Hi, Matias! Yes, I’m working on a new trilogy now. Can’t say much about it yet, but it involves time travel, and the series title will be Throwback. I think Book 1 is going to be published in September 2019. Thanks for asking and have an awesome school year!

Hi, Andreus! No, I don’t. What do you think, should I?

Hi, Debbie! Oh, this is such wonderful message, particularly on the same week the 39 Clues team had a 10-year reunion. How did you sense this?? 🙂 We all remember our own childhood influences, and it’s incredibly moving to know that in our own way, we were able to pass that forward. It means a great deal to know that the series inspired you, and thank you so much for sharing that. Best of luck to you from me and the entire world of EKTOMALUJA! I know you too will inspire students with your own passions and skills, and warmest wishes to you in your teaching career!

Yiasou, Georgos! Sorry it’s taken me so long to get back to you. Good luck on your project. I haven’t done any ghostwriting in many years, and my plate’s kind of full for a few months out. Launching in mid-September???  Wow, I hope the launch is going well and that you find someone spectacular.Panayioti

Hello, Olga! First of all, my apologies for taking so long to respond. I’m dreadfully behind with this guestbook. I began my publishing career as an editor, so I have a very specific idea of what’s meant by editing. As I writer, I don’t really think of my own work as editing at all. I think of it as writing. I’m never happy with anything I write, so I keep rewriting until I feel it’s ready to show my editor. When I’ve gone over things many, many times, when I think it’s solid and ready to go, that’s what I consider my first draft. Even though I think it’s in perfectly good shape by then, I know my editor will see dozens or hundreds of things that need improvement. That second pair of eyes is crucial. Once I get that first draft back, then I go back and do a second draft. In other words, I let someone else edit, and I rewrite. Occasionally, when my editor will need, say, exactly 37 pages cut, then I will edit the way an editor does.So I think you’re asking about what keeps my motivation going when I have to go back over my work and change things. I’m motivated by the idea that the work isn't yet the best it can be. I’m always vexed when I read something of my own that isn’t yet as clear, funny, dramatic, or emotional as it can be, and getting it right becomes consuming. I want the reader to see the best version, not the one at hand. I do think it helps, though, to have someone else telling you the things that you can’t necessarily see with your own eyes.

Hi, Zariah! Thank you so much for taking the time to write. I'm really glad you enjoyed Somebody Please. Sadly, Harry Mazer has passed away, but he would have been delighted too. Plans are underway to make the book into a Broadway musical, so let′s keep our fingers crossed! 

Hi, Tess! Most of my recent books are perfect for fourth graders — for example, Max Tilt: Fire the Depths, the Seven Wonders series, and the 39 Clues series.

Thank you, Renia! I would love to see that too! Let’s keep our fingers crossed that Hollywood takes notice. I’m delighted you enjoyed the series.

Yes, two of them! One is called Max Tilt, a wild science fiction search for a treasure that will help save a life. The other is called Throwback, a time-travel adventure.