I have a few things about numbers today:
1. The number 13 is one of my favorite numbers. It's also considered a lucky number in Italy, where I spent a lot of my youth. It is also the number of days until Passenger comes out.
2. I don't know how decisions like these are made, but the powers that be at Tor Books have decided to release the short story King of Marbury the day AFTER Passenger comes out. So you'll have to update your plans... it's going to be published on Tor.com on October 3, which is exactly two weeks from today (14 days).
3. I'll have an upcoming post on Macmillan's MacKids blog in which I answer 5 questions that kids have sent me regarding the sequels to The Marbury Lens (Passenger and King of Marbury). One of the kids asked if there were any new characters or new monsters in Passenger. This is what I said:
There are definitely new characters introduced in Passenger. We meet the survivor kids called Odds. And there’s a new kid named Quinn who definitely has his own, very selfish, agenda that plays out as a deadly contest between him and Jack. And Marbury is different in Passenger, so there are some different—and very slimy—monsters. A big chunk of the book takes place underground—in the derelict remains of a flood-control system. So there are some new elements to get readers creeped out.
4. Another thing about numbers: 237. This is a good number. It is the number of days until Winger comes out. It is also a good word because in Chapter 78 of Winger, there is ONE sentence that has exactly 237 words in it. You know how people at writers' conferences always tell you to never write sentences that have 237 words in them?
Yeah.
237.
