Cassandra Clare's Blog

Read Chapter One of City of Lost Souls

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 16:25:26 GMT

The City of Lost Souls chapter reveal starts TODAY!

As well as being able to read the first chapter, if you live in the US, at each chapter stop you can enter to win one of six VERY limited edition SHADOW HUNTER FAMILY RINGS. Just click here and enter your information. (Canadians, follow @SimonPulseCA for you chance to win a SHADOWHUNTER ring. I'm sorry it's only open to US residents, but apparently those are the legalities of this kind of giveaway. The chapter however, can be read by anyone.)

Tomorrow, the hunt continues at www.novelnovice.com

*** You may notice I never, ever, ever update this blog any more. I have moved to

www.cassandraclare.tumblr.com

and I update there daily. This livejournal is not going to be updated with any regularity, or possibly again ever, so for those who have been checking, please follow me over at tumblr!

YA Tournament of Heroines!

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 01:25:36 GMT

So Tessa is up against Katniss in the second to last round of the YA Heroine Tournament.

You can vote here.

http://ya-sisterhood.blogspot.com/2012/01/match-30-katniss-seed-2-vs-tessa-seed-3.html?m=1

Yeesh. What can I say? Katniss is an awesome heroine, and honestly, I'm proud Tessa has made it this far and is facing down a girl who wins tournaments to the death professionally. :D

I will say this: there are all sorts of ways to be heroic, and just because Tessa works her mojo in a corset doesn't mean she's less of a badass. They're both badass girls. I think they would get along.

Katniss: I like your corset.

Tessa: And I am sure that your flaming jumpsuit is the very last word in fashion!

Katniss: Boy do I hate being in a love triangle.

Tessa: I can only most heartily agree.

And yet!

If Tessa wins this round, the last round of the Tournament will be Tessa vs. Clary. Which means that whoever wins that round, no matter what, you guys will get a brandnewsspeciallywrittenforyou scene.

Something to think about. *winks*

Clockwork Prince launch party NYC (&Ed Westwick):

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 16:55:06 GMT

Clockwork Prince launch party NYC (&Ed Westwick): The Clockwork Prince tour kicks off tomorrow night with a signing in New York City, at the Barnes and Noble on Union Square.

NEW YORK CITY: 7PM
Union Square
33 East 17th Street, New York, NY 10003, 212-253-0810

There will be swag bags prizes, and other fun stuff, including an appearance by (barring unexpected weirdness having to do with the Gossip Girl filming schedule)

Ed Westwick, who besides being Chuck Bass, is also the co-narrator of Clockwork Prince ( you can hear him read here) and lent his mellifluous voice to the narration of the CP book trailer:

Perhaps he can be convinced to read a few lines from Clockwork Princess aloud? :D

An auction

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 02:33:35 GMT

I'm currently participating in an auction to help out a wonderful author and creator, Terri Windling, who is at the moment in a time of financial need. From the Magick for Terri journal":

"Beloved editor, artist and writer Terri Windling is in need, and we are asking for your help in a fundraising auction to assist her. This auction will combine donations from professionals and fans in an online sale to help Terri through a serious financial crisis.

Terri is the creator of groundbreaking fantasy and mythic art and literature over the past several decades, ranging from the influential urban fantasy series Bordertown to the online Journal of Mythic Arts. With co-editor Ellen Datlow, she changed the face of contemporary short fiction with The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror and other award-winning anthologies, including Silver Birch, Blood Moon and The Green Man: Tales from the Mythic Forest. Her remarkable Endicott Studio blog continues to bring music, poetry, art and inspiration to people all over the world.

Terri Windling and her family have been coping with health and legal issues that have drained her financial resources at a critical time. Due to the serious nature of these issues, and privacy concerns for individual family members, we can't be more specific than that, but Terri is in need of our support. As a friend, a colleague and an inspiration, Terri has touched many, many lives over the years. She has been supremely generous in donating her own work and art to support friends and colleagues in crisis. Now, Terri is in need of some serious help from her community. Who better than her colleagues and fans to rise up to make some magick for her?"

My entry is at: http://magick4terri.livejournal.com/5457.html

Basically I'm offering to write a short piece about your favorite TMI or ID character or pairing — canon, non-canon, I don't mind, though nothing too filthy :) and only characters from my own work. I'll handwrite it out and send it to you, framed if you'd like to keep it as a memento. The starting price is $50 — it's for a great cause and there's lots of other awesome stuff up for auction; check it out!

London and Ireland events — an update

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 16:52:48 GMT

Wednesday, October 26: London (tomorrow!)
Foyle’s 1-3 pm
113-119 Charing Cross Road, London, WC2H 0EB
With Sarah Rees Brennan*
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7437 5660

October 27: Dublin: 6pm
Easons: 40 Lower O’Connell Street
Phone 01 858 3800
With Sarah Rees Brennan*

October 28: Galway: 4:30
Easons
33 Shop Street Galway, Ireland
I’ll be signing from 4:30 on.

* Technically these are ticketed events but only the pre-signing presentation is ticketed. You don't need tickets to show up and get your books signed, get the giveaway (signed copy of Magnus' Vow, tote backs, other cool stuff.) So just show up!

October teaser for Clockwork Prince

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 14:42:32 GMT

October Teaser for Clockwork Prince, for those who missed it when it was posted earlier on Tumblr (where I've moved most of my blogging) .Kindly illustrated for me by Charlotte Mattey, who said she could do it overnight, and did. :D

---

The voices were quite clearly those of the Lightwood brothers. Tessa recognized Gideon’s lower, rougher tones as he said, “There will be a moment of reckoning, Gabriel. You can depend upon it. What will matter is where we stand when it comes.”

Gabriel replied, his voice tense, “We will stand with Father, of course. Where else?”

“You don’t know everything about him, Gabriel. You don’t know all that he has done.”

There was a silence through which Tessa could almost hear Gabriel sulking. At last he said, “If you despise Father so much, why did you ever come back from Spain?”

