I know, you’re all so surprised, I’ve only been blogging about editing it for a month. But I haven’t made an Official Announcement, and now it is well past time I did.

Summerton is perfect. A town in the isolated and stunning West Coast region of New Zealand, it is blessed with gorgeous weather during the most crucial holiday period, a huge music festival every New Year’s Eve, and hordes of tourists, who helpfully pick up and go home, leaving a lot of money behind them without ever trying to move in themselves.

But Keri is immune to her hometown’s charms. Her older brother has just killed himself, without warning or explanation, and left Keri aching with his absence and too many questions. So when her childhood friend Janna and tourist Sione offer answers, Keri is keen to listen.

Janna and Sione’s own older brothers died in suspicious circumstances. Sunny Summerton has dark secrets. And as they investigate, the answers to their questions become more bizarre. Discovering the secrets of Summerton may open the trio to dangers they never knew were possible.

Can they save Summerton’s next victim? Or will they become victims themselves?

A few things to note:

1) Summerton is a standalone, not a sequel to Guardian of the Dead. I would love to write a sequel/companion for Guardian, but we will all have to wait and see! Emailing me to ask if there is any news will not help; I promise I will tell you all I can when I can.

2) I recently got word that Ben Mautner, who did the beautiful US Guardian cover, will also be doing the cover for Summerton, and I believe the ultra-talented Bruno Herfst will again be back to do the ANZ version. I am all aquiver.

3) The Little, Brown contract has a description of the novel noting that it is set in “a small Australian town”. Oh, L,B Contracts, you DO have a sense of humour!

Debut author Karen Healey introduces a savvy and spirited heroine with a strong, fresh voice. Full of deliciously creepy details, this unique, incredible adventure is a deftly crafted story of Māori mythology, romance, betrayal, and war.

STARRED REVIEW: [T]he weirdness and excitement increase exponentially. … This story starts off fast and strong and just builds from there. – School Library Journal

STARRED REVIEW: [E]nticing and utterly unique. This captivating tale will have readers hiding under the covers with a trusty flashlight until they finish the last fascinating and heartfelt page. – VOYA

Fast-paced adventure and an unfamiliar, frightening enemy set a new scene for teen urban fantasy. – Kirkus Reviews

“Smart, hilarious, and wholly unique. Healey makes juxtaposing totally modern characters with numinous and ancient magic look effortless.” – Holly Black (the Modern Faerie series, The Spiderwick Chronicles)

“It’s been a long time since a debut novel grabbed me by the throat and wouldn’t let go. Quite simply, GUARDIAN OF THE DEAD is my favorite kind of read—creepy, funny, sexy, smart, and sometimes just downright, pull-the-covers-up-to-your-neck-and-pray-for-morning frightening. This book completely rocked my socks.” - Libba Bray (A Great And Terrible Beauty)

GUARDIAN OF THE DEAD is published by Little, Brown in North America, and Allen & Unwin in Australia and New Zealand.

First, my osteopath, on learning that I have a blog, asked me to relay the sad story of his pet duck. Since the man does things to my neck that would cause angels to sing, particularly angels who sat in a terrible chair all day typing, I shall certainly fulfil his request.

But secondly, and more moving to me personally than even stories of anatine woe, Guardian of the Dead has been longlisted for the Inky Awards.

The Inkys are Australia’s only international awards for young adult fiction that are in the hands of the young adults themselves. The longlist is selected by the Centre for Youth Literature, and then two adult and four teenage judges select the shortlist. But the actual awards rely entirely on the votes of people under 20. The Golden Inky is awarded to the best Australian novel, and the Silver Inky is awarded to the best international novel of any particular year.

Guardian of the Dead is one of ten Australian* books longlisted for the Golden Inky, and I am honoured beyond measure. I don’t know what will happen with the shortlist and the award and so on, but I am totally thrilled that my debut novel is up for an award that recognises the opinions and tastes of the people for whom I write. I think teen-selected awards are very important.

Also, I am in some delightful company.

Karen, you say, that is very nice for you, but is there anything for us in this Inkys deal?

Internets, yes! The thing that makes the Inkys even more awesome, were this possible, is that there is another award for readers – the Creative Reading Prize.

This prize is a creative response to a book you love – ANY book you love – and the entrants and runners up can be any age, though the Grand Prize winner will be under 20. This year’s Grand Prize winner? Gets an iPad.

What kind of creative response, you say?

Anything you like. Write a story. Illustrate a scene. Perform a song. Make a trailer. Do some cross-stitch. Bake a cake. Personally, I am all in favour of wacky AUs, like the one where Ellie and Mark are in space.

Entries for the Creative Reading Prize are open from now, and I encourage all those of a creative bent to go for it. I love fan works, and I love creativity, and I am all in favour of people getting iPads for being awesome.

That is all FOR NOW, internets. May your day be as happy as mine was!

* Because I live in Australia. Not because it is set in Australia. As we all recall.

The rest of you can admire this picture of my brand new hairstyle.

I got it cut after I watched Scott Pilgrim vs The World.

I know, right? I can barely wait to see what it looks like with my natural curls.

Melbourne Writer’s Festival

Thursday Sep 2, 12:30-1.15, ACMI 2

I am speaking with veteran and FABULOUS YA writer, Carole Wilkinson, on “The Lure of Ancient Magic”.

Then I am toddling on over to:

The 68th World Science Fiction Convention

This promises to be ludicrously awesome.

Sat 1100, Rm 211: Capes and Skirts: the Plight of Female Superheroes.

As you know, internets, I have much to say on this topic.

With Tansy Rayner Roberts, Peter V. Brett and Seanan McGuire.

Sat 1200, Rm 207: Karen Healey and Russell B. Farr, READING READING READING

I am going to read to you from SUMMERTON, my New Zealand set YA urban fantasy coming out next September. It has some murders in it. You know I like those!

Sat 1500 Rm 210: Crisis of Finite Publishers

Is it possible that this cultural artefact of the 20th century doesn’t have a future any more? With a shrinking market come increased difficulty in creating and launching new characters and fresh titles: what are the best new superhero comics of recent years, and how did they succeed or fail?

With Alan Baxter, Paul Cornell and James Bacon.

Sun 1500 Rm 210: The (Haunted) Streets of our Town: YA Urban Fantasy

An exploration of the attractions of Urban Fantasy for YA readers.

With Seanan McGuire, Faye Ringel and Foz Meadows.

The question, internets, is whether I am stalking Seanan, or if she is stalking me.

Mon 1000 Rm219: Writing Strange Lands: Other Cultures in YA Speculative Fiction

This panel will discuss the impact of dominant cultures in writing YA Speculative Fiction.

With Gillian Polack and Helen Lowe.

When I am not in panels, I am likely to be 1) in the hallways 2) at parties 3) in the bar. If you see me, feel free to say hi!

Her first book, Guardian of the Dead, debuts April 1st, 2010.

She likes World of Warcraft, movies about cheerleaders, and tripartite sentences. You can learn more at her biography and FAQ.