Press Kit
Sarah Beth Durst is the award-winning author of over twenty-five books for kids, teens, and adults, including Spark, Drink Slay Love, and The Queens of Renthia series. She won an American Library Association Alex Award and a Mythopoeic Fantasy Award and has been a finalist for SFWA's Andre Norton Nebula Award three times. She is a graduate of Princeton University and lives in Stony Brook, New York, with her husband, her children, and her ill-mannered cat. Visit her at sarahbethdurst.com. Author Photo:
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THE SPELLSHOP Title:THE SPELLSHOP
Description: A cottagecore cozy romantasy about a woman's voyage through the low-stakes market of illicit spell-selling and the high-risk business of starting over. Other Editions: Tor UK Edition, German Translation (Fischer Tor / S. Fischer Verlag), French Translation (Bragelonne), Czech Translation (Euromedia Group), Italian Translation (Rizzoli), Audiobook (Macmillan Audio)
SPY RING Title: SPY RING
Description: Two modern-day kids discover the truth about an American Revolutionary War-era female spy through a treasure-hunt adventure in their hometown of Setauket, New York. Awards: Kirkus Starred Review Other Editions: Audiobook (HarperAudio)
THE LIES AMONG US Title: THE LIES AMONG US
Description: A novel about sisterhood, grief, and the corrosive nature of lies, as seen through the eyes of a woman who does not exist. Other Editions: Audiobook (Brilliance Audio)
THE LAKE HOUSE Title: THE LAKE HOUSE
Description: Three strangers. One secret waiting to be unleashed. A YA survival thriller from award-winning author Sarah Beth Durst. Awards: A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection, YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults List, YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers List Other Editions: Audiobook (HarperAudio)
THE SHELTERLINGS Title: THE SHELTERLINGS
Description: A group of magical misfit animals learns to appreciate their seemingly useless powers -- and themselves -- when they work together to thwart a villain's attempt to steal their magic. Awards: A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection, Florida Sunshine State Young Readers Award Nominee 2024-2025 Other Editions: Audiobook (HarperAudio), Czech Translation (Euromedia Group)
EVEN AND ODD Title: EVEN AND ODD
Description: A half-magic girl learns about heroism and taking action when she and her sister confront a wizard who endangers others for her own gain. Awards: A Mighty Girl 2021 Book of the Year Other Editions: Audiobook (HMH Young Readers Audio)
THE BONE MAKER Title: THE BONE MAKER
Description: A standalone epic fantasy about bone magic, second chances, and five former heroes -- one broken, one gone soft, one pursuing a simple life, one unable to let go of the past, and one dead. Awards: An Amazon Best SFF Book of March 2021, An Apple Best Book of the Month Other Editions: Audiobook (HarperAudio)
CATALYST Title: CATALYST
Description: Zoe named the kitten Pipsqueak, because she was so tiny, and promised to always take care of her. Then the kitten grew. And grew. Now she's bigger than a horse -- and talking as well! How will Zoe keep her new friend safe? A magical adventure about change, expectation, and accepting all for who they truly are -- regardless of shape or size. Awards: Booklist Starred Review, An Amazon Best Book of June 2020 Other Editions: Audiobook (Recorded Books), Russian Translation (Eksmo)
RACE THE SANDS Title: RACE THE SANDS
Description: Two kickass women battle injustice, corruption, and deadly enemies in their quest to become monster racing champions. Awards: Publishers Weekly Starred Review, An Amazon Best SFF Book of the Year, An Amazon Best SFF Book of April 2020, A Kirkus Best Science Fiction / Fantasy Read for April 2020 Other Editions: Audiobook (HarperAudio)
SPARK Title: SPARK
Description: When a shy girl and her lightning beast discover that their country's idyllic weather comes at a steep cost, they must defy authority to spread the truth. Even the quiestest voice can change the world. Awards: Booklist Starred Review, Summer 2019 Kids Indie Next List, Florida Sunshine State Young Readers Award Nominee 2020-2021, Nebraska Golden Sower Award Nominee 2021-2022, Louisiana Young Readers' Choice Award Nominee 2021-2022, Oregon Battle of the Books Nominee 2022-2023, an Amazon Best Book of May 2019, A Mighty Girl 2019 Book of the Year, Tome Society It List, Lectio Book Award Nominee Other Editions: Audiobook (Recorded Books), Russian Translation (Eksmo)
