FOUR Announcements Jennifer Nielsen April 29, 2014

FOUR Announcements

There’s so much exciting stuff to announce today!

First is some award news. THE FALSE PRINCE is the winner of the YA category of Utah’s 2014 Beehive Book Award. This is a huge thrill and honor because it’s my home state. Thanks to all the Utah children who gave this book their vote!

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Second is more award news. THE RUNAWAY KING is the winner of the MG category of the 2014 Whitney Award. Again, I have a great respect for the other books that were nominated, and I thank those Storymakers who voted!

Third is that the fund raising for Robison Wells is going well, but has a long way to go. If you aren’t aware of his situation, Shannon Hale explains it better than I could. Please see her blog HERE or go directly to the IndieGoGo page HERE. Donating will help him, and provides some amazing book perks for you too!

And finally….this announcement just came out in Publisher’s Weekly:

Lisa Sandell at Scholastic has acquired two stand-alone middle-grade novels by Jennifer A. Nielsen (The False Prince), beginning with A Night Divided, a story of danger and intrigue in Cold War-era East Berlin, about a girl whose family is split in half when the Berlin Wall goes up. The first book is scheduled for publication in fall 2015. Ammi-Joan Paquette of Erin Murphy Literary Agency negotiated the deal for world rights.

Bombed Out City

As you know, I wrote the sixth book of the INFINITY RING series, which takes place in World War Two Germany. Afterward, I became curious to learn more about what happened to Germany following the war. Things were bad, of course. Parts of Germany had been bombed to rubble, and the country was divided amongst each of the four allies in the war: United States, Britain, France, and Russia. The first three worked together and became West Germany. By then, Russia had turned to Communism and ran East Germany.

West Germany began to prosper and rebuild, while East Germany’s progress was largely stagnant. Not surprisingly, easterners began leaving in droves, so many of them that it drew Moscow’s attention.

On the morning of August 13, 1961, easterners awoke to soldiers standing in front of barbed wire fences along the East Berlin border. Their guns were aimed at their own people, warning them not to dare a crossing. It became known as Barbed Wire Sunday.

SOLDIER BARBED WIRE BERLIN WALL

Within days, a concrete wall began to rise, which became known as the Berlin Wall. It would stretch along the entire East/West Germany border, and through divided Berlin. But it was more than a single wall. There were two concrete walls, actually, and between them was a Death Strip expertly designed to stop, capture, and kill any East German citizen who tried to escape.

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In the twenty-eight years over which the wall stood, thousands of people tried to escape. Some of them succeeded, and many were killed, then branded by their government as traitors, all because of the most basic of human desires – the quest for freedom.

Berlin-in-the-1960s-an-escape-attempt-screenshot-from-The-Wall

The more I read, the more I began to wonder…what if a family found itself divided on Barbed Wire Sunday? What price would one girl pay to reunite them? How could she ever find a way across the Death Strip? Most importantly, would this girl risk everything, even her own life, for freedom, for family, and for her chance of a future?

3066857_custom-52aefd3c994a21f90ad232d8941dcee3c0a46fae-s6-c30 The Berlin Wall from 1950's-60's (14)

If you want to learn more about the Berlin Wall, you can watch this on YouTube here.

 

 

49 Comments
  • Reply
    April 29, 2014, 8:48 pm

    This is SUCH great news…on all fronts! Particularly excited about A Night Divided! I love that time period in world history and so do students!

    I started my last read aloud of the year with my class yesterday…saved one of the best for last…The False Prince is already a hit three chapters in. Of course I knew they would love it…and will want to read the other two over the summer!

    Hugs!

    • Reply
      April 30, 2014, 3:20 am

      Thanks, Susan! And thanks also for doing another class read – I appreciate that very much!

    • Reply
      April 30, 2014, 9:35 pm

      Dee,
      My 7th grade students just finished movie trailers for The False Prince. Next week they score each other using an Academy Awards Rubric. I have our auditorium reserved for showing winners on the big screen and of course, acceptance speeches! No doubt it will be our top summer read as well here in rural PA. Let me know if you’d like to connect our classes for blogging about the book. They’d love it!

  • Reply
    April 29, 2014, 8:51 pm

    Congratulations, Jen!

  • Reply
    April 29, 2014, 9:40 pm

    Congrats on the achievements! Also, the new book sounds cool. I LOVE historical fiction! <3

  • Reply
    April 29, 2014, 9:46 pm

    Yay! Yay! Yay! So excited for your awards. You so deserve them. And your new book is out of my genre but sounds amazing. Added you to my list of books to promote in 2015.

