Catherine Ryan Hyde's Blog

For those of you who have finished MICHAEL WITHOUT APOLOGY and are wondering what comes next, here’s some info and a cover.

This next novel is called FALLING APART AND OTHER GIFTS FROM THE UNIVERSE, and it goes on sale November 11th.

Click the link and you can read a little about it. And yes, it can be preordered now.

Thank you, as always, for being my readers. You are appreciated.

Happy reading,

Catherine

In the past I did this all the time. I wrote blog posts that were not strictly factual. They were more my views on book-related issues, or pieces that helped the reader see things from the author’s side. Though I won’t do it often (I assume you did not subscribe to my blog to be deluged with my every thought), here goes with something that seems to need saying:

Since the new book came out, I’ve already had at least two dozen people tell me it would make “a great movie.”

Now, this is not meant to suggest that any of them were wrong or bad, or should feel guilty for having said it. But let me just take a moment to unpack this idea from my side of the thing.

As you know, I’ve had a book adapted into a major motion picture. It's a harrowing process for an author.

And, now, let’s just lay down an opinion I think we can all agree on: the movie is never as good as the book. They make changes more or less at random. They do things I never would have done, and everyone who sees the movie thinks I wrote that. I feel especially strongly about books like this and Luis Velez, because they are sensitively written, and I don't trust that sensitivity to carry over into film.

I just think it's interesting that when people say “This would make a great movie!” they are picturing a great movie. I'm picturing it getting slaughtered.

But let’s take it beyond the idea of the quality of the adaptation. Why does it need to be a movie? It's already a book. What's wrong with a book? Why can't it be exactly what I wrote?

If I did get an offer to adapt it, I’m not suggesting I’d say an automatic “No.” I’d have to think long and hard about it and I’m not sure what I’d do. In the meantime I’m investing absolutely no time or energy in wishing for another movie. It was a very mixed blessing, to phrase it mildly.

This society values movies much more highly than books, and I think that’s too bad, but there’s nothing that can be done about it. But we’re all readers. I’m just happy it’s a book, and I hope you’ll join me in that.

…and I have to say, this one is special to me. It’s very personal, the idea of carrying scars regarding body image and appearance. And I think it’s going to resonate with a lot of other people as well.

I think this is where I find out, as Michael found out, that it’s “…just about everybody.”

MICHAEL WITHOUT APOLOGY went on sale today from Lake Union/Amazon Publishing.

If you try it, I’m really looking forward to hearing your thoughts.

Thank you for being a subscriber, and a reader. And happy reading.

Today Lake Union/Amazon Publishing released my latest novel. It’s called ROLLING TOWARD CLEAR SKIES, and it’s available right now in Kindle, hardcover, paperback, and as an Audible download.

I’ve also updated this site to help you learn a little more about what’s next. I have a page now for my May 2025 release, MICHAEL WITHOUT APOLOGY, with links to preorder.

I hope you enjoy the latest release, and I hope you know that my actual email address is on the site, on the “Contact Me” page. It’s a direct address, and no one will read your mail but me. And I always answer. I have help with things like post office runs, but I would never farm out my communications with readers. So if you ever feel inclined to reach out and let me know what you think, please do.

Happy reading!

My publisher is doing a giveaway on Goodreads, with a hundred digital (ebook) copies up for grabs.

Here's the link.

This is not my giveaway, so please don't leave a comment below and think that enters you. You have to follow this link and enter on Goodreads.

Good luck!

For those of you wondering what’s next after ROLLING TOWARD CLEAR SKIES next month, here’s a sneak preview.

It’s called MICHAEL WITHOUT APOLOGY, it’s due out on May 6th, and the Amazon detail page is HERE. It’s very new, and right at the moment it doesn’t have the brief synopsis of the plot, but it will very soon.

In the meantime I’ll just tell you that the novel has everything to do with accepting our own physical bodies and appearances, even when society makes that difficult.

More news to follow!

PLEASE NOTE: If you are entering this giveaway, you have to be on my original blog on my website, so all entries are in one place. That means if you’re viewing this on Goodreads or in an email, you have to click through. (On Goodreads you can click the title of the post at the top, or “View more on Catherine Ryan Hyde’s website” underneath. In the email you can click the title or “Read in Browser” beneath.)

Not long after I got word that this is the final cover for my November release, ROLLING TOWARD CLEAR SKIES, the UPS guy brought me a couple of cartons of advance readers’ copies. So, as tends to be the case, I’m going to be giving three away on this blog, as a thank you for subscribing.

There are guidelines, and people don’t read them, and then I can’t enter them. I hate that, because I want people to have a chance if they want one. But all I can do is ask you to read the following. The rest is out of my control.

Just leave a comment in the thread below to enter. Please be sure to leave your email address in the form (not a good idea to leave it in the body of the comment because it is, after all, the internet) so I can notify you if you win. As always, I promise I will never harvest or save your address, or use it for any other purpose. It may seem as though there’s no place to enter your email, but when you hit post that field should come up. If you have trouble you can go to Contact Me and let me know, and I’ll be happy to enter you manually.

And that’s it! I plan to leave this open until Sunday, June 2nd. Then I’ll choose three winners. Good luck!

It’s a personal favorite of mine, and it just went on sale today.

And don’t you think it’s interesting that a huge portion of the United States (including southern portions) and Mexico have been watching the Aurora the past few days? And that it’s vanishingly rare for a thing like that to happen? Because… look at the cover. The Aurora Borealis is right on the cover. And it plays a big role in the story. I just thought the timing of that once-in-a-lifetime event was interesting.

I even got images and video of it (just at the horizon, but still) in San Luis Obispo County, California. Never thought I’d live to see the day. If you watch the video above, please click on it and bring it up full screen. This is more like a thumbnail, the important bit is at the bottom, and it’s cut off.

Anyway, back to the book. It’s available in Kindle, Paperback, Hardcover, and Audible download. You know where to find my email address to tell me what you think.

Happy reading!

Okay, I’ll admit this one snuck up on me. Normally I post on Facebook the day before the release, asking readers to report “early sightings” on their Kindles. This time I woke up, processed some astro images, did the Wordle, and then suddenly thought, “Oh, that’s today!”

Yes, my newest release, A DIFFERENT KIND OF GONE, dropped today.

Here’s the link to the Kindle edition HERE, and all the other editions are easy to find from that page.

I hope you enjoy it, and thank you for being my reader. I appreciate you!

I must admit this new release is quite close to my heart.

This is my May 14th, 2024 release, LIFE, LOSS and PUFFINS. It’s next out after A DIFFERENT KIND OF GONE in December. And it’s on my personal favorites list, because I just love the friendship between Ru and Gabriel.

And here’s the cover!

You can read more about LIFE, LOSS, AND PUFFINS HERE, and preorder it if you feel so inclined.

And that’s it for now. As always, happy reading!