It’s no secret I’m a big fan of Sarah J. Maas — the author AND the person. She’s the author who made me fall in love with fantasy and opened this whole new world to me. I mean, Throne of Glass holds the spot for my current favorite series and, after reading A Court of Thorns and Roses earlier this year, I have a GOOD feeling it’s going to be competing with the Throne of Glass series. And as a person? She is amazing. So kind and generous and genuine. So good to her fans. SO SO good to them. And if you’ve ever seen her in action (possibly with her bff Susan Dennard — oh the two of them!) she is so funny and a damn good time!
So, I can’t tell you how honored I am to have her on the blog on the release day of A Court of Thorns and Roses. She’s so deserving of the praise and love for her books and I hope you all fall in love with this latest series from her like I did (you can check out my thoughts here).
So now I’m going to let Sarah take it away and I’m going to warn you…this post made some tears pay a visit to my face!
I’ve been thinking for some time now about what I’ll say today, what I’ll write about to properly convey my feelings now that A Court of Thorns and Roses is officially out in the world. I wrote the first draft of this book way back in 2009—before I ever sold Throne of Glass—and then let it collect proverbial dust on my computer for years. But during those years, I’d open up that word document—not to edit or tweak, but just to reread, to visit these characters that had somehow stolen a piece of my heart, and who wouldn’t let me forget it.
I keep being asked which I prefer: Throne of Glass or A Court of Thorns and Roses? Celaena or Feyre? Tamlin or The 1000 Hot Guys in TOG? Honestly, I don’t have an answer. If Throne of Glass is the series of my soul, then A Court of Thorns and Roses is the series of my heart. How can I pick between them, between two stories and two very different heroines who mean such different things to me? I began writing Throne of Glass when I was sixteen (I’m twenty-nine now), and so I will always, always have a deep bond with that story, with Celaena. I will always see my own journey from adolescence to adulthood subtly woven between the words.
But when I look at A Court of Thorns and Roses, I see different things, different moments. In 2009, I’d been out of college for nearly a year—with no job, and no book deal. I had an agent (the incredibly Tamar Rydzinski), but that spring, after doing some rounds of edits together on TOG to prepare to send it out to publishers, she went on maternity leave. So I was left with several months of free time ahead of me (oh, how I long for those days!).
I didn’t know if Throne of Glass would ever sell—but I did know that I wanted to be a published author. More than anything. And if TOG didn’t sell, then I would try with another book. And another. And another.
But ACOTAR wasn’t a contingency plan. Not at all. I’m a bit of a workaholic; I always need to be working on something. So tell me that I have to chill out for a few months and I’m pretty much guaranteed to start clawing at the walls after day two.
So I got lucky. Really damn lucky. One afternoon, while listening to the Princess Mononoke soundtrack, I just saw this scene play out in my head: a young, near-starving huntress in a snowy wood, stalking a deer that will literally mean the difference between life and death for her impoverished family. I saw the moment when she aimed her arrow at that deer—only to find a wolf in the brush nearby, intent on getting the deer for himself. I saw the moment where that young huntress had to decide which shot to take: kill the wolf and scare off the deer; or kill the deer and alert the wolf to her presence? With every note of the music, the scene unfolded—and Feyre’s voice just…sounded in my head, as clear as the music I was listening to.
And as I asked myself why her family was so impoverished, why she was hunting and no one else, I realized… It was a Beauty and the Beast retelling—from the original source material. And as I thought of who this “Beast” might be, I realized…he was a brooding, powerful Fae lord (because why not? And also because having some steamy times if he was in animal form would be…a different sort of book). And that these woods she was hunting in…they weren’t dangerous just for the wolves. But because they were right on the border of the human-Faerie lands, separated centuries ago by a bloody, brutal war between their peoples.
And I realized…I didn’t have to do just one retelling with this book. I could combine other fairytales—stories in a similar vein. Like my all-time favorite fairytale, East of the Sun, West of the Moon and Tam Lin. I’d grown up with fairytales, owned countless collections of them, taken courses on them in college. Fairytales and folklore owned a part of my heart, and with those books…with this crazy idea, I could weave and bend and retell them, while also crafting a brand-new, original story of my own making.