  • Reply
    April 29, 2014, 10:12 pm

    So excited!!! Congrats on the awards!

  • Reply
    April 29, 2014, 10:43 pm

    Congratulations! I love so many of the books on the Beehive Book Award, and I really believe only the finest writers make it on that list. Plus the Whitney Award! Both bits of news are so exciting! I’ve just recently heard about the anthology put together for Robinson Wells, and it’s so inspiring to see how fellow writers look out for each other.

    P.S. I’m SO excited to read A Night Divided! It sounds like a difficult novel to write, but with the potential to share profound truth as you have in your other writings. By the way, I just blogged about The Shadow Throne, if you’re interested. Thanks for all of your great writing! As readers and writers, you’re an inspiration to all of us.

    • Reply
      April 30, 2014, 4:03 am

      Thank you, Danielle! I just checked out your blog post on Shadow Throne – thanks so much! It gave me lotsa smiles!

      • Reply
        April 30, 2014, 7:43 pm

        I’m glad you enjoyed it! I’m amazed you would take the time, as I’m sure you’re incredibly busy. Thanks again!

  • Reply
    April 29, 2014, 10:50 pm

    I’m so glad that you were the winner of the YA Beehive award. Me and my friends all voted on it. Congratulations!

    • Reply
      April 30, 2014, 4:03 am

      Hugs for that, Ashlyn! Thank you!

      • Reply
        May 31, 2014, 5:09 am

        I really want a movie or the false prince. Is that going to happen?

        • Reply
          May 31, 2014, 5:38 am

          Thanks for asking. I probably won’t know either way until next February – fingers crossed!

  • Reply
    April 29, 2014, 11:10 pm

    Wow, just wow. That would be an amazing story! And congrats on the other stuff! But I am a HUGE history nerd, and I had read about the wall but didn’t know about the death strip! I just have one question though, do you have any news on the Praetor Wars yet? (Totally off topic, but I NEED to know! ;)) Thanks! And congrats again!

    • Reply
      April 30, 2014, 4:06 am

      Thanks Anna! Praetor War Book one is called MARK OF THE THIEF and will be out next spring. I’m doing copy edits on that now and outlining for Book 2. And yeah, the Death Strip was, er, deadly.

      • Reply
        April 30, 2014, 8:28 pm

        HAHAHA! And YEAH! I’m soooooo excited for this series, and I’m so excited for the “WHY DID SHE DO THAT” thing and the cliff-hangers. Well then maybe I’m not…..;)

  • Reply
    April 29, 2014, 11:27 pm

    That sounds like it will be a really good book! I plan on reading it when it comes out!

  • Reply
    April 30, 2014, 5:01 am

    Huge congrats on all the awards! And what an amazing story. I can’t wait to read it. You truly inspire me, Jen!

  • Reply
    April 30, 2014, 2:34 pm

    What a powerful story to write, I can’t wait to read it. You are “Where the Magic Happens” again! I’m so excited for you! I sat in all your sessions at the conference this last weekend you are SO inspiring.

  • Reply
    April 30, 2014, 5:07 pm

    Congratulations on all the award wins, so so well deserved! A Night Divided sounds very interesting, I’d never heard of the Death Strips but you’ve got me wanting to know more about this girl and her family.

  • Reply
    May 1, 2014, 1:23 pm

    Great books deserve recognition — and awards are just some of that! Keep it up and going… I am just so excited with your next series. The Ascendance Trilogy was such a breeze and I even dubbed it with friends as The Game of Thrones for younger readers. I even noticed the similarities with the cover designs!

    I am sure A Night Divided will be as good. And The Praetor War! You are definitely one busy writer!

  • Reply
    May 3, 2014, 6:05 am

    Oh My God! That is so cool. Congrats Jennifer!The ascendance trilogy is so cool, especially Jaron.I wish it was longer so that I could read more of it.You really are an inspiring person.
    By the way, I would love it if you check out my blog http://chasebooks.blogspot.com/ and may be comment too!
    By the way, which month are you born in? I’d really like to dedicate that month to you!

    • Reply
      May 3, 2014, 2:22 pm

      Thanks Kiara! I’m glad you’ve enjoyed the books. Good luck on your blog, and my birthday is July 10, though I think it’s hardly worth dedicating the month to me much less the day. But thank you.

  • Reply
    May 3, 2014, 5:14 pm

    OMG
    I don’t think that sums it up yet…
    OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG
    There, that’s better!

