Nothing But Ghosts

A few moments ago, Laura Geringer, my editor at HarperTeen, called with the extraordinary news that NOTHING BUT GHOSTS, my fourth novel for young adults, has found its home with her. HarperTeen will publish GHOSTS next year (HEART IS NOT A SIZE will be published fourth, due to the emotional connection that GHOSTS shares with my first two novels). Thank you, Laura, Jill, Lindsey, and the entire team at HarperTeen for believing. Thank you, Amy Rennert, my one and only agent since 1997, for staying on this journey with me and for seeing all these wonders through.

GHOSTS took form in my head shortly after my mother passed away, when a persistent goldfinch began to rattle against my office window—drilling at the glass with its beak, hovering like a hummingbird. It came only in the early morning, when I was the lonesome soul awake and disappeared during the rest of the day. I took this photo of it through the window screen. I began to think that it was my mother checking in, and with that thought, NOTHING BUT GHOSTS was born.

So, Mom: Here's to you, again. When Laura called, I had your favorite Rod Stewart CD on. At that very moment, he was singing, "Thanks for the memories."