Normally, when I get wild and crazy ideas like that, I will let them simmer on the backburner for a few weeks. Months. Years.
This was not the case with ACOTAR.
I began writing it almost instantly. And kept writing. And kept writing.
I wrote the entire first draft (about 100k words) in 5 weeks. I have never—never—had a book pour out of me so easily, so fluidly. It was a Magic Book.
I had nothing to lose—only my own time and effort. So I poured everything I had into it. I wrote it for joy and fun; I wrote it to pay homage to the fairytales that had shaped me as a human being; I wrote it because Feyre and Tamlin and Rhys and Lucien demanded that their stories be told.
My agent came back from maternity leave. And Throne of Glass went out to publishers—and sold in March of 2010. Deadlines and other obligations came along. I wrote Crown of Midnight. Throne of Glass released in August 2012—and when Crown of Midnight came out, I got the phone call that I had become a New York Times bestseller.
But through those years, through the four years between 2009-2013, I kept coming back to A Court of Thorns and Roses. To Feyre. Even with so much going on, in the quiet moments, in any downtime I had, I’d open up that document and read the story. Over and over.
I couldn’t let it go; couldn’t forget about it. And the thought of Feyre and Tamlin and Rhys and Lucien sitting on my computer until the TOG series was done—until the sixth/final TOG book had released in 3045 (kidding), didn’t sit well.
Neither did the downtime between deadlines for my TOG books. I wanted to work more. I wanted to push myself harder. See what else I could do, what other stories I could share with the world. And I knew what story I wanted to share. I knew it was time for ACOTAR to stop being a .doc file and transform into a beautiful, real book.
So I revised it. And gave it to my agent, who didn’t call me crazy for wanting to publish two very, very long books every year. And then we sold it. To my amazing, wonderful publisher, Bloomsbury.
That was in spring of 2013. Two years—two years have passed since then, six since I wrote those first words of ACOTAR, about that desperate huntress in a snowy, lethal wood.
So to reach this day, when I can walk into a book store and see it on a shelf, when I can talk with readers about Feyre and all those Hot Fae Men … It’s beyond surreal. It is surreal to look at this beautiful, real book and remember what it was to be 23 and without a job, without a book deal, and wondering what the hell would happen to me. If I’d ever see my dream of being published happen. It is surreal to look at that cover, with my name on it, and know I survived. I made it. I triumphed. And that this book of my heart….it was one of those things that helped me get there.
It feels, in a way, like a fairytale.
HAPPY RELEASE DAY SARAH!!
(And for any of you in the Philly area, come out to the Neshaminy Barnes and Noble tonight for Sarah’s event which I am moderating)
//GIVEAWAY//
//ABOUT ACOTAR//
When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world. As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she’s been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow over the faerie lands is growing, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever. Perfect for fans of Kristen Cashore and George R. R. Martin, this first book in a sexy and action-packed new series is impossible to put down!
//ABOUT SARAH//
Sarah J. Maas is the author of the New York Times bestselling Throne of Glass series: Throne of Glass, Crown of Midnight, and Heir of Fire, and the series’ prequel, The Assassin’s Blade; as well as the A Court of Thorns and Roses series. A New York native, Sarah currently lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and dog. Visit her online at sarahjmaas.com or follow her on Twitter at @SJMaas or Facebook at facebook.com/throneofglass. And find a whole world to explore on Tumblr at worldofsarahjmaas.com.
Love romantasy like ACOTAR? Check out this list of fantasy romance books to read!
Check out the rest of the fun tour that Bloomsbury is hosting!!
May 5: Perpetual Page Turner – Blog Tour Kick Off with Sarah!
May 5: Lili’s Reflections – Top Five Fairytale Retellings
May 5: Words Read and Written
May 6: Bookish Broads – Lightning Round
May 6: Dark Readers
May 6: Fiction in Fiction in Fiction
May 7: Paper Riot – An Interview with Sarah
May 8: Polished Page-Turners – Would You Rather…
May 8: So Many Books, So Little Time
May 8: Behind the Pages
The Masquerade Ball!