Gideon replied, sounding exasperated, “I came back for you —”

Sophie and Tessa had been leaning against the door, ears pressed to the wood; at that moment, the door gave way, and swung open. Both straightened hastily, Tessa hoping that no evidence of their eavesdropping appeared on their faces.

Gabriel and Gideon were standing in a patch of light at the centre of the room, facing off against each other. Tessa noticed something she had not noticed before: Gabriel, despite being the younger brother, was lankily taller than Gideon by some inches. Gideon was more muscular, broader through the shoulders. He swept a hand through his sandy hair, nodding curtly to the girls as they appeared in the doorway. “Good day, Miss Collins, Miss Gray.”

For those who've been wondering what the cover of COLS will look like...

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 04:30:56 GMT

Go here.

Finalized dates for the December Clockwork Prince US tour

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 15:04:29 GMT

December 6-13 CLOCKWORK PRINCE RELEASE TOUR
Tuesday December 06, 2011
NEW YORK CITY: 7PM
Union Square
33 East 17th Street, New York, NY 10003, 212-253-0810
THIS IS THE LAUNCH EVENT FOR CLOCKWORK PRINCE. There will be swag bags and prizes and other fun stuff.

WEDNESDAY December 07, 2011
LONG ISLAND 7:00 PM *With Michelle Hodkin!
BARNES & NOBLE
91 Old Country Road
Carle Place, NY

THURSDAY Dec 8: Bethesda, MD/Washington, DC
*With Michelle Hodkin
5:00PM
BETHESDA LIBRARY
7400 Arlington Rd
Bethesda, MD
*Books sold by Politics & Prose
202-364-1919

FRIDAY Dec 9: Raleigh, NC
7:00PM
QUAIL RIDGE BOOKSTORE
3522 Wade Ave.
919-828-1588

SATURDAY Dec 10: Greenville, SC
4:00PM
THE HANGAR AT THE RUNWAY CAFE
21 Airport Rd Ext.
Greenville, SC
*Books sold by Fiction Addiction Bookstore.* This is the South Carolina event, so prepare to have your books stamped with a special stamp. And prepare for some very silly jokes.
* 864-675-0540

SUNDAY Dec 11: Atlanta, GA
4:00PM
Little Shop of Stories
133A East Court Square
Decatur,GA
Monday December 12, 2011
404-373-6300

MONDAY Dec 12: NASHVILLE, TN: 7:00 PM
BARNES AND NOBLE
Cool Springs
1701 Mallory Lane, Brentwood, TN 37027,
615-377-9979

*If you have questions about the events, please contact the bookstore where the event will take place! If the event is an offsite, please contact the store selling the books, such as Fiction Addiction, or Politics and Prose. Hope to see you there!

* * For those not sure what to expect from a book signing, the post by "Connie B." on this page is the best, most thorough description of it from the reader's viewpoint I've come across.

On the topic of special content in Clockwork Prince

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 19:04:06 GMT

"Does Will's letter to Tessa contain anything spoilery for Clockwork Prince? Should I read the letter before, or after, the book?"

I'm guessing you mean the Barnes and Noble special edition that has a letter from Will to Tessa in it.

Okay, first:

All print first editions of Clockwork Prince in North America, the UK/Ireland and Australia/NZ are going to come with a letter from Will to his family, that he never sent, in the back. That's *ALL FIRST EDITIONS." So ANY PRINT FIRST EDITION, WHEREVER you buy it, will have the letter. Indie stores, Barnes and Noble, etcetera. (I have asked about kindle/etc versions, but it looks like they won't have it.) You can tell the first edition because it says "collector's edition" on the front.

* If you pre-order or buy within the first week or so, you will almost certainly get a first edition. It doesn't matter where you pre-order from. Beyond that I genuinely don't know how to tell you to ensure that you get one. Check the picture when you're ordering. If the cover says "SPECIAL COLLECTOR'S EDITION" that's a first edition.

More stuff:

As above, BARNES AND NOBLE in the US will be carrying their own special edition. It contains not just the letter from Will to his family, but ALSO an inscription from Will to Tessa in a copy of Tale of Two Cities. The splash sticker on the front says "love letter" and I guess you could think of it that way, but it's definitely an inscription in a book. I'd advise not reading it until you finish CP because I think it will mean more when the book's over. Otherwise I think it might just be confusing. (The edition is one of those 'it lasts till it sells out' things.)

Walmart is also going to be carrying their own special edition, so more 411 on that when I get more information. Their special edition is going to be Jem-centric and you can get it from them either in the store or online. [Because no one expects anyone to buy more than one copy of the book, ALL THIS SPECIAL CONTENT WILL BE POSTED ONLINE AFTER AN EXCLUSIVITY PERIOD OF BETWEEN 3-6 MONTHS.] My advice, just pick whatever your favorite it and get that, or get a regular first edition and read the content online when the exclusivity period's up.

*All these materials are being made available to international publishers and I will keep you updated as to how they will be available outside North America.

Goodreads Giving Away 100 Clockwork Prince ARCs

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 15:15:26 GMT

So, for those of you who entered the CP ARC contest and didn't win, remember when I said there'd be another opportunity to win Advanced Reader Copies of Clockwork Prince and that I'd announce it Monday?

Well, Monday is upon is. And Goodreads is giving away 100 Clockwork Prince ARCs.

Now first I just have to say I didn't know about this contest when I started my contest! I found out about it about halfway through but I didn't want to stop the contest while people were in the middle of drawing, photo-ing, vidding, and so forth — and the contest here was open internationally which the Goodreads contest is not. And the contest was so much fun for both people who entered and people who were just watching and admiring! It was great to see the outpouring of love and creativity, so thank you for that.

I was quite surprised when S and S told me they were doing this giveaway with GR — there are such a limited quantity of ARCs, so aside from the ones set aside for sales accounts and specific reviewers, this is basically it. All the rest of the ARCs are up for grabs on Goodreads — all you need is a Goodreads account and to click "enter to win."

http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/14715-clockwork-prince

GOOD LUCK!