THE DEEPEST BLUE Title: THE DEEPEST BLUE
Description: On the islands of Belene, women of power are sent to an island filled with bloodthirsty nature spirits and left with nothing but their instincts and magic. Most will die. Those who survive will become heirs to the queen. Awards: Booklist Starred Review Other Editions: Audiobook (HarperAudio)
FIRE AND HEIST Title: FIRE AND HEIST
Description: Think Ocean's Eleven with were-dragons! Sixteen-year-old Sky Hawkins is a socialite from a family of master thieves... and a were-dragon who must lead her first heist, if she wants to be accepted by her society. But on the night of her first heist, she discovers a dark truth that could reunite her family or tear them apart forever. Awards: Missouri Truman Readers Award Longlist Nominee, Tome Society It List Foreign Editions: German Translation (cbj, Verlagsgruppe Random House)
THE QUEEN OF SORROW Title: THE QUEEN OF SORROW, Book Three of The Queens of Renthia
Description: The battle between vicious spirits and strong-willed queens that started in the award-winning The Queen of Blood and continued in the powerful The Reluctant Queen comes to a stunning conclusion in The Queen of Sorrow, the final volume of Sarah Beth Durst's The Queens of Renthia trilogy. Awards: 2 starred reviews Foreign/Other Editions: German Translation (Penhaligon / Random House), Australian Edition (HarperCollins Australia), Audiobook (HarperAudio) THE STONE GIRL'S STORY Title: THE STONE GIRL'S STORY
Description: Exploring the power of stories and storytelling, Sarah Beth Durst presents the mesmerizing adventure of a girl made of living stone who braves unforeseen dangers and magical consequences on a crucial quest to save her family. Awards: A Junior Library Guild Selection, Mythopoeic Fantasy Award Finalist, Cybils Award Finalist, 2 Starred Reviews Other Editions: Audiobook (Recorded Books) THE RELUCTANT QUEEN Title: THE RELUCTANT QUEEN, Book Two of The Queens of Renthia
Description: The fate of two nations depends on three women: a young queen who is dying, a powerful queen who hungers for war, and a middle-aged woman who wants nothing to do with the power she could wield. They must each do what they think is best for their kingdoms -- or die trying. Foreign/Other Editions: Science Fiction Book Club, Audiobook (HarperAudio), German Translation (Penhaligon / Random House), Australian Edition (HarperCollins Australia) ROAR AND SPARKLES GO TO SCHOOL Title: ROAR AND SPARKLES GO TO SCHOOL
Description: A new picture book about the first day of school... with dragons! JOURNEY ACROSS THE HIDDEN ISLANDS Title: JOURNEY ACROSS THE HIDDEN ISLANDS
Description: Two sisters, one winged lion, and a LOT of monsters in an action-filled, funny, and heartwarming
fantasy from the author of The Girl Who Could Not Dream. Foreign/Other Editions: Available in Swedish, Norwegian, and Finnish through GIRL:IT (Stabenfeldt); Audiobook (Recorded Books)
THE QUEEN OF BLOOD Title: THE QUEEN OF BLOOD, Book One of The Queens of Renthia
Description: An idealistic young student and a banished warrior become allies in a battle to save their realm in this
first book of a mesmerizing epic fantasy series, filled with political intrigue, violent magic, malevolent spirits, and thrilling adventure. Awards: 3 Starred Reviews, ALA Alex Award, a Barnes & Noble Best Science Fiction & Fantasy Book of 2016,
a Tor.com Reviewers' Choice Best Book of 2016, a Science Fiction Book Club Selection Foreign/Other Editions: German Translation (Penhaligon / Random House), Australian Edition (HarperCollins Australia), Portuguese Translation (Brazil) (Hunter Books), Russian Translation (Eksmo), Audiobook (HarperAudio) THE GIRL WHO COULD NOT DREAM Title: THE GIRL WHO COULD NOT DREAM
Description: THE GIRL WHO COULD NOT DREAM tells of a girl whose family owns a secret store where they buy, bottle,
and sell dreams, but who can't have any of her own, and the adventure that she and her pet monster go on when someone starts kidnapping dreamers. Awards: 2 Starred Reviews, Florida Sunshine State Young Readers Award 3rd Place Winner, Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children's Literature Finalist, a Kirkus Best Middle-Grade Book of 2015, an Amazon Best Book of November 2015 Foreign/Other Editions: Czech Translation (Fragment/Albatros), German Translation (Loewe Verlag), Russian Translation (Eksmo), Audiobook (Recorded Books) CHASING POWER Title: CHASING POWER
Description: CHASING POWER is the story of Kayla, a sixteen-year-old girl who can move things with
