FOREVER (is how long it took to announce this deal)

Okay, it's weird that I can only announce this now, because the deal was actually made months and months and months ago last year, but now it's FINALLY official (and I always thought, for some reason, that I was bad at keeping secrets. Guess I am better than I thought).

This is the deal memo from today's PM:

Maggie Stiefvater's FOREVER, the final book in the bestselling SHIVER trilogy, plus three new stand-alone fantasy titles, to David Levithan at Scholastic, in a major deal, for publication summer 2011, by Laura Rennert at Andrea Brown Literary Agency (world).

The longer one from PW:

David Levithan at Scholastic Press paid a sum the house described as “near seven figures” for world rights to four new books by 28-year-old Maggie Stiefvater. The deal, which Levithan struck with agent Laura Rennert of the Andrea Brown Agency, includes Forever, which will be the last book in the author's Shiver trilogy, as well as three forthcoming stand-alone YA fantasy novels. Stiefvater's current series, a paranormal love story that pulls a page from Romeo & Juliet with one twist being that the male object of affection is a werewolf* ** ***, kicked off with August 2009's Shiver; that title has gone on to spend 28 weeks on the Times bestseller list. Scholastic is publishing Linger, the second title in the series, in July, and planning Forever for summer 2011. Scholastic has also drawn strong foreign attention to Shiver, having sold it in 32 languages to date, and Warner Brothers has optioned the film rights.

AND I thought I was going to be able to tell you about what my next book after FOREVER actually was. Because I'm super excited about it and have been pretty much busting to talk about it since the deal was signed.

Only, turns out that's another secret too. I'm getting really good at these things.

Pretty much the only thing I can show you that you is my new unofficial author photos that I took over the weekend.

I know, I know. Does it make it any better that I'll be posting about query letters later today?

*Another twist being that Sam's and Grace's families don't hate each other.

** Another, 'nuther twist being that neither protagonists commits suicide at the end.

*** Another, 'nother, other twist being that the only thing it has in common with Romeo and Juliet is that it involves teen kissing.