Clary's sketchbook

Sat, 17 Sep 2011 23:31:53 GMT

This was an entry for the Clockwork Prince ARC contest. Unfortunately it couldn't win because one of the rules was that the entry had to be about the Infernal Devices. But it was so cute, I thought I would share it here.

Clary's sketchbook, by teaganr and eiknarfed:

http://www.wix.com/themortalinstruments/clarys-sketchbook

Clockwork Prince ARC Crafty Shadowhunter Contest Results Show

Sat, 17 Sep 2011 01:17:03 GMT

These contests are always extremely hard to judge, to thanks for the efforts of my fellow judges, Josh Lewis, Vania Stoyanova, Holly Black, and Theo Black. [I tried to get a group who knew music, knew videography, knew art, knew design, and just knew what they liked.] For those that didn't win, there will be another opportunity to win Clockwork Prince ARCs, which will be announced Monday.

In the end, I couldn't pick only one entry, so I begged another ARC off my publisher and picked three — they're very different and I hope show something of the spectrum of what was submitted!

*Winners, please email me at the address on my http://www.cassandraclare.com/cms/bio bio page and tell me where you want your prizes sent!*

First, Charlotte Markey's video. All the drawings are hers, and what she has created here is basically an animated trailer for Clockwork Angel. Every character is adorably captured. I especially love the frame of Henry and Charlotte, though my favorite is the last image.

Tying for first place, something completely different, by Katie-Kerry on Deviantart:

A Clockwork Angel Monolopoly game that you can actually play. Click the gallery link:

http://katie-kerry.deviantart.com/gallery/32647962

and you can see how much work went into this game!

And last, Chance Walsh worked on this for about two weeks, hauling Clockwork Angel around to different locations, inventing the sport of Angel-ing, and conquering his fear of snakes. Who says boys don't read?

Second place: I know I never mentioned a second place, but again, there were so many great entries I was beside myself. So second place winners will receive a Clockwork Angel pendant like Tessa's (or anything else they might choose from the Hebelmet jewelry store.)

Three second place winners:

1) Kara-Lija's watercolor portrait of Tessa, Will and Jem:

[Bigger version here: http://kara-lija.deviantart.com/#/d49rxwk ]

2) Of especial interest to the Jem-fans, this adorable fancomic of this scene from Clockwork Prince by bananasea:

Go and hit the button on the right that says "weiter" to read the whole thing.)

3) And last, I absolutely love typographical art. So the second second place goes to http://thereadables.tumblr.com [really the whole entry needs to be seen.:

Honorable mentions and general fun stuff.It was an amazing experience judging this contest. If your piece isn't posted here, please don't think it's because I didn't love it. I picked things I did love but I was also trying to show the spread of creativity. I have the best readers in the world, I've always said so! I hope you guys have had as much fun creating or just watching as I have.

There was hilarious cosplay:

[the rest of which can be found here: http://damonandmike.blogspot.com/]

More beautiful art than you could shake a stick at, like Ahirubox's gorgeous picture of Tessa reading. (Look closely to see what she's reading - it's adorably done.)

An amazing reproduction of the characters and story in Lego form [the duck scene is surely not to be missed)

by: [http://onlywayd.tumblr.com/post/10127306493]

Beautifully made fan covers for Clockwork Princess, like this one from Martange (my favorite because of the light coming from Tessa's book]:

All sorts of videos, like this Clockwork fan cast video:

and a video analysis of Will's mental state by lechattnoir (diagnosis: he's crazy)

As well as music and songs composed for the occasion:

Adorable stunts where you hope everyone survived: [from http://pulvis-et-umbra-sumus.tumblr.com/ ]

Infernal Devices cupcakes by The Verbose Vegetarian:

http://verbosevegetarian.blogspot.com/2011/09/bad-blogger-cassandra-clare-clockwork.html

The entire book played out by Sims:

http://sallymonica-clockwork1245.blogspot.com/

("We had to kill Thomas 3 times before we got this scene right, because Will kept fainting when he died!" Hmm, clearly there are things I don't understand about Sims)

There were plenty of drawings, videos and songs about Will and Tessa or Tessa and Jem, but just as many about Jem and Will and their dichotomous friendship, like this piece by Jen A.

It's lovely to see so much attention being paid to a different kind of relationship than a straight(forward) romance.

And lastly, just to share some other entries: a sculpture of Will made out of noodles , a unique portrait of Magnus , quotes from Clockwork Angel spelled out in M and Ms, and lastly a photorealistic portrait of Will and Tessa by JemimaBox.

Clockwork Prince ARC Crafty Shadowhunter Contest

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 04:13:50 GMT

Is now closed to entries. I will be posting the winner on Saturday. Thanks to everyone who entered!

City of Lost Souls September teaser

Wed, 07 Sep 2011 18:04:46 GMT

Magnus and Izzy, mid-book.

“Alec isn’t happy,” said Magnus, as if she hadn’t spoken.
“Of course he isn’t,” Isabelle snapped. “Jace —”
“Jace,” said Magnus, and his hands made fists at his sides. Isabelle stared at him. She had always thought that he didn’t mind Jace; liked him, even, once the question of Alec’s affections had been settled. Out loud, she said:
“I thought you were friends.”
“It’s not that,” said Magnus. “There are some people — people the universe seems to have singled out for special destinies. Special favors and special torments. God knows we’re all drawn toward what’s beautiful and broken; I have been, but some people cannot be fixed. Or if they can be, it’s only by love and sacrifice so great it destroys the giver.”
Isabelle shook her head slowly. “You’ve lost me. Jace is our brother, but for Alec — he’s Jace’s parabatai too —”
“I know about parabatai,” said Magnus, his voice rising in pitch. “I’ve known parabatai so close they were almost the same person; do you know what happens, when one of them dies, to the one that’s left —”
“Stop it!” Isabelle clapped her hands over her ears, then lowered them slowly. "How dare you, Magnus Bane,” she said. “How dare you make this worse than it is —”
“Isabelle.” Magnus’ hands loosened; he looked a little wide-eyed, as if his outburst had startled even him. “I am sorry. I forget, sometimes . . . that with all your self-control and strength, you possess the same vulnerability that Alec does.”
“There is nothing weak about Alec,” said Isabelle.
“No,” said Magnus. “To love as you choose, that takes strength. The thing is, I wanted you here for him. There are things I can’t do for him, can’t give him . . .” For a moment Magnus looked oddly vulnerable. “You have known Jace as long as he has. You can give him understanding I can’t. And he loves you.”
“Of course he loves me. I’m his sister.”
“Blood isn’t love,” said Magnus, and his voice was bitter. “Just ask Clary.”

