Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers to Publish New Young Adult Novel by ‘New York Times’ Bestselling Author Becca Fitzpatrick
NEW YORK, NY – Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers announced today that it will publish a new young adult novel written by Becca Fitzpatrick, the New York Times bestselling author of the Hush, Hush Saga, which has more than 2 million books in print. Fitzpatrick’s new standalone thriller, SAPPHIRE SKIES, will be published in Fall 2015 and be supported by a major marketing campaign and author tour.
In SAPPHIRE SKIES, seventeen-year-old Stella Gordon lives with her mother in a lovely country manor near Philadelphia’s “old money” Main Line. But one fateful night, Stella’s life is shattered by a single gunshot. Stella witnesses a crime, forcing her into the U.S. Federal Witness Protection Program to testify against the perpetrator—a crime boss named Danny Bolando. Stella is whisked away to the sleepy town of Thunder Basin, Nebraska, and forced to start life over as someone else. She soon meets Chet Falconer, her boyishly handsome ranch hand neighbor, who swears he’s going to have her wearing cowgirl boots and riding horses before the summer’s over. While Chet’s flirting is a welcome distraction from her miserable plight, Stella is most certainly not into cowboys, and she lets him know it. But deep down, and against her better judgment, Stella can’t help but feel she’s falling under Chet’s spell. Unfortunately, she also has to deal with Dusty Falconer, Chet’s hotheaded and rule-breaking younger brother whom Stella feels an unwanted but irresistible attraction to. As the hot Nebraskan summer wears on, Stella tries to settle into her new life. But when she receives a threatening message on her doorstep, she fears she might never outrun her past. Is it possible she’s not as safe in small town Nebraska as the authorities would have her believe?
“If I had to choose one word to describe SAPPHIRE SKIES, it would be: thrilling,” says executive editor Zareen Jaffery. “From the beautifully complicated romance to the suspenseful plot, Becca has created a novel that will have readers furiously turning pages.”
Becca Fitzpatrick adds, “I’m delighted to be writing another young adult thriller for Simon & Schuster—this about a girl who’s running from dangerous men and a haunted past. I’m drawn to stories that weave heart-stopping suspense with broiling romance, and SAPPHIRE SKIES is no exception.”
Becca Fitzpatrick’s debut novel Hush, Hush was originally published in the fall of 2009, and it was an instant New York Times bestseller. The subsequent books in the Hush, Hush Saga series, Crescendo, Silence, and Finale were USA Today as well as New York Times bestsellers. Fitzpatrick’s next book, the psychological thriller Black Ice, will publish on October 10, 2014.
Jaffery negotiated the SAPPHIRE SKIES deal for North American, Audio, and Ebook rights with Catherine Drayton at Inkwell Management.
ABOUT SIMON & SCHUSTER CHILDREN’S PUBLISHING
Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, one of the leading children’s book publishers in the world, is comprised of the following imprints: Aladdin, Atheneum Books for Young Readers, Beach Lane Books, Libros para niños, Little Simon®, Margaret K. McElderry Books, Paula Wiseman Books, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, Simon Pulse, and Simon Spotlight®. While maintaining an extensive award-winning backlist, the division continues to publish acclaimed and bestselling books for children of all ages. In addition to numerous Caldecott, Newbery, and National Book Award winners, Simon & Schuster publishes such high-profile properties and series as Eloise, Olivia, Raggedy Ann & Andy™, Henry & Mudge®, The Hardy Boys®, Nancy Drew®, the Dork Diaries series, the Mortal Instruments series, Mike the Knight, and the original Cupcake Diaries and Creepover series. For more information about Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, visit our website at www.simonandschuster.com.
Simon & Schuster, a part of CBS Corporation, is a global leader in the field of general interest publishing, dedicated to providing the best in fiction and nonfiction for consumers of all ages, across all printed, electronic, and audio formats. Its divisions include Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing, Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, Simon & Schuster Audio, Simon & Schuster Digital, and international companies in Australia, Canada, India, and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit our website at www.simonandschuster.com.
Contact:
Katy Hershberger, Associate Director of Publicity
212-698-7087, Katy.Hershberger@