May 11: Novel Sounds & Alexa Loves Books – The Soundtrack
May 12: Icey Books & That Artsy Reader Girl – The Decorations
May 13: Jenuine Cupcakes & Writer of Wrongs – The Food
May 14: What Sarah Read & Andi’s ABCs – The Clothing
May 15: Fiction Fare & Belle of the Literati – The Casting Call
Tzivi says
My favorite fairytale…..hmm… Maybe the 12 dancing princesses??
Brianna says
My all time favorite fairytale has to be either Tam Lin or Beauty and the Beast. I’m not just saying that because of ACOTAR but those fairytales have just captured me and have always held something special in my heart. They are just so beautiful, hence why I loved ACOTAR so much. Congrats Sarah on the release and Jamie this was an awesome post!
Lindsey says
This is such a wonderful inspirational story!! If blogging has done nothing else for me (but trust me, it has;), it’s given me the chance to interact with such amazing authors who are actually people just like us; filled with hopes and dreams and goals.
From everything I’ve ever heard about you, Sarah, you’re so much more than an incredible author – you’re a wonderfully fun, supportive, encouraging person as well! For that reason as well as all the aforementioned hopes and dreams, I am BEYOND THRILLED at the success you’ve achieved!!
I fell into ToG late but am ecstatic I still have 3 more books to go so that I can flail properly when QoS comes out! And as for this beautiful book’s release day that we’re celebrating? JUST YES. I read aCoTaR in about 3 days and it was spellbinding and amazing and I was just in love. I can’t wait to tell everyone about it at my bookstore, and try and share it with as many people as I can!
So many congratulations(!!!) and oh yeah by-the-by I GET TO MEET YOU IN LESS THAN 48 HOURS. (Nah, I’m cool. I didn’t shout or anything. I’m totally chill. Cool as a cucumber.)
-Lindsey
Bring My Books
Lindsey says
(Oh, & my favorite fairytale….the whole reason for the comment?)
Either The Emperor’s New Clothes because I associate it with The Emperor’s New Groove (which I love), or Thumbelina because I had a VHS version I used to love watching as a kid, or The Princess and the Pea because I will literally wake up if my shirt wrinkles up underneath me while asleep. Haha!
Thanks for the giveaway opportunity!!!
jienna says
Woohoo! Release day at last!! It’s my first time hearing about a book release day blog tour and I think it’s a great idea. I’m delighted to read about how ACOTAR came to be. Now back to reading… ^^
(Fave fairytale is Cinderella)
Ashley says
My first contact with fairy tales were Disney movies and I will always have a soft spot for The Little Mermaid because I saw it in the theater. Of more modern fairy tales, I really love The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Cat Valente. It was just gorgeous.
Chelsea Thomas says
I have two favorite fairytales, Beauty and the Beast and Snow White are my absolute favorites !!! Thanks so much for this giveaway !!!
Emmah says
Hmm, maybe Cinderella? Even though I’ve always watched the Disney animated movies, I never paid that much attention to the actual fairy-tales! I don’t like the animated version of Cinderella, but this new one that came out this year with Lily James and Richard Madden, is SO good!
Cristina @ Girl in the Pages says
This is a really beautiful post. Sarah conveys so much of what it feels like to be recently out of college and trying to find yourself, which really resonates with me as I’m in that situation now. To see how far she’s come and how passionate she is about her work, and how she still sees her own vulnerability and the thrill of her success 6 years later rather than being jaded or even used to the publishing industry is so heartwarming. If I didn’t already love Sarah I would now; she makes me not only feel valued as a reader in this post, but she makes me feel inspired to explore and try things at this stage in my life even though I might feel too “old” at 23.
Camille says
My favorite fairy tale is the Snow Queen but Beauty and the Beast is a close second! So happy there will be two Sarah J Maas book a year!
Kristin @ Simply Bookish Things says
WOW! S. J. Maas never fails to amaze me! Her writing process and how she came up with this is so inspirational, it gives me all the warm fuzzies inside! My Favourite fairtytale? definitely Cinderella, I know so cliche but I can’t help it! It is such a lovely classic example of poor girl falls in love with rich boy. EEK Love it! <3
Mai T. says
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is my favorite fairy tale of all time.