-------

Happy birthday, @@KateTuttleEscaf. :)

Clockwork Prince September teaser

Sat, 03 Sep 2011 20:27:05 GMT

“Must he be here?” Gabriel growled to Tessa the second time he had nearly dropped a knife while handing it to her. He put a hand on her shoulder, showing her the sight line for the target she was aiming at a black circle drawn on the wall. She knew how much he would rather she were aiming at Will. “Can’t you tell him to go away?”
“Now, why would I do that?” Tessa asked reasonably. “Will is my friend, and you are someone whom I do not even like.”
She threw the knife. It missed its target by several feet, striking low in the wall near the floor.
“No, you’re still weighting the point too much—and what do you mean, you don’t like me?” Gabriel demanded.

Clockwork Prince ARC Crafty Shadowhunter Contest

Sun, 28 Aug 2011 23:08:28 GMT

So, it's been a while since I got to do a contest for an Advanced Reader Copy of a book, and I'm a little rusty *creaks*. Also, this is going to be a challenge because I only have one (yep, one) ARC of Clockwork Prince. So instead of splitting the contest up into separate entries, I am going to do one big contest. And because everyone has different talents, I am going to make it as open a contest as possible.

So: All you have to do to enter this contest is create something that has to do with the Infernal Devices and the character: Tessa, Jem, Will, Jessamine, etc. You can draw something. You can take a series of photographs and caption them entertainly. You can make a fanvid: it can be a trailer, or just as equally a video of you talking about the books, or a puppet show (who can forget The Lightwood Llama Song? ) You can photoshop a fan cover for Clockwork Princess. You can take a photo of yourself with Clockwork Angel in a bizarre location. Or you can think up something yourself. You can create a set of icons, a tumblr, a fansite — whatever. The idea is that you can put any talent you've got, pretty much, to work. (The only thing you can't do is write — unfortunately I a) can't read fiction set in my world and b) it can take a really long time to read all that stuff!)

Good luck!

Quick FAQ:

1) The entries will be due September 15. You enter by posting a link to whatever it is, or a photo of whatever it is, as a comment here on this entry. The link to do that:

http://cassandraclare.livejournal.com/59717.html?mode=reply#add_comment

2) They will be judged by myself and a panel of 3 impartial judges whose names will be revealed when the winner is. :)

3) You can enter as a group — i.e. four of you can get together and create something, it just means your group will win and you'll share the ARC.

4) One entry per person.

5) You don't need to put your real name or so forth in the entry, but you do have to give me some way to identify you when you win.

6) Try to make it something new. I obviously can't do too much checking but try not to resubmit something that's already out there. Good faith!

7) The contest is open internationally.

If you post anonymously and your post does not show up, please do not freak out. All anonymous comments are screened. I can see them. That is what matters.

August Teaser: Clockwork Prince

Tue, 16 Aug 2011 16:51:02 GMT

Dear sensible Miss Gray,
I write to you on behalf of a mutual friend, one William Herondale. I know that it is his habit to come and go — most often go — from the Institute as he pleases, and that therefore it may be some time before any alarm is raised at his absence. But I ask you, as one who holds your good sense in esteem, not to assume this absence to be of the ordinary sort. I saw him myself last night and he was, to say the least, distraught when he left my residence. I have reason for concern that he might do himself an injury, and therefore I suggest that his whereabouts be sought and his safety ascertained. He is a difficult young man to like but I believe you see the good in him, as I do, Miss Gray, and that is why I humbly address my letter to you —
Your servant,
Magnus Bane

*Remember you can always find all posted teasers here:

http://www.cassandraclare.com/cms/faqs-old/teasers

Winners of the YA Crush Tourney Giveaways!

Mon, 15 Aug 2011 22:33:07 GMT

1) RT @VLC_Photo: So the winner of the contest for "all sorts of awesome things like a set of personalized books, TMI jewelry, signed posters, chapter samplers for upcoming books, and other coolness" is... @EstherWh45! Email vlcphotoproductions[at]gmail.com with your address!

2) And the winner of the Clockwork Prince ARC is . . . loucheroo ! Please contact me at the email address on my bio page.

CONGRATULATIONS!

Bonus content: Magnus and Alec

Sat, 13 Aug 2011 20:20:40 GMT

As I said yesterday — thanks to all of you who voted for Jace in the YA Tourney so MUCH. He won, and it's all down to you.

So here's the bonus part of the reward teasers: A scene from CoLS about Magnus and Alec. I get asked constantly if they will be in it and I hope this is somewhat reassuring that yes, indeed, they will be, with their very own plotline and all that. It's a short scene because it's smack in the middle of a giant spoiler. In fact I had to take out everything that even indicated where they were. Somewhere dark . . .but light can come from the strangest of sources.

Alec dropped his witchlight. The light winked out, and he fell to his knees, scrabbling on the ground among the trash and the dirt, grit under his fingernails. At last something lit up before his eyes, and he rose to see Magnus standing before him, the witchlight in his hand. It shone and flickered with a strangely-colored light.

“It shouldn’t illuminate like that,” Alec said, automatically. “For anyone but a Shadowhunter.”

Magnus held it out. The heart of the witchlight was glowing a dark red, like the coal of a fire.

“Is it because of your father?” Alec asked.

Magnus didn’t reply, only tipped the runestone into Alec’s palm. As their hands touched, his face changed. “You’re freezing cold.”

“I am?”

