the Author

Silence, cover

Posted in DAW, Queen of the Dead.


Silence, the first book in the Queen of the Dead trilogy, will be published in hard­cover in May, 2012. In any prac­tical sense, this means the book will be avail­able in North America some­time at the end of April, 2012.

People have asked me what it’s about; some have assumed because of the cover, that it’s a para­normal romance. It is para­normal, but for reasons that are entirely in char­acter, it’s not a romance — and I am really hoping that this does not disap­point people =/.

The cover flap is a bit of a spoiler, IMHO. So if you hate spoilers, and you want to read this book, you’re prob­ably better off not reading it.

Emma Hall is a high school student whose first (and only) boyfriend died in the summer in a car acci­dent — before the book starts. Nathan was almost her entire world, and she’s now left with the bits and pieces of life that weren’t Nathan – her friends, school, her mother. She spends far too much time in the ceme­tery at Nathan’s grave, because it’s quiet there and she doesn’t have to make excuses for how she feels, or how she doesn’t feel.

She doesn’t expect to meet people in the ceme­tery, but one night she does, and as a result of that disturbing meeting, she begins to see things she’s never seen, and to hear things that no one else hears.

20 Responses to Silence, cover

  1. Joey says:

    Thank you, Dear Author!!!

    Looking forward to it! And I am happy with more para­normal and less romance. You know I’d be pleased with very dark and even horror (I think your “Elegy” — a favorite of mine — is horror), but you do what you do. :)

    Thanks again!

  2. Paul Howard says:

    Sounds inter­esting. [Smile]

  3. I’m a huge fan of your cast series :) This sounds great I can’t wait to read this also :) thanks for sharing! Beau­tiful cover ;)

  4. Kel says:

    It looks lovely. And I blame the lace over-skirt for the romance assumptions ;)

  5. Jenni Ebba says:

    Have it added to my TBR pile. Love your Cast novels and this story sounds like some­thing I defi­nitely have to try. :)

  6. claudia wilcox says:

    Claudia Wilcox

    Love all of your books. Look forward to this series.

  7. Michael says:

    And… PRE-ORDERED! I am so excited to read this! Ever since that sample you read while sitting on the floor in the base­ment of Conflu­ence in 2008 and told us that you *didn’t know when or if it would be published*.

    Congrat­u­la­tions!

  8. Jashby says:

    Yes! Some post-school reading to look forward to!

  9. Jane says:

    That is truly a beau­tiful cover. I LOVE her dress. And although not typi­cally a fan of YA, I’m excited to pick this one up and recom­mend it to my friends who do like YA.

    Jane

  10. Genna Warner says:

    Love the cover and I can’t wait to read the story.

  11. DG says:

    I admit it, I next to never pay atten­tion to cover art. I’m more inter­ested in what’s “in” the book than “on” it. That said, I’m putting this gem directly on to my wishlist!

  12. Hilda, says:

    I’m ambiva­lent about it, but for sure will preorder as soon as it becomes avail­able in Amazon. You turn out such wonderful books which I love to read and re-read, that I can’t pass it. I have yet to read any of those vampires/werewolf books loved by millions, and I’m not much for ghosts stories. The lovely dress, and specially that beau­tiful Labrador (?) next to her, plus appar­ently she develops extra­or­di­nary sensory skills, will bring me to the first page. This may turn out to be like detective/mystery stories (don’t tell us) where she can use extra-sensory percep­tion to solve prob­lems. I would love those. Looking forward to them.

  13. ralphw2548 says:

    I have already pre ordered from B&N. I am not put off by the YA label. In fact, I found Megan Whalen Turn­er’s Attolia series very enjoy­able. The premise of this story sounds intriguing. If its anything like your short story Ghost­wood ( my personal favorite), it will be a success.

  14. David Y says:

    Jim Hines shouldn’t have any diffi­culty posing his body into that position.

  15. If he does I want to see him do it in that dress :D :D :D

  16. Susan E says:

    The doggie looks like a mastiff to me. Big like a Dane but not rangy enough. I guess I’ve seen a couple of Lab mixes almost that blocky. Still I’ll go for mastiff.

  17. Hilda says:

    11+ years ago my son bought a very black and big puppy from a mix Black Labrador and black Great Dane. The puppy grew up to become a lamb in a huge and tall dog body, a really tall dog. Even at his age still plays like a puppy and defends his family like a lion. Looks just like the picture.

  18. jen says:

    I have to say this is a major case of a cover selling a book to me without even reading the blurb — the dress! The dog! (which reminded me of a Rottie/Lab cross I met recently… glad I wasn’t the only one wondering, lol!)

  19. Hilda says:

    Jen, I really had to laugh, you are so right. Michelle has prob­ably sold thou­sands of this book already and the only thing she has given us is a tiny descrip­tion mostly saying what it’s not about, and a beau­tiful cover. Cheers for the dog… and the dress.

  20. dear michelle,
    hi! the cover looks fantastic and quite different from the cast books, was that inten­tional? i had a ques­tion — what do YOU think makes a book “young adult” vs. any other age? Once I got past the “see spot run” phase, i don’t think i have EVER read age-appro­priate books — my father gave me Chil­dren of Dune on my 11th birthday and I still enjoy Enid Blyton at the ripe old age of 38. So is Silence a ‘YA’ book? If so, why the focus on a partic­ular age group, when so far it doesn’t seem to be the case (to me) that someone has to be a partic­ular age to be able enjoy your books? Also, have to confess that the phrase ‘YA” really gets up my nose for some weird reason, whilst ‘chil­dren’s books’ doesn’t. Just a generation/culture thing, I suppose.

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