NEWS!!! for THE TUNNEL

HI.

*tries to act cool and relaxed and...*

SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!

I can't do it. I can't act cool and relaxed anymore!!

So about a year ago, Nova Ren Suma very kindly hosted my Turning Point story on her blog--about how I quit writing out of sheer frustration (10 years of trying and banging my head against a wall), but a story saved me and brought me back. The full post is here, on Nova's blog.

THE TUNNEL is a book of my heart, a story I kept in my head and told only to myself for two months, until it finally poured out of me. It's a thriller, and a spy story, but it's also about family and love and self-sacrifice, with gaming and chases and secrets thrown in. Jake, the main character, lives in my head to a startling degree. I said in the end of that Turning Points post that I hoped you'd be able to read the book someday too.

GUESS WHAT??? YOU WILL!!!!!

I am so, so over-the-moon thrilled to announce that THE TUNNEL is going to be published by Brendan Deneen at Thomas Dunne Books (St. Martin's Press), in 2014!! Here's the announcement from today's Publisher's Weekly:

In a second deal coming out of St. Martin’s Press this week, Brendan Deneen bought world English rights to Susan Adrian’s debut, The Tunnel. The YA thriller, which Kate Schafer Testerman at kt literary sold, is set for a summer 2014 release. In the novel, a teenage boy who has a power he calls tunneling—he can decipher where anyone in the world is (and what they’re doing) by holding something they own—is brought to the attention of the U.S. government. Adrian, a former ballerina, lives in Montana.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (there are not enough exclamation points)

Traditionally, we do the Snoopy Dance on this blog for good news:

But today I went one step further. In honor of Sparky, Thomas Dunne's mascot and colophon, I give you the Sparky Dance:

I am also like THIS:

HUGE thank yous to both Brendan, for believing in the book, and my unstoppable agent, Kate Schafer Testerman, for NEVER giving up. Also to Team Sparkle, who have been there at my back forever, and the Sub Club for handling all the daily angst. And, you know, my family for living with the crazy.

I am ecstatic to be working with Brendan on this. He absolutely GETS the book, and Jake, and he fought hard for the book already. I can't wait to dive back into this world again with him!

A friend told me recently that success would be all the sweeter for how long and rough the journey has been. Guys, I've been writing fiction off and on since 2000. I've been seriously writing with a goal of publication since 2003. That's 10 years of trying, and writing different books, and trying again, and watching this happen for so many other dear friends (I LOVE YOU GUYS), and writing and quitting and writing again. It finally happened. I finally got to write this post. IT IS SWEETER. IT IS AWESOME.

AND THE TUNNEL WILL BE ON THE SHELVES NEXT YEAR, OMG.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~! I hope you guys all join me on this journey!