HOORAY--the awesome FLASHBACK cover is here!!!

Since my new website is *still* being finished (who knew websites were so much work?), this blog gets to reveal one more cover before it finally goes into retirement. I guess we'll think of it as ending with a bang. ;)

And I seriously can't believe that this is the SEVENTH time I've gotten to reveal an amazing KEEPER cover to you guys. I swear, every year I think there's no way it will be able to top the previous covers, and then somehow I end up totally blown away.

But we all know you're not here to listen to me ramble. In fact, you're probably already scrolling down to the shiny, so scroll away!

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TA DA!

!!!!!!!!

You guys.

Seriously.

I can't even tell you how much this cover means to me, seeing my little girl looking so grown up and fierce and flinging deadly weapons right at us. Not to mention her outfit. And Tam's bangs. And Wylie! (WYLIE FINALLY MADE IT ON A COVER). Not gonna lie, but I get goosebumps every time I look at it. 

When S&S and I started our annual "cover conversation," this was the moment I pitched that I was REALLY hoping would end up on the final cover. I wasn't sure if it would (covers are a collective decision, since they're mostly about "marketing"). But if there's one image that sums up this book to me, it's my brave, grown-up girl standing up and fighting. So I was super excited when my editor agreed. And then Jason Chan drew it 1000x more amazing than I'd been imagining, and I'm just ... so so so happy. I hope you love it as much as I do.

And I know there's always a lot of intense debate about who you guys are hoping to see on the cover--and believe me, I'm right there with you. I wish I could see all the characters every time--but alas. That gets WAY too cluttered. 

So for those thinking "but where's character X????" please try to believe me when I say that we don't pick characters for the cover. We pick scenes. We're trying to pick a moment in the story that captures the feel of the book, so you get a little taste of what's to come. And in this case, the scene happens to be with Sophie, Tam, and Wylie. That's why it's those three. That's the only reason it's those three. Not because I don't love the other characters just as much. 

And I know whenever I say that, it makes you want to know WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE SCENE???? But obviously I can't tell you that. (No spoilers!) So here's what I can tell you:

~ In case you missed it in my ramblings up above, that is Sophie, Tam, and Wylie.      

~ Yes, Tam is doing something with shadows and Wylie is doing something with light and it is making something very cool happen. 

~ No, I won't tell you what that cool thing is. 

~ And no, I can't tell you why Sophie is flinging that throwing star. 

~ Or where that staircase leads. 

~ Or anything else about the plot of the book.  

~ (Yes, I know I'm a big mean meanie.)  

~ And yes, just like last year (and the year before--and the year before that *sigh*) I am still currently writing the book. But this is a scene that will for sure be in there. That's another one of the reasons we picked it :) 

~ And in case you haven't seen it, the official flap copy has been revealed. Here it is again:

Sophie Foster doesn’t know what—or whom—to believe. And in a game with this many players, the worst mistake can be focusing on the wrong threat. 

But when the Neverseen prove that Sophie’s far more vulnerable than she ever imagined, she realizes it’s time to change the rules. Her powerful abilities can only protect her so far. To face down ruthless enemies, she must learn to fight. 

Unfortunately, battle training can’t help a beloved friend who’s facing a whole different danger—where the only solution involves one of the biggest risks Sophie and her friends have ever taken. And the distraction might be exactly what the villains have been waiting for. 

In this unforgettable seventh book in the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling Keeper of the Lost Cities series, Sophie must let the past and present blur together, because the deadliest secrets are always the ones that get erased.

And if you feel like marking your calendar, the current official release day for FLASHBACK is 11/6/18!!!

It's also already up for pre-order, so if you feel like you want to jump on that (and make me super happy) here are some handy links:

amazon ~ barnes & noble ~ Books-A-Million ~ Indiebound ~ The Book Depository

(and don't panic if you prefer ebooks. There will be an ebook version. It just won't be available for pre-order for a few more months--don't ask me why. That's just how it goes)

And... that's it for now.

Oh, but in case you're still reading (and not scrolling up to stare at Fierce-Sophie) I want to end with my usual plea: PLEASE help me keep this website spoiler free.

I've put comment moderation on this post because you guys aren't the greatest about this (I know it's hard--you want to discuss theories and debate different things. But I have to make this a safe space for readers who might not be as far along in the series as you are). So my assistant won't be putting through any comments that include spoilers (even if you put something like *SPOILERS BELOW* and then say them all). 

Thank you in advance for being the awesome, respectful readers I know you can be.

And now, I need to get back to writing!!!!!