“Alexander . . .” Magnus pulled him to his feet, and the witchlight flickered between them, its color changing rapidly. Alec had never seen a witchlight runestone do that before. He put his head against Magnus’ shoulder and let Magnus hold him. Magnus’ heart didn’t beat like human hearts did: it was slower, but steady. Sometimes Alec thought it was the steadiest thing in his life.

“Kiss me,” Alec said, tipping his head up; Magnus eyes were sad and shadowed, and unreadable.

Magnus put his hand to the side of Alec’s face and gently, almost absently, ran his thumb along Alec’s cheekbone. When he bent to kiss him he smelled like sandalwood. Alec clutched the sleeve of Magnus’ jacket, and the witchlight, held between their bodies, flared up in colors of rose and blue and green as their lips touched.

* * *

Love Scene from Clockwork Prince. SPOILERS

Fri, 12 Aug 2011 19:04:07 GMT

As I said yesterday — thanks to all of you who voted for Jace in the YA Tourney so MUCH. He won, and it's all down to you.

So here's the second part of the reward teasers: A love scene from Clockwork Prince. It is VERY SPOILERY. It is interesting, I think, because it shows us a different side of a character we know. Whereas yesterday's teaser was, ah, very physical, this one is more ..psychological and romantic. If you don't like being spoiled, really, don't read it! It's only 3 months till the books comes out anyway. ;)

Tomorrow: Magnus and Alec.

He flinched away from her, and Tessa dropped her hand, hurt. “Jem, what it is it? You don’t want me to touch you?”

“Not like that,” he flared, and then flushed even darker than before.

“Like what?” She was honestly bewildered; this was behavior she might have expected from Will, but not from Jem: this mysteriousness, this anger.

“As if you were a nurse and I were your patient. You think because I am ill I am not like —” He drew a ragged breath. “Do you think I do not know,” he went on more quietly, “that when you take my hand, it is only so that you can feel my pulse? Do you think I do not know that when you look into my eyes it is only to see examine my pupils, to see how much of the drug I have taken? If I were another man, a normal man, I might have hopes, presumptions even; I might -—” His words seemed to catch; either because he realized he had said too much or because he had run out of breath.

She shook her head, feeling her plaits tickle her neck. “This is the fever speaking, not you.”

His eyes darkened, and he began to turn away from her. “You can’t even believe I could want you,” he said in a half-whisper. “That I am alive enough, healthy enough —”

“No.” Without thinking, she caught at his arm. He stiffened. “James, that's not at all what I meant —”

He curled his fingers around her hand, where it lay on his arm. His own scorched her skin, hot as fire. And then he turned her, and drew her toward him.

They stood face to face, chest to chest. His breath stirred her hair. She felt the fever rising off him like mist off the Thames; sensed the pounding of the blood through his skin, saw with a strange clarity the pulse at his neck, the light on the pale curls of his hair where it lay against his paler throat. Prickles of heat ran up and down her skin, bewildering her. This was Jem — her friend, steady and reliable as a heartbeat. Jem did not set her skin on fire or make the blood rush fast inside her veins until she was dizzy.

Did he?

“Tessa,” he said. She looked up at him. There was nothing steady or reliable about his expression. His silver eyes were dark, his cheeks flushed. As she raised her face, he brought his down, his mouth slanting across hers, and even as she froze in surprise they were kissing.

The Dirty Sexy Club Scene

Thu, 11 Aug 2011 16:17:05 GMT

So if I didn't already — thank all of you who voted for Jace in the YA Tourney so MUCH. He won, and it's all down to you.

So here's the first part of the reward teasers: The DSCS.(Dirty Sexy Club Scene) from City of Lost Souls. In the next two days, I'll also post:

A substantial teaser of a "spicy" scene from CP. Tessa & ..someone. ;) Because why should ID be left out?

Bonus: Because Jace won by more than a thousand votes, I'll post one of Magnus & Alec's romantic scenes from CoLS.

Now keep in mind a version of this does still exist in the books, but it is much less . . . well. You'll see. I wrote this in Mexico, probably having had too much mezcal, and I was trying to capture a mood of really dark, tipping over the edge sensuality, doing things that are probably a bad idea, you get the picture. I also recall reading bits of this aloud to Holly Black, Paolo Bacigalupi, Ellen Kushner, Sarah Rees Brennan, and Delia Sherman, who never dropped her knitting. So it can't be that naughty...can it?

I think for those who really hate SPOILERS you might want to avoid this because the things about it that may be the most shocking are not the sexy bits but the beginning....

http://mortalinstruments.com/COLS-DSCS.html

So you want to read Clockwork Prince? YA Tourney: Team Jace: The Big Guns edition!

Thu, 11 Aug 2011 01:10:38 GMT

Whoa! So the "YA" Crush Tourney" is still going on" and Jace has 13,090 votes which is insane. I don't know how to thank you all for voting for him.

The clock is ticking down on the contest — we've got ten more hours to go and the overnight hours are always the toughest! So to keep people going during the night (and the day in Australia and NZ - shoutout to Down Under cause I'm counting on you!) I want you to vote and then post about the contest, with a note that you voted, somewhere — twitter, facebook, tumblr, I don't care — between 8 pm and 8am Central Standard Time! As long as you can link to it. Because once you do it, I'd like you to come back here and drop a link to your post into the comments. Anonymous, with an ID, it doesn't matter — as long as the link works, is time-stamped, and you tell me you voted (that part is an honor system cos I can't check) I'll enter you into a giveaway to win an ARC of Clockwork Prince. *

The ARCs should be out in 3 weeks or so, and they are making only a limited amount — maybe a hundred — and this is the last time I'll have ARCs for a book, so this is a collector's item. :) All you have to do is

1) vote for Jace http://ya-sisterhood.blogspot.com/2011/08/grande-finale-jace-vs-zachary-match-24.html
2) post somewheres during *my* overnight about the contest in a manner you can link to and that is time-stamped between 8pm and 8am American Central Standard Time) (11am to 10 Aussie time, etc, I'll figure it out)about the contest, link to it, and ask people to vote for Jace
3) post the link here — if you post anonymously, give me some handle by which I can identify you in case you win, even if it's Goldidoodle Thisteldean
4) Profit! Well, more like "Maybe win an ARC and be one of the few people in the world who get to read this book early!"