her mind, and Daniel, a boy who can teleport across continents and who lies as easily as he travels. Together, they embark on an Indiana-Jones-style adventure to find
and steal an ancient incantation, written on three indestructible stones and hidden millennia ago, all to rescue Daniel's kidnapped mother. But Kayla has no idea that
this rescue mission will lead back to her own family, and to betrayals that she may not be able to forgive... or survive. Foreign/Other Editions: German Translation (Papierverzierer Verlag), Audiobook (Audible) THE LOST Title: THE LOST
Description: Lost your way? Your dreams? Yourself? Welcome to Lost. It was supposed to be a small escape. A few hours driving
before turning around and heading home. But once you arrive in Lost... well, it's a place you really can't leave. THE LOST is about a woman named Lauren Chase, who becomes trapped in a town full of
only lost things and lost people. Film: Film Rights to actress Selma Blair (Sainted Productions) CONJURED Title: CONJURED
Description: CONJURED is about a teen in the paranormal witness protection program, who, haunted by visions of carnival tents and tarot cards, must remember her past and why she has strange abilities before a magic-wielding serial killer hunts her down. Awards: A Junior Library Guild Selection, Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children's Literature Finalist, Cybils F/SF YA Award Finalist Foreign/Other Editions: Scholastic Book Fair, Audiobook (Audible), German Translation (Papierverzierer Verlag) VESSEL Title: VESSEL
Description: In a desert land where serpents made of unbreakable glass fly through the sky and wolves made of only sand hunt within storms, Liyana is destined to be a vessel, to sacrifice herself so her clan's goddess can inhabit her body... but her goddess never comes. Awards: 3 Starred Reviews, Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children's Literature Winner, Andre Norton Nebula Award Finalist, Kirkus Best Teen Books, Cybils F/SF YA Award Finalist, Garden State Teen Book Awards Finalist DRINK, SLAY, LOVE Title: DRINK, SLAY, LOVE
Description: Pearl is a sixteen-year-old vampire, fond of blood, allergic to sunlight, and mostly evil... until the night she is stabbed through the heart by a were-unicorn's horn and begins to develop a conscience. Foreign/Film: Film Rights to Sepia Films*, Australia / New Zealand Edition (Allen & Unwin), Russian Translation (Ripol Classic Publishers) * DRINK SLAY LOVE premiered on Lifetime as a TV movie on 9/16/17, starring Cierra Ramirez and Gregg Sulkin, with executive producers Sheri Singer and Bella Thorne. ENCHANTED IVY Title: ENCHANTED IVY
Description: A story about getting into college. You know, taking the campus tour, talking to the gargoyles, flirting with the were-tigers, riding the dragons...
While visiting the campus of Princeton University, 16-year-old Lily discovers a secret gate to a magical realm and must race against time to save herself, her world, and any hope she has of college admission. Foreign Editions: German Translation (Egmont/Lyx) ICE Title: ICE
Description: A polar bear, true love, and one girl's impossible quest across the frozen North. Would you risk everything for a fairy tale? Awards: Andre Norton Nebula Award Finalist, Boston Authors Club Young Readers Award Finalist Foreign Editions: German Translation (Egmont/Lyx), UK Edition (Simon & Schuster UK), Russian Translation (Ripol Classic Publishers) OUT OF THE WILD Title: OUT OF THE WILD
Description: Join Julie, Rapunzel's daughter, on a magical road trip across America. A flying bathmat, a very drowsy princess, a fire-breathing dragon, and several thousand magic beanstalks... Julie's world, our world, will never be the same again. A sequel to 2007 Andre Norton Nebula Award Finalist Into the Wild.
INTO THE WILD Title: INTO THE WILD
Description: Julie is Rapunzel's daughter. Really, she is. Long ago, the fairy-tale characters escaped the fairy tale to live in secret in our world. But now the fairy tale wants its characters back, and it's up to Julie to save them. Awards: Andre Norton Nebula Award Finalist, Cybils Fantasy/SF Award Finalist, Missouri Truman Readers Award Nominee, Florida Sunshine State Young Readers Award Nominee For information about Sarah's public appearances, please visit the Events page. For rights information, please contact Andrea Somberg at Harvey Klinger Literary Agency For film/TV rights information, please contact Mary Pender at United Talent Agency All other questions, please contact Sarah at sarah@sarahbethdurst.com. |