Lucia @Reading Is My Breathing says
My favorite fairytale? There is one I re-read regularly as a child and I still find it fascinating even as adult. It is Slovakian folk fairytale so you will probably not know it but it is called “Popolvar, Biggest in the World” and I love it 🙂
Nicola Reads YA says
I used to be obsessed with Cinderella and Peter Pan growing up. I watched them constantly!
I absolutely love the library in Beauty and the Beast though. I want a library like that! <3
Joana Aleixo says
My favorite fairytale…. probably Peter Pan.
“You know that place between sleep and awake, the place where you can still remember dreaming? That’s were I will always love you. That’s were I’ll be waiting.” :3
Mel@thedailyprophecy says
And how happy we are that she published all those books <3 I LOVED A court of thorns and roses with every piece of my fairytale-loving heart. I will read and devour anything by her.
Susan says
I love Beauty & the Beast
Denisa says
My all time favourite fairy tale would be Beauty and The Beast. Then next would be The Little Mermaid (the version where the mermaid turns into sea foam) and then after would be the Snow Queen. And YEEEESSSS SARAH I LOVE EAST OF THE SUN AND WEST OF THE MOON TOOOOOO!!!
Stephanie says
My favorite fairy tale is Diamonds and Toads. It always made me shutter when toads and snakes slithered out of the evil stepsisters’ mouths. Bleh!
Mackenzie says
Hm. My favourite fairytale. I don’t know if I have one. I always liked the idea of Cinderella, mostly because she gets to do a big screw you to her evil step mother. I really really really want to read Grimm’s fairytales to read about the darker side of those magical tales.
Cassie B says
Definitely Beauty and the Beast and Cinderella. They both hold a special place in my heart, and no other fairytales can compare.
Rebecca says
My favorite is Beauty and the Beast! I want that library. 🙂
Rayna says
Well, I’ve never really read the original fairytales by Grimm or Anderson or anyone else (except once a long time ago and yes, I need to remedy this), but in terms of modern tales (I’m talking Disney), it would have to be Beauty & the Beast or The Little Mermaid (does that count?).
Also: AHH! So excited to read this book and Sarah is a wonderful human being! I love that line where she says, “If Throne of Glass is the series of my soul, then A Court of Thorns and Roses is the series of my heart.” So beautiful!
Tammy @ Books, Bones & Buffy says
Oh wow what a hard question! I absolutely love Beauty and the Beast, but I also love the Little Mermaid. And so many others! I am DYING to read ACOTAR, thank you so much for the giveaway!
Ellie says
Favorite fairy tale is sooo hard to choose. Especially the originals, since they’re all so sad/ dark haha. Maybe The little Mermaid?
Thanks for the giveaway!
Sarah K says
I think my favorite will always be The Little Mermaid (Disney version! The other is soooo depressing) But I have always loved Beauty and the Beast too.
Becky says
What a lovely post! I’ve heard a lot of good things about this so far, so I can’t wait to read it! And Sarah is so great too – I met her at an event for Heir of Fire last year, and she was SUPER nice even though I got kind of awkward and tongue-tied, haha. I hope you have a good time at her event!
As for a favorite fairy tale…I don’t know if I have one. I love retellings, but I haven’t read many of the originals. Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast were my favorite Disney movies, though.
Nikki Robinson says
My favorite fairy tale is sleeping beauty. Thanks for hosting this giveaway!
Lizzie the Sarcastic Blonde says
Favorite fairytale is such a hard choice! I’m not sure if I can decide between East of the Sun and West of the Moon, The Snow Queen, and Beauty and the Beast!
I’m SOOOOO excited for this book!
Stephanie Kaye says
1. My favorite fairy tales are Beauty and the Beast and Sleeping Beauty. They’re both wonderful. <3
2. This post makes me extremely happy. And it makes me love Sarah even more. I've only read Throne of Glass so far. But I have bought every other book of hers (including pre-ordering ACOTAR and QOS). I love her writing. I love her stories. And as a writer myself, she has inspired me to keep working through and to never stop dreaming and hopefully I'll get to where she is one day.