  • Reply
    May 6, 2014, 7:53 pm

    I really liked your books, the ascendance trilogy, and I’m doing a project on your book, False Prince, and can you answer these questions?
    Who is your favorite character?
    What parts were really hard to write?
    What did you feel was the best decision made by Jaron?
    What did you feel was the worst decision made by Jaron?
    What character do you relate the most to?
    What character do you dislike the most?
    Thanks!

    • Reply
      May 7, 2014, 4:28 am

      Thanks Amelia! Okay, so um your questions…
      A) Sage. He’s a ton of fun to write.
      B) The hardest parts were balancing how much to reveal. Not too much to give anything away, but enough to be fair to the reader. That can get tricky.
      C) Best and worst decisions? Hmm, I dunno. That’s pretty subjective.
      D) I think I relate to each character in different ways. I’m a little like all of them.
      E) I most dislike Veldegrath. He is thoroughly hateful.

  • Reply
    May 9, 2014, 1:00 am

    I love the Ascendance Trilogy! I’m almost finished and I will definitely be mourning it once it’s over. Your stories have everything I like: action, romance, twists, turns, and brilliant characters. I’m not allowed to read anything involving witches, black magic, potions, spells, ect. Do you have any suggestions for what I should read next?

    • Reply
      May 9, 2014, 2:46 pm

      Thanks, Kaitlyn! Try “One For the Murphys” by Lynda Mullaly Hunt, or “Michael Vey” by Richard Paul Evans.

      • Reply
        May 9, 2014, 6:26 pm

        Thank you so much! Those look really interesting. I finished the Shadow Throne last night. PERFECT ending. Although, I’m sad that it’s over. Any chance that the pirates may need Jaron’s help in the future??? Just wondering: does Jaron have a birthday?

        • Reply
          May 11, 2014, 5:18 am

          Nothing is planned right now, but never say never on more stories, right? And does Jaron have a birthday? Um….yes. May 7.

          • May 15, 2014, 1:13 am

            Absolutely! One can never limit a creative mind. Perhaps one day Jaron will travel to distant lands or answer the call of the pirates. Thanks for writing me back! I’ve never corresponded with an author before. This is so cool. 🙂

  • Reply
    May 10, 2014, 5:11 pm

    Any movie news yet? If not, can I direct it?
    If not (because I probably can’t), when might they have auditions? Because it would be fun for me to be an actor in my favorite book series.

    • Reply
      May 11, 2014, 5:19 am

      Sorry, Tori. No news. There probably won’t be news any earlier than next February. A long time to wait, I know…

      • Reply
        May 12, 2014, 9:29 pm

        Wait- so I waited a year to read The Shadow Throne, and now I have to wait ANOTHER year before there’s a chance of movie news? Not fair!
        “It gets a little lonely
        All these empty rooms
        Just watching the hours tick BYYYYYYYY…..
        Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock…..”
        -Do You Wanna Build A Snowman.
        But seriously. That’s 2 years or more I’ll have had to wait.
        Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock

  • Reply
    May 10, 2014, 6:44 pm

    Congratulations! I LOVE YOU AND YOUR BOOKS. KEEP WRITING!

  • Reply
    May 16, 2014, 2:37 am

    um, Ms.Nielsen? i really cant wait or the movie to come out, and im pretty sure u r exited too. can u tell us your ideas for the cast? pretty pls? 🙂

    • Reply
      May 16, 2014, 2:41 am

      R.C., if you look at my blog posts from July 2013, you can see some of the suggestions that have come forward. I won’t have any say in how the movie is cast, but at least you can see the fan favorites.

  • Reply
    May 18, 2014, 11:23 pm

    The Ascendance Trilogy deserves EVERY SINGLE AWARD IT GETS!!!!!!! I’m SO FREAKING EXCITED for the Praetor War series! You are my favorite author, Jennifer. I’m serious. You inspire me so much as a writer.

  • Reply
    June 10, 2014, 10:39 pm

    I cant wait to read The Night Divided! If it’s anywhere close to the Ascendance Trilogy, then I know it will be awesome! You are my favorite author ever! My favorite character is Jaron, seriously, I wish he was real cause he’s so freaking awesome! Can’t wait for this book!

    • Reply
      June 12, 2014, 2:04 am

      Thanks, Namitha. I’ll start talking more about A NIGHT DIVIDED in another six months or so, but it’s actually a pretty different story from Ascendance Trilogy since it’s a straight historical and has a female main character. But the story is still very dangerous, and I’m super excited about it!

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