Cool, right? Now go spread the news. And the link.

http://ya-sisterhood.blogspot.com/2011/08/grande-finale-jace-vs-zachary-match-24.html

*Contest open to anyone in the world who cares to post between 8pm and 8am central

The polls are open and the Tourney is on! Vote for Jace and this is why:

Wed, 10 Aug 2011 15:47:39 GMT

http://ya-sisterhood.blogspot.com/2011/08/grande-finale-jace-vs-zachary-match-24.html

This is where you vote! Simply scroll down the post, find the voting box, and vote. Simple. One vote per computer.

And this is why you should vote for Jace! Cause I've got a lotta stuff and I want to give it away to you. :)

Thanks to all of you, Jace won his semifinal round in the YA Crush Tourney against that devious ice price, Ash! And as a celebratory prize I posted the Jace POV Manor House scene from City of Glass.

Today Jace is up against sexy Scot Zachary Moore from the excellent Shift and Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready. If you haven't read the books, I recommend them, and Jeri — who I met briefly at Romantic Times — is a doll. So if you gotta go Team Kilt, I understand. But since this is the last round of the Tourney, which means whoever wins the round wins the entire contest, it's time to pull out the big guns.

1) TMI fans, I want you out spreading the word! Link to the Tourney on Twitter any time after 8am tomorrow (use the #teamjace hashtag ) on Facebook, on your blog, on Tumblr — anywhere! Go here and leave a link to your post and you'll be entered into a contest to win all sorts of awesome things like a set of personalized books, TMI jewelry, signed posters, chapter samplers for upcoming books, and other coolness. Yes, you can post an entry more than once if you posted more than one link, but keep the entries separate.

2) So I took a poll (a short one) http://twtpoll.com/1646lf and here's the special content that won. It's what I'll post if Jace wins.

a) The unedited version of the Dirty Sexy Club scene (a Jace and, well, guess who but it starts with C, scene from City of Lost Souls) . . . before I toned it down.

I will also throw in the second runner up:

b) A substantial teaser of a *spicy* scene from CP. Tessa & ..someone. ;) Because why should ID be left out?

Bonus: If Jace wins by more than a thousand votes, I'll post one of Magnus&Alec's romantic scenes from CoLS. ;)

3) And finally, if Jace wins, I'll donate $500 dollars to Reading Is Fundamental, the same charity that the Mortal Instruments jewelry store supports. http://www.etsy.com/shop/hebelmet

Outtake from City of Lost Souls

Wed, 10 Aug 2011 02:27:39 GMT

I'm not up for crashing my site again, so here it goes. And don't forget to vote for Jace in the YA Tourney tomorrow for more outtakes and Too Hot For TV scenes.

Maia was waiting for them in MacCarren Park, on one of the narrow paths dusted with the skeletons of fallen leaves. She wore a gray leather jacket and a soft pink hat, pulled down over her ears, from which her wildly curling hair escaped in a golden-brown halo. She waved tentatively as they neared her; the first words out of her mouth were:
“Did you hear about Luke?”
They all nodded — Simon had told Isabelle and Jordan what he knew on the L-train ride over — and she fell into step beside Jordan as they went through the park, a moving foursome. Jordan had his hands in his pockets and was talking quietly to Maia, werewolf to werewolf. Simon glanced at Isabelle,walking silently beside him.
Weak November sunlight had come out from behind the clouds and picked out reddish highlights in her hair. She smelled like his own apple shampoo and Shadowhunter. “So,” he said. “Do you want me to ask why you were passed out in my bed last night when I came home, or not?”
“I didn’t pass out in your bed,” she said, as they swung left on Manhattan Avenue. The G train stop was there, and a guy was leaning against the railing, picking out a tuneless song on a guitar. Across the street was a Thrifty store where you could still get ice cream cones for 50 cents. “I passed out in your living room and Jordan put me in your bedroom.”
“He did?”
“Well, if it wasn’t Jordan, someone broke into your house and put me in your bed. Personally I prefer the Jordan theory. Less creepy.”
“It’s not that, it — what were you doing, drunk, with Jordan? He doesn’t drink much.”
“I’d imagine not. He has awful taste in tequila.”
“Iz.” Simon put his hand on her wrist. “I only want to know why you came over.”
She turned her head away from him, her shining black hair slipping across her back. There was a small Mark on the lower left side of her throat, just above her collarbone. It looked vulnerable, somehow. Simon wanted to brush it with his fingertips, but kept his hands in his pockets. “Everything sucks,” she said. “I saw Helen and Aline last night. We had dinner. They’re just so happy, and I keep thinking —” She bit her lip. “My parents are getting divorced, I think,” she said. “Alec is happy but I never see him. Jace is [redacted-sorry guys!]. Max is dead. Clary —”
“I get it,” he said, gently. “You needed someone to talk to and you couldn’t think of anyone else.”
“No!” Isabelle said, frustration clear in her voice. “I wanted to talk to you. I always — I mean, I like to talk to you. Even if things weren’t like this, I would . . . “ She looked at him, sidelong. “I mean, we did date.”
“But it wasn’t — it was never serious,” Simon said awkwardly. “I didn’t think you wanted . . .”
“Did you? Want it to be serious?” Isabelle asked. There was a certain stiffness in her voice — pride, Simon guessed. Isabelle wasn’t the sort of girl who made the first move with guys. She wasn’t the sort of girl who had to.
“Did you?”
Isabelle made an exasperated noise. “Look, I didn’t come by last night because you’re number six on some list and everyone else is unavailable. I came because — I like you. You make me feel better. Maybe it’s something about your face.”
“My face makes you feel better?” So she was saying he was reassuring, sweet, dependable, all of those things; things he knew Clary thought he was; things that hadn’t helped her look at him instead of Jace, not for five minutes. And Isabelle liked her guys dangerous, not . . . reassuring. Reassuring was for stuffed animals. How could you be a vampire and not be sexually threatening? He wasn’t sure, but somehow, he’d managed it.
He was saved more torturous conversation by their arrival at Magnus’ apartment, the lobby of which, as usual, smelled like a combination of cat pee and old pizza. Simon made his way up the stairs after Isabelle — remembering the first time he’d been here, crushed out on Izzy and secretly hoping to make Clary jealous, not that that had worked. Magnus’ apartment had been full of rainbow smoke and Downworlders; now, as they filed in, it was quiet and full of late morning sunlight.
Magnus, Jocelyn and Alec were seated around a long rectangular table. Magnus was clutching a cup of coffee, wearing a dark green jumpsuit with yellow racing stripes, his dark hair an unruly mass of bed-head. Alec looked like . . . Alec. He raised his eyebrows at his sister as she came into the room, but didn’t seem inclined to kill either her, or Simon.
But Jocelyn looked at Simon with eyes as piercing as nails.“Where’s Clary?” she said, tightly.

