assignment, where we had to read five books of our choosing. I chose to read the WaterFire saga series and I love them. Now I have to choose one book and do some type of summary and part of that is “What is the theme of your book?”. The book that I chose is “Dark Tide”. I was wondering if you can help me figure out what the theme is. Some may say that it is easy to find it but there is so much going on and it gets me so excited that I can’t stop reading! Saying that I was wondering if you could help me with the theme of the book?
    Sincerely, Jayden Childers

    • Jennifer Donnelly says:

      Hi Jayden: I’m so happy you love Dark Tide and the Waterfire Saga! But I don’t think I can help you with your assignment because there isn’t one theme. The book (and the series) touches on a lot of themes and you need to find the one that speaks the most to you. Look deep into your heart — like Ling searching for her talisman — and I bet you’ll find it! Good luck!!

    • Jennifer Donnelly says:

      Hi Joon: I would be very happy for someone to make Deep Blue – and the rest of the Waterfire Saga – into a movie … but it’s not up to me! If I get any news of a movie in the works, I’ll share it on my site — promise!!

  9. Yu Zhou says:

    Hi, my name is Yu Yu.

    One day while I was in the library I saw your one of your books These Shallow Graves sitting on the shelf. That day there were so many books on that shelf I had no idea why I was just staring at the book like that. Though, now I know. Some time later I found the book in my school library and had a sudden temptation to borrow it. After I really got into depth with the book I had a realisation of the world around me. Was I able to trust anyone again? Your book was superb and I can’t wait until I get my hands on Step Sister. I regret getting so attached to those characters now that I randomly wake up in the morning and start pleading for a 2nd book. Hopefully your solutions in one of your blogs might work:)
    Also, I was wondering what is the best way to market your books? and how many un-published/ half written books do you have?

    • Jennifer Donnelly says:

      Hi Yu Yu: Thanks for your lovely comments! I confess I miss the Shallow Graves characters, too … especially Oscar! Marketing books is a big question that I don’t have any great answers for — though I talk a little bit about it in the FAQs above. As far as unpublished books, I have plenty of ideas for books I want to do, and some notes on a few of them — plus the work in progress for my next book that is scheduled for next year — but I don’t have a lot of half-written manuscripts kicking around!

  10. Emma says:

    Hi Jennifer,
    I’ve been a big fan of your books for a long time.

    I was just wondeirng what are your thoughts about crossover novels? Do you think literary adaptation such as movies and TV series help a book to become a crossover novels?

    Thanks Emma. xx

    • Jennifer Donnelly says:

      Good question, Emma! I’m no expert on motion picture adaptations (though Stepsister and The Tea Rose have both been optioned for the screen!), but I do think it’s possible, if the adaptation is successful with a different audience than the book. I will say that I believe adults often do (and should!) read YA, and I have definitely seen this with my own work. So I don’t think an adaptation is necessary. A Northern Light (A Gathering Light in the UK), my first YA book, is widely ready by adults, for example — and that hasn’t been made into a film … yet!

  11. Catherine says:

    Hi, Ms. Donnelly! I’ve always loved mermaids, so when I found the Waterfire Saga, I was thrilled!!!!! (Astrid is definitely the best, in my opinion.) But, now that I’m finished, I have a problem: I’m finished! I have so many questions, the biggest one being: what is up with Lucía Volnero?! She just disappeared, but the Iele were still chanting about her. And, since you have to kill someone to create a malingo, who else did Lucía kill? Oh, and also, will Alitheia be all right?

  12. Samantha says:

    Hello, my name is Samantha. Me and my friends just finished Deep Blue and are currently doing a school project on it. We absolutely loved it but there is one question i have to ask you. our project has a where and when on it but we don’t know when it takes place. So could you please tell me when this takes place? thank you! <3 P.S cant wait for book five.

  13. Cate says:

    Hello!

    So I’m currently reading the Tea Rose series for the second time and I’ve managed to fall even more in love with the characters, their stories, and your writing than I already was! Fiona, specifically, has basically become my literary idol. I wanted to know if she was inspired by anyone in particular- either in your personal life or a historic figure!
    Also, do you have any plans to continue the series? I know you’ve mentioned that a certain Finnegan hasn’t had her story told yet.. 😮

    Thank you for sharing such incredible stories! I can’t wait for Stepsister and to see what your current project brings us!

    • Jennifer Donnelly says:

      I’m so happy to hear that Fiona has become your literary idol — yay! I would say that she, and Joe, were very much inspired by the people I met as I discovered the streets of East London, walked along the Thames, visited Brick Lane market, and sat listening to the voices in pubs and cafes. To find out more about my inspiration for this series, see this page on my website: https://www.jenniferdonnelly.com/book/the-tea-rose/. I would love to continue the story…the big obstacle is finding the time to delve back in!

  14. Jennifer Donnelly says:

    I don’t have labels or bookplates, but I can suggest two ways to get a signed book! One, you can order a signed book (including my upcoming Stepsister) from my local bookstore, Oblong Books, who will have me come in and sign it before they ship it to you. There’s a special order form for my signed books here: http://www.oblongbooks.com/jennifer-donnelly-autographed-books. Or you can come see me at one of my appearances! I will be out and about to talk about Stepsister in the coming weeks, and I’d love to sign one of your books in person – my schedule is here: http://www.jenniferdonnelly.com/2019/01/13/event-calendar-winter-spring-2019/ — and stay tuned, I’ll be adding more dates as they are booked!