So, thank you for this post. It's wonderful, Jamie! <3
Pili @ In Love With Handmade says
What an amazing blog post!! I soooo wish I could get to meet Sarah J Maas at BEA this year, but it seems that she’ll only be attending BookCon, so I have a SADFACE!! =/
At least I’m getting a signed copy of ACOTAR from Books of Wonder!!
Trisha says
Cinderella or The Little Mermaid are my favorite fairy tales. But I can’t wait for this Beauty and the Beast remix! I get my copy in the mail today!
Kristy says
Snow white 🙂
Alexa S. says
Seriously, what a beautiful post from Sarah! I loved hearing about how A Court of Thorns and Roses came to be. It’s inspiring and challenging and wonderful and beautiful – and I love that Sarah shared that story.
Fida says
Aww, I loved this! Thank you!
Lili says
This post was just wow. I literally teared up and I don’t think there’s anything else I can say.
Mariahs smith says
Eep, I CANNOT wait for this book! It’s coming today in the mail and I may just lock myself in my room until I finish it 🙂
Emma says
I can’t believe ACOTAR is finally out! I was lucky enough for my copy to arrive early and it’s the best book I’ve read so far this year (not including my rereading of the ToG series). Reading about Sarah’s journey is so inspirational to me and it’s amazing that ACOTAR has finally hit the shelves!
My favourite traditional fairytale is Beauty and the Beast, but my favourite modern fairytale is Tangled (I know it’s a movie… shhh 😉 ) because Flynn Rider is one fine looking cartoon character. That sounds really weird, doesn’t it?
Amanda says
My favorite fairytale has always been Beauty and the Beast, but I also love Peter Pan.
Karina @ Watcha Reading says
I’ve always been in love with The Beauty and The Beast and The Little Mermaid!
Karla says
I like Cinderella stories, from the classic Disney version to Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters.
Natalya says
My favorite fairytale… I can’t choose one! I know so many fairytales from my childhood that it is impossible to choose just one. But, if I need to do that, I probably would say: Beauty and the Beast. I remember how I used to watch over and over again the Disney film version and it’s SO, SO beautiful fairytale! It’s one of the best fairytales and I can’t wait to read this book ^.^
And also I’m so glad that Sarah made her way to publish ACOTAR and ToG series! This post is… is PERFECT! She put so much love in this story!
Laura says
This was great! Hoping to go to the signing in Cardiff in a few weeks!!
Kalie says
My favorite fairytale has always been beauty and the beast. I’m so excited to read this book! 🙂
Keri says
My favorite fairy tale was always Sleeping Beauty. I had a vhs tape of the disney version when i was a kid that got completely worn out from me making my family watch it all the time.
Ally R. says
Congratulations, Sarah on the release of your book! I really enjoyed Throne of Glass, and I’m so looking forward to reading the rest of the series. And ACOTAR of course. Can’t pass up a fairy-tale retelling, especially one that sounds as epic as this one.
I think my favorite fairy tale would have to be The Frog King. If only because I find it hilarious that in the original the princess throws the frog against a wall(which is what transforms him) instead of kissing him. Who would have thought? Girls have been kissing frogs all these years, and all to no avail.
Kristen says
Sarah sounds amazing, as a person and an author. I haven’t read any of her books and this post made me a bit teary!! They are all on my list though, will have to move them up to the top!
ps. my favourite fairytale… oh goodness… i loved beauty & the beast – purely because Belle loved books and I was like omg I’m not alone 😉
Amanda says
Oh my heart! SJM is my favorite author in the entire book world. I just love the passion she puts into her books. I was lucky enough to get ACOTAR as an ARC and I devoured it in one sitting and reread it a couple times after that. Today I purposely went out in the rain to go buy a hardcover copy. I just love everything about her books, and hopefully, one day, I will get to meet her and tell her how drastically she has changed the reading world for me! I love that ACOTAR is a B&tB story. That was one of my favorite tales as a child, and as I grew up, I began to devour even more fairytales. I read Hans Christian ANderson tales and I got a Grimm’s fairytales for Christmas about 8 years ago, and I have read it cover to cover. I think my favorite probably is The Little Mermaid by Anderson though. It’s so much more painful than the DIsney version, but it spoke to me… the heartache and the passion of a single mermaid. Anyways, I get ahead of myself! Thanks for hosting SJM on your blog! I just love reading anything she has to say!