Read Jace's POV on the Manor Scene in City of Glass

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 16:49:53 GMT

Okay, first, THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO VOTED FOR JACE IN THE YA CRUSH TOURNEY. http://bit.ly/ndzenu Tomorrow will be an even tougher battle but for now enjoy the fruits of your victory....

Over the years, many people have asked for this — Jace’s point of view of the “hot and heavy” scene in THIS GUILTY BLOOD, Chapter Nine of City of Glass. (Page 206-211 in the American hardback CoG.) I’ve taken a few liberties here — the scene goes on a few moments past what happens in the printed version of CoG — but then so did the original draft!

The bits below in italics are the bits from the original book, to help you mentally locate the placement of the scene.

Clary heard a sharp pattering noise all around her. For a bewildered moment she thought it had started to rain—then she realized it was rubble and dirt and broken glass: the detritus of the shattered manor being flung down around them like deadly hail.
Jace pressed her harder into the ground, his body flat against hers, his heartbeat nearly as loud in her ears as the sound of the manor’s subsiding ruins.

* * *

Later, Jace would remember little about the destruction of the Manor itself, the shattering apart of the only home he’d known until he was ten years old. He remembered only the fall from the library window, scrambling and rolling down over the grass, and catching hold of Clary, spinning her down and under him, covering her with his body while pieces of the Manor rained down around them like hail.

He could feel her breathing, feel the racing of her heart. He was reminded of his falcon, the way it had curled, blind and trusting, in his hand, the rapidity of its heartbeat. Clary was holding him by the front of the shirt, though he doubt she realized it, her face against his shoulder; he was desperately afraid that there wasn’t enough of him, that he couldn’t cover her completely, protect her entirely. He imagined boulders as big as elephants tumbling across the rocky ground, ready to crush them both, to crush her. The ground shuddered under them and he pressed harder against her, as if that might help somehow. It was magical thinking, he knew, like closing your eyes so you didn’t see the knife coming at you.

The roar had faded. He realized to his surprise that he could hear again: small things, the sound of birds, the air in the trees. Clary’s voice, breathless. “Jace — I think you dropped your stele somewhere.”

He drew back and stared down at her. She met his gaze steadily In the moonlight her green eyes could have been black. Her red hair was full of dust, her face streaked with soot. He could see the pulse in her throat. He said the first thing that he could think of, dazed, “I don’t care. As long as you’re not hurt.”

“I’m fine.” She reached up, her fingers brushing lightly through his hair; his body, super-sensitized by adrenalin, felt it like sparks against his skin. “There’s grass — in your hair,” she said.
There was worry in her eyes. Worry for him. He remembered the first time he’d kissed her, in the greenhouse, how he’d finally gotten it, finally understood the way someone’s mouth against yours could undo you, leave you spinning and breathless. That all the expertise in the world, any techniques you knew or had learned, went out the window when it was the right person you were kissing.
Or the wrong one.

“You shouldn’t touch me,” he said.

Her hand froze where it was, her palm against his cheek. “Why not?”

“You know why. You saw what I saw, didn’t you? The past, the angel. Our parents.”

Her eyes darkened. “I saw.”

“You know what happened.”

“A lot of things happened, Jace —”

“Not for me.” The words breathed out on an anguished whisper. “I have demon blood, Clary. Demon blood. You understood that much, didn’t you?”

She set her chin. He knew how much she disliked the suggestion that she hadn’t understood something, or didn’t know it, or didn’t need to know it. He loved that about her and it drove him out of his mind. “It doesn’t mean anything. Valentine was insane. He was just ranting —”

“And Jocelyn? Was she insane? I know what Valentine was trying to do. He was trying to create hybrids — angel/human, and demon/human. You’re the former, Clary, and I’m the latter. I’m part monster. Part everything I’ve tried so hard to burn out, to destroy.”

“It’s not true. It can’t be. It doesn’t make sense—”

“But it does.” How could she not understand? It seemed so obvious to him, so basic. “It explains everything.”

“You mean it explains why you’re such an amazing Shadowhunter? Why you’re loyal and fearless and honest and everything demons aren’t —”

“It explains,” he said, evenly, “why I feel the way I do about you.”

Breath hissed between her teeth. “W do you mean?”

“You’re my sister,” he said, “My sister, my blood, my family. I should want to protect you —” he choked on the words— “to protect you from the sort of boys who want to do to you exactly what I want to do to you.”

He heard her breath catch. She was still staring up at him, and though he had expected to see horror in her eyes, some sort of revulsion — for he didn’t think he’d ever stated so clearly or so tactlessly exactly how he felt — he saw nothing of the sort. He saw only searching curiosity, as if she were examining the map of some unknown country.

Almost absently, she let her fingers trail down his cheek to his lips, outlining the shape of his mouth with the tip of her index finger, as if she were charting a course. There was wonder in her eyes. He felt his heart turn over and his body, ever traitorous, respond to her touch.
“What is it, exactly, that you want to do to me?” she whispered.

