Hello dark and lovelies!

I have a treat for you today. I FINALLY get to show off the cover for THE MAY QUEEN MURDERS! I really couldn’t be happier with how it looks. Woods and water? Check. Creep factor? Check. And just wait until you see the inside…but that comes later.

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt gave me quite a few mock-ups for the cover, but this one was a unanimous, “We have to have it” from everyone: my agent, my editor, my design team…there was something so striking and haunting about the picture. Truth be told, my nine-year-old is creeped out by it. Which is probably a good thing, considering the kind of book this is. Polish artist Marcin Nagraba is the photographer, and his work is jaw dropping in how gorgeous it is. His image reflects the isolation of Rowan’s Glen, and I love that the vintage quality of the picture makes it hard to tell if the photograph was recent or much older–perfect as past events play in heavily with the present. I don’t look at the cover model as a direct representation of Ivy or any of the characters but the idea of the May Queen as a whole and what she represents.

Here’s the summary of the book:

Two girls: one with a secret, one with a promise that she’d uncover it.

Welcome to Rowan’s Glen—a place full of old fashioned superstition and secrets. Twenty-five years back, a teenage girl was murdered after being crowned queen at the Glen’s May Day celebration, and outsiders have regarded the isolated farming community with suspicion ever since.

But that was before Ivy Templeton was even born. She’s lived in Rowan’s Glen for all of her sixteen years, and feels safe there with the company of her free-spirited cousin Heather, and their friend, Rook, son of the sheriff.

Until . . . animals start showing up dead, clearly from unnatural means. Dark omens seem to appear everywhere Ivy goes. And Heather, who used to tell Ivy everything, is sneaking off after dark with a mysterious lover.

Ivy worries her cousin could be in danger—especially after Heather is elected queen of the May Day celebration. When Heather goes missing, Ivy must come to terms with the fact that she never knew her beloved cousin—or Rowan’s Glen—as well as she thought she did.

Readers looking for horror, romance, and suspense will find it all in this chilling tale that resonates with dark beauty.

Ready???

Why, yes, THE MAY QUEEN MURDERS has its cover.

Isn’t it gorgeous?

And if you’re so inclined, you can add it to your GoodReads To-Be-Read pile or preorder a copy: Amazon

Also, make sure to check out YA Books Central who is hosting a giveaway for your chance to win an Advanced Reader Copy of THE MAY QUEEN MURDERS and other goodies!

May can’t come soon enough!