Jacqueline Onyon says
My favorite fairy tale is The Little Mermaid! The Disney version made growing up with red hair a bit easier.
Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction says
I love SO MANY fairy tales, but Sarah actually mentioned one that I have a particular affinity for – East of the Sun, West of the Moon!
Ashley says
Uhhh… Hansel and Gretel!
Allie L says
My favorite fairy tale is snow white. She was my favorite princess when I was little.
Martha says
My favorite fairytale is the story of Rapunzel, and Beauty and the Beast is a close second!
Elizabeth says
God I am SO CRAZY EXCITED about this book! Fairy tale retellings are like…my thing. I read them ALL. So SJM + fairy tale retelling? IT’S EVERYTHING I COULD EVER WANT EVER!!
Picking my favourite fairy tale is…almost impossible haha! Because I’m a masochist I’ve always really loved The Little Mermaid because it’s a really beautiful story, but Beauty and the Beast is like the ultimate hate to love which is my kryptonite when it comes to romance haha! But I also really love East of the Sun, West of the Moon too…
Meagan Crowe says
Great interview! I was SO lucky and got approved for an ARC of this through Netgalley and I devoured it! I didn’t even read the synopsis before greedily requesting it because I knew I would love it because ToG is my favorite YA High Fantasy series since Sabriel. I can’t tell you how excited I was to find out that not only was this a Beauty and the Beast retelling but also and East of the Sun, West of the Moon retelling! I about died! East/West is my FAVORITE fairy tale and I obsessively watched The Polar Bear King on VHS when I was little. Thank you so much for this amazing book! I’m so excited to see this series continue.
Natalie Brown says
My favorite fairy tale since I was four years old is Sleeping Beauty. I love the story and the movie. 🙂
Shelumiel says
Aaaahh – that is such a beautiful tale! Of passion and hard work.
Melissa @ Bookmark Dragon says
Beauty and the Beast has been my favorite fairy tale for ages! DYING to read this book.
Brittany says
I am so excited to read this book. Preordered and just received it yesterday!
Beauty and the Beast is definitely my favorite fairy tale and I love every version and retelling of it.
Cynthia says
Love this giveaway! I think my favorite fairy tale is Beauty and the Beast . . . because I love the Beast’s library!
Joanna says
This was so inspiring! I couldn’t wait to get my hands on ACOTAR before, but now I’m REALLY excited! I love hearing about what the stories and characters mean to the author, and getting caught up in their passion. Sarah’s post was so touching and her enthusiasm for the story is contagious!
Joanna says
Oops..and my favorite fairy tale is Beauty and the Beast because Belle loves books like me!
Lauren Wilkerson says
Its so awesome you got to moderate her release! I hope you had fun! My favorite fairy tale is of course.. Beauty and the Beast.. because of Belle and her love of books!
bn100 says
Cinderella
Jillyn says
My favorite fairy tale would have to either be Beauty and the Beast or Alice in Wonderland.
Emma A says
I really love the classic Cinderella. The mystery, the romance, the whimsy, it all adds up to a wonderful, heart-warming story.
Josephine says
I am so late to the Sarah J Maas party OMG what have I even been doing with my life. ANYWAY, I am reading ACOTAR right now and I am LOVING IT. ALL THE FEELINGS. ALL of them!! <3
CJ Listro says
Wow, talk about getting teary! Sarah is so very lovely, sweet and so kind every time I’ve met her, and I get all the feels reading about her journey with ACOTAR. Which is phenomenal, of course.
Favorite fairy tale…that’s so difficult! One that always comes to mind is Allerleirauh, the Grimm’s version (or versions, as it pops up a few times). I was always drawn to the girl hidden as a kitchen maid, the pretty dresses. The original Sleeping Beauty is also up there.
C.J.
Sarcasm & Lemons
Michelle Lee says
My favorite fairy-tale is Cinderella! Thank you for this amazing chance! 🙂