He could not stop himself. He leaned down, his lips grazing her ear: “I could show you.”

He felt her tremble, but despite the shiver in her body, her eyes challenged him. The adrenaline in his blood, mixed with desire and the recklessness of despair, made his blood sing. I’ll show her, he thought. Half of him was convinced she would push him away. The other half was too full of Clary: her nearness, the feel of her against him — to think straight. “If you want me to stop, tell me now,” he whispered, and when she said nothing, he brushed his lips against her hollow of her temple. “Or now.” His mouth found her cheek, the line of her jaw: he tasted her skin, sweet-salty, dust and desire. “Or now.” His mouth traced the line of her jaw and she arched up into him, making his fingers dig into the ground. Her small, panting breaths were driving him crazy, and he put his mouth over hers to quiet her, whispering, telling, not asking: “Now.”

And he kissed her. Gently at first, testing, but suddenly her hands were fists in the back of his shirt, and her softness was pressed against his chest and he felt the solid earth give way under him as he fell. He was kissing her the way he’d always wanted to, with a wild and total abandon, his tongue sweeping inside her mouth to duel with hers, and she was just as bold as he was, tasting him, exploring his mouth. He reached for the buttons of her coat just as she bit lightly at his lower lip and his whole body jerked.

She put her hands over his, and for a moment he was afraid she was going to tell him to stop, that this was insane, they’d both hate themselves tomorrow. But: “Let me,” she said, and he went still as she calmly undid the buttons and the coat fell open. The shirt she was wearing underneath was nearly sheer, and he could see the shape of her body underneath: the curves of her breasts, the indentation of her waist, the flare of her hips. He felt dizzy. He’d seen this much of other girls before, of course he had, but it had never mattered.

And now nothing else mattered.

She lifted her arms up, her head thrown back, pleading in her eyes. “Come back,” she whispered. “Kiss me again.”

He made a noise he didn’t think he’d ever made before and fell back against her, into her, kissing her eyelids, lips, throat, the pulse there — his hands slid under her flimsy shirt and onto the heat of her skin. He was pretty sure all the blood had left his brain as he fumbled at the clasp of her bra — which was ridiculous, what was the point of being a Shadowhunter and expert at everything if you couldn’t figure out the clasp on a bra? — and heard his own soft exhalation as it came free and his hands were on her bare back, the fragile shape of her shoulder blades under his palms. Somehow the little noise she made was more erotic than seeing anyone else naked had ever been.

Her hands, small and determined, were at the hem of his shirt, tugging it off. He pushed hers up, around her ribs, wanting more of their skin to be touching. So this was the difference, he thought. This was what being in love meant. He’d always prided himself on his technique, on having control, on the response he could elicit. But that required evaluation, and evaluation required distance, and there was no distance now. He wanted nothing between himself and Clary.

His hands found the waistband of her jeans, the shape of her hipbones. He felt her fingers on his bare back, her the tips finding his scars and tracing them lightly. He wasn’t sure she knew she was doing it, but she was rolling her hips against his, making him shaky, making him want to go too fast. He reached down and fitted her more firmly against him, aligning her hips with his, and felt her gasp into his mouth. He thought she might pull away, but she slung her leg over his hip instead, pulling him even closer. For a second, he thought he might pass out.

“Jace,” she whispered. She kissed his neck, his collarbone. His hands were on her waist, moving up over her ribcage. Her skin was amazingly soft. She raised herself up as he slipped his hands under her bra, and kissed the star-shaped mark on his shoulder. He was about to ask her if what he was doing was all right when she drew back from him sharply, with an exclamation of surprise. . .

* * *

“What is it?” Jace froze. “Did I hurt you?”
“No. It was this.” She touched the silver chain around his neck. On its end hung a small silver circle of metal. It had bumped against her when she’d leaned forward. She stared at it now.
That ring—the weather-beaten metal with its pattern of stars—she knew that ring.
The Morgenstern ring. It was the same ring that had gleamed on Valentine’s hand in the dream the angel had showed them. It had been his, and he had given it to Jace, as it had always been passed along, father to son.
“I’m sorry,” Jace said. He traced the line of her cheek with his fingertip, a dreamlike intensity in his gaze. “I forgot I was wearing the damn thing.”
Sudden cold flooded Clary’s veins. “Jace,” she said, in a low voice. “Jace, don’t.”
“Don’t what? Don’t wear the ring?” “No, don’t—don’t touch me. Stop for a second.”

Illustration by Burdge-Bug on Deviantart.

And on a lighter note, a contribution from Tumblr:

Cassandra Clare's Blog

Read Chapter One of City of Lost Souls

YA Tournament of Heroines!

Clockwork Prince launch party NYC (&Ed Westwick):

NEW YORK CITY: 7PM Union Square 33 East 17th Street, New York, NY 10003, 212-253-0810

An auction

London and Ireland events — an update

October teaser for Clockwork Prince

For those who've been wondering what the cover of COLS will look like...

Finalized dates for the December Clockwork Prince US tour

On the topic of special content in Clockwork Prince

Goodreads Giving Away 100 Clockwork Prince ARCs

Clary's sketchbook

Clockwork Prince ARC Crafty Shadowhunter Contest Results Show

Clockwork Prince ARC Crafty Shadowhunter Contest

City of Lost Souls September teaser

Clockwork Prince September teaser

Clockwork Prince ARC Crafty Shadowhunter Contest

August Teaser: Clockwork Prince

Winners of the YA Crush Tourney Giveaways!

CONGRATULATIONS!

Bonus content: Magnus and Alec

Love Scene from Clockwork Prince. SPOILERS

The Dirty Sexy Club Scene

So you want to read Clockwork Prince? YA Tourney: Team Jace: The Big Guns edition!

The polls are open and the Tourney is on! Vote for Jace and this is why:

Outtake from City of Lost Souls

Read Jace's POV on the Manor Scene in City of Glass

NEW YORK CITY: 7PM
Union Square
33 East 17th Street, New York, NY 10003, 212-253-0810