City of Lies cover – USA
April 1st, 2011
Hooray, here at last is the Random House cover for City of Lies! Personally I think it’s beautiful, and so does everyone I’ve shown it to. The artist, Jon Foster, is amazing.
And I am a very happy author!
City of Lies will be out in September this year.
Meanwhile I’m pressing along with the second draft (or maybe it’s the third – I’m never quite sure :)) of Book 3, Path of Beasts. Enjoying it so far, although of course I should be writing it now instead of doing this blog. It’s interesting trying to tie all the ends up satisfactorily, and work out what happens to everyone. It’s going to be a bit longer than Museum I think, but not a huge amount.
And in the mail this morning I got a nice present from my friend Wendy Orr, in the form of a signed copy of her new book, Raven’s Mountain. I’ve read the ARC, and liked it a lot, but according to Wendy she made quite a few changes in the final version, so I’m looking forward to reading it again. Another gorgeous cover, by the way!
Cool! Will the Australian one be very different?
Yes. Different artist, different market. The Australian one will be in the style of the first book, with the old-looking cover and the keyhole effect. Haven’t seen the final pic yet.
You must be excited!
Yes, it’s so nice when covers and things start happening, and the book begins to feel real. Mind you, it’s a while yet till it comes out! Six months!
I’m so excited!!
Do you know when the release date for Australia is?
Hi Kimberley, I don’t know the exact date for the Australian release, but it will be very close to the US date. With Museum, they said it would be out on October 1st, but it really came out a week before. So I reckon it will be similar. End of September – maybe the last week.
Hi Lian, the cover looks great! Just wondering for the quiz, you enter you name, ID and email, so what is an ID?
P.S I am reading Keepers a school, I showed all my friends and they LOVED it. Can not wait for city of lies!
Hi Finlay, that’s a very good question. I don’t know what the ID is! I’ll email my friends at Allen and Unwin and ask them. I should be able to get back to you on this in a day or so. Keep your eye on this spot!
Thank you so much!
Finlay, I just got an answer (very prompt!) from Allen and Unwin. Your ID is sort of like a username. In other words, anything that you want to call yourself.
Hi I just read your first book and it was great i was wondering if you could tell me a little bit about the second book??
Hi Bel, glad you enjoyed the first book. Here’s the official synopsis for City of Lies:
Goldie Roth is a trained thief and a skilled liar. Along with her friend Toadspit, she’s supposed to be one of the Keepers of the mysterious Museum of Dunt. But although she desperately wants to be a Keeper, her parents are sick and she will not leave them.
Then Toadspit’s sister Bonnie is stolen, and he and Goldie are forced to follow the child-stealers to the neighboring city of Spoke. Along the way, Toadspit too is captured, and Goldie is caught up in the Festival of Lies, where every word she says means something else and no one can be trusted. As the Festival builds to a climax, Goldie discovers some dangerous secrets—secrets that the child-stealers will kill to protect. She will need all her skills as a thief and a liar if she is to survive and save her friends.
And survive she must. Because the treacherous Fugleman has returned to Jewel, and the city will soon need its Keepers more than ever …
hi again,
on the keepers website on the description of the protector and the fugleman it says they both suspect that one of them are adopted, is one of them actually adopted? and do we get to find out?
That’s an interesting question, Bel. I don’t actually know if one of them is adopted, and I wasn’t intending to explore the question any further. But who knows what might come out in future books? It certainly isn’t answered in the second book, and not in the third book either – though I haven’t finished that one so it might change.
I suspect it’s really just that they hate each other, and can’t imagine how they can possibly come from the same parents. But sometimes brothers and sisters are hugely different, so perhaps they really are related to each other and just don’t want to admit it.
Hi,
Do you think you’ll ever add anyone else to be part of the keepers?
Hmm, another interesting question! I’m not sure at this stage, Bel. But I think it’s quite possible that the Museum might end up with a couple of new keepers by the end of Book 3, Path of Beasts.
Do you know when the next book will be out?
End of September, Hannah, in Australia and the US.
Thank you so much. Which one of the charaters are your favorite.
Hmm, that’s a tricky question, Hannah. Really I love all of them, even Guardian Hope. 🙂 I particularly like Goldie and Toadspit. And Bonnie is a lot of fun. And I love Sinew. But I guess if I had to choose between them all, it would probably be Broo. How about you? Which is your favourite? And why?
I would have to say Toadspit, because he is just sarcastic. I loved the chapter Fingertalk it was so funny I was laphing so hard, and still laugh at the thought of it.
Oh yes, I like Toadspit a lot. And I’m glad you like the fingertalk chapter. The mud fight is one of my favourite bits, and was huge fun to write.
Which one of the charaters do dislike the mostand why.
In a funny sort of way I don’t dislike any of them. I think this is an author thing – you become very fond of all the characters you write about, even the nasty ones. But in the end I would have to say the Fugleman, because he doesn’t care about anyone, he just uses them to get what he wants. I find that combination of charm and viciousness really scary. AND he shoots Broo!
How about you? Who do you dislike the most, and why?
Well I would have too say the Fugleman because he just so caught up in himself and he just wants to have power and not to help others.
Yes, you’ve hit the nail on the head, Hannah! It’s all to do with him and no one else. I don’t think he even cares what happens to Guardian Hope, not really.
I think you are right. I wonder what the Fugleman would do if Gardian Hope died. He would probably take her place for more power.
Hmm. I suspect he would be a bit annoyed with her for being so thoughtless as to die when she was supposed to be helping him! And then he would replace her quite happily with someone else.
Can you give any sneak peaks for City of Lies?
Hi Hannah, did you see the drawing of one of the new characters here? This is Pounce – he first appears in City of Lies and plays a very important part.
And here you’ll find some things to watch out for, both on the covers and in the book itself.
That’s all you’re getting for now!
Thank you, and yes I did see both of the charaters. I am so excited for the next book. I got my friend into the series and wea are making up our own fingertalk.
Oh, that’s very cool, Hannah! You and your friend will be able to have secret conversations. 🙂
Why does the Fugleman not like the Grand Protector?
Hannah, you always ask the most interesting questions! Personally, I think the Fugleman is jealous of his sister. When he looks at what she’s got, he doesn’t think – ‘Oh, that’s because she works so hard, and is a nice person.’ He thinks ‘It’s not fair that she’s got that and I haven’t.’ And so he sets out to take it.
Wow, that is interesting.
I was wondering what one of the characters do you think you are most like?
Hmm, I think there’s a bit of me in all of them. I’ve got a silly sense of humour like Sinew. I can be as stubborn as Toadspit and as rash as Goldie. I’d LIKE to be as wise as Olga Ciavolga, but don’t always manage it.
Well if I had to choose i think I would be Toadspit, because I am stubben and a little bit of a temper.
Yes, that sounds like Toadspit. 🙂