Shiny Fun Stuff

So! Remember yesterday when I said The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab comes out in paperback today? Well, today is today! Which means you can buy this:

Shiny Pretty Thing at all your usual places like Amazon, Book Depository, the like, and save about 4 dollars which, hey, saving money is always awesome. PLUS if you buy the paperback, you'll get to read the first chapter of Victoria's new book, The Archived, which doesn't come out til January 2013. It'll be in the back of the paperback. Which means I will be extremely jealous of you, also.

So. Remember my review yesterday when I said there'd be news here? (If you don't remember that - Dory??) Anyways, you can read it here and you might notice I didn't quite tell you if it was a series or say that much about Cole?

Well, this is why.

Today, there is a free story releasing here on Disney*Hyperion's website. It's called The Ash-Born Boy. So, what is that?

Well, this is what Victoria had to say about it:

There's one question I get asked more than any other.


Who was Cole, before he came to Near?


For those who've yet to read The Near Witch, there is a stranger that comes to Near. His name is not Cole. The main character, Lexi, gives him that name when he refuses to tell her his, when he refuses to tell her anything about his life before setting foot in her village. Over the course of the book we learn pieces of his past, but so much of it is never told.

So. The Ash-Born Boy. You can read it right here. If you've read The Near Witch, Victoria says that it's guaranteed to change the way you see Cole. (I'm saving it for a reward for when I'm done writing this post.) But if you haven't read The Near Witch, she says it won't spoil anything, so go ahead and read it either way, okay?

And if you want to read The Near Witch first, don't worry! Cole's story will stay up on Disney*Hyperion's website and if it ever comes down, Victoria will carve out a spot on her own website for it. It will always be somewhere and it will always be somewhere.

Now, what are you waiting for? Help Victoria celebrate today by taking a look at The Ash-Born Boy and go check out the paperback of The Near Witch because it's seriously an awesome book.

Peace and cookies,
Laina