  15. Sarah says:

    Hello! I am in seventh grade, & I have never read a series as good as the Waterfire Saga series in my whole life! Whenever I pick up the books, I can never put them down. I would absolutely LOVEEE it if you made a fifth Waterfire Saga book!! I would die of happiness if you did!!!! I also have a question for you: does your daughter and her friends want you to make a fifth book in the series?

    • Jennifer Donnelly says:

      Hello, Sarah! Thank you for your sweet comments about the Waterfire Saga. I’d love to continue the series at some point — I miss those merls! — but I am so busy with new books that it will be some time before I could even consider it. As for my daughter, I haven’t talked to her about it in a long time, but when she and her friends read the series (probably when they were about your age), they wanted more, too! I wish there were more of me so I could write all the books I want to write!!

  16. Lavanya says:

    Hi,
    I am studying in 4th grade and I have a New Yorker project in school. I have some questions for you.

    1. What were your childhood hobbies\interests??
    2. How was your family life (parents, siblings, location of home growing up)
    3. How did you get into this writing field? What motivated you?
    4. Any special or interesting information that I can include in the project.

    • Jennifer Donnelly says:

      Hi: I’m going to give very brief answers here and you can find longer ones in my FAQ answers above and in my blog entries.
      1. Reading … and more reading!!
      2. It was nice! I grew up with two parents and one sister, and split my time between the suburbs of New York City and the woods of upstate New York’s Adirondack region.
      3. I talk about this at length above.
      4. I’ve always wanted a pet kangaroo, and I love zombie movies!

  17. Gavin says:

    Hi I’m doing a paper on the book revolution at my school. I was wondering, where did you get inspiration for Malherbeau and/or the Diabolus in Musica.

    • Jennifer Donnelly says:

      Hi. Malherbeau is a little bit Bach, a little bit Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven, a little bit Jonny Greenwood, and a fair dash of imagination. Diabolus in Musica is a real thing; I didn’t make that up. You can Google it for details — everything that is not the Slayer album is probably explaining the diabolus Andi talks about in Revolution.

  18. katrina says:

    Hello,
    I don’t know if this was asked before. I was wondering if you sign books that are sent to you with return postage? love your work! Thanks

    • Jennifer Donnelly says:

      Hi Katrina: Thank you! The easiest way to get a signed book is from my friends at Oblong Books — they’ll have me sign it before they ship it to you. They have a special signed-book order form here: https://www.oblongbooks.com/jennifer-donnelly-autographed-books. If it’s a book you already own, I’ll be out on the road in the next few months to promote STEPSISTER, my upcoming novel, and I’d love to meet you and sign a book at one of those events!

      • Jennifer Donnelly says:

        Yes, I think all of my books are available in Canada! Please check with your local bookstore or Canadian online retailer; they should be able to get any of my books for you.

  19. Trinity chagnon says:

    Hi!
    I’m a big fan of the deep blue series. i absolutely love your books and the way you write.
    I’m doing a project in school about books,authors, and literature and was wondering when why and how did you become an author. Personally i am curious of what you see in your future as an author and if you are working on a current project.

    • Jennifer Donnelly says:

      I’m always working on a project! Right now, it’s Stepsister.

      As for how I came to be a writer, see my FAQ.

      As for the future … I have flirted with the idea of being everything from a baker to a farmer to a forensics expert. But a writer gets to be all those things through her characters, so I think I’ll stick to writing.

  20. Nikita Nobre says:

    Hi Jennifer,

    I’m doing a project for school and I just needed to find out when the 6 mermaids (Serafina, Neela, Ava, Becca, Astrid and Ling) in the WaterFire Saga birthday’s are? Do you know?

    Thanks,
    Nikita

    • Jennifer Donnelly says:

      That’s a very good question! I don’t know, but I’ll try to find out if I write another Waterfire Saga story one day!!

  21. Jessica says:

    Hello!
    I know that this may be a little off topic, since it seems everyone else here is asking questions, but I just have been wanting to tell you something for quite some time but I felt emailing you would be a bit weird. I’ll get straight to the point- I absolutely love your work, and have admired you since I first began to read it. You seem like an amazing person, and I understand ( as a student who hopes to make a living off of writing one day) how hard it can be to not only find an idea, but to follow through with it. Your book “Revolution” touched me deeply. Thank you so, so much for doing what you do. I don’t know much about you, but I do feel that people tend to express themselves through their writing, so I hope it doesn’t sound creepy when I say I feel as though it offers me a connection. Overall, please just know you have positively influenced my life by doing what you do, and I am forever grateful. I wish you the best!

    Also I guess I should ask a question so that this isn’t a waste of your time:
    When writing, do you ever feel a relationship with your characters? Does this affect the direction the story goes in/does it change anything? Thanks!

    • Jennifer Donnelly says:

      Thank you, Jessica. “Revolution” touched me deeply, too — writing it etched lines on my heart and changed me forever. You probably know there’s a Revolution page on this site that talks about the book and how it came about, and bibliographic information at the end of the book itself.

      To answer your question: Of course – I feel a very close relationship with every single one of my characters! And they don’t affect the direction of the story — they have complete control over it! Sometimes, when things are really clicking, I’m just an observer writing down what I see and hear. That’s how These Shallow Graves came about: a character from the book — a man in a coffin — showed up, wouldn’t go away, and then started to talk …

    • Jennifer Donnelly says:

      If you mean more Rose books, I hope so … one day! I, for one, miss those characters and there’s a certain young Finnegan we met in the Wild Rose whose story has yet to be told! ?

      In the meantime, I have written the part of Anna of Cleves, King Henry VIII’s fourth wife, in the upcoming Fatal Throne (out on May 1). She’s very much an adult — in fact, she’s old (by Tudor standards) and not long for the world, after surviving Henry and outliving all his other wives.

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