Brent’s New Children’s Book!
by
UPDATE: As most of you have already guessed, this post was an April Fools’ Day announcement. We’ve just posted the alternate masthead (above) and here’s another book cover (below left) that we thought about using. Big thanks to Lauren Panepinto for her genius cover designs for the prank!
I’m delighted to finally be able to announce why my forthcoming Lightbringer novels have been delayed, perhaps indefinitely. I’ve been working on a delightful new series for children, called Ninja Kitty. I’ve already signed on with Rover, a new imprint of Orbit, for six books. While I understand that some fans will be disappointed to hear that it will be 6-7 years until the next Lightbringer book comes out, I’ve always felt that it’s important for an artist to be brave enough to go in new directions, even if he is, unfortunately, in the middle of another series. I believe that the Ninja Kitty series will also be a great way to introduce young children to my work, so that by the time they’re 10 or 11, they’ll be ready to be introduced to the themes of cannibalism, prostitution, and murder that are so central to the Night Angel books. In addition, kitties give me a great way to tie my work to existing memes. Think of any kitten pic you’ve ever seen on the internet. Now think, NINJA KITTY printed over that. Great, huh? That’s actually how my agent pitched it. Being an artist is great, but at the end of the day I’m here to make money. Lots of it. And I’m not supposed to say this, but there have been some really exciting preliminary talks with a certain director who brought the much-beloved movie about bending air *cough cough* to the big screen.
I’ve answered some questions about the book below:
Why did you decide to write a children’s book?
Well, six books, and that’s just to start. 1) Children’s books are easy. 2) Have you seen the crap parents will buy for their kids? Why not get in on that? 3) Market synergies. I’m not going to leave a dollar on the table.
What’s it been like to write in an entirely new genre?
Easy, and my assistant fixes all the minor details, like when I forget the kitties names and or the plot. I find I can write one of these in a couple days, max.
When will the book be published?
As soon as we can get all the media tie-ins organized.
Oh, and I suppose that I should post the official press release from Orbit:
“Orbit is pleased to announce their new children’s imprint, Rover. The launch title, by New York Times Bestselling Author Brent Weeks, will be One Kitten, Two Kitten… Ninja Kitten! and leverage synergies with Orbit’s many corporate partners to create a multilateral bifurcated print/digital/collectible platform. Senior Editor Devi Pillai says, ‘Rover seemed like a natural next step fr us. As a part of a corporate mega-conglomerate, Orbit feels a duty to monetize as much of its customers’ lives as possible. We realized we’d been shamefully neglecting early childhood thus far. Plus, kitties.'”
=D
What a great way to start the morning! My niece has a birthday soon – when will it be published?
I don’t mind about the delay, it’s happened to other authors. Will you be doing an author tour, I saw you in Manchester and really enjoyed the reading.
Must…. Own…. Ninja Kitties!
Well, I really hope this is an april’s fool 🙁 6-7 years waiting for the next Lightbringer book? :'(
If not April Fools, I’m about to take a beating for saying something that isn’t extremely pro-cats on the Internet.
This is awful news to me – I’ve re-read tBK several times and I’ve been tweaking for more.
I love this man.
Spent the whole day disappointed yesterday (though I strongly believed this to be an April Fools, but as the news had been written on the 31th March there could have been the chance that it wasn’t one…) and had another bad day today due to lot of work, but this update really got me back to uncontrollable smiling and happiness! 😀
Will now start to re-read the Nightangel trilogy and then will go on with the Lightbringer series again..happily 🙂
So glad its April fools day 🙂
I’m so excited for these new books!
You’re joking, right? Please tell me you’re joking.
P.S. Check the date.
Anyone else notice the Typo in the “offical release”
Will the be plush kittens to collect?
*purrr* Plush kitties! Yes! (With itty-bitty nunchuks, surikens, and katanas, of course!)
Thank, goodness, for the date.
I would have been really depressed, Brent, if you were seriously going to put Lightbringer on hold for more than a year. Really, really depressed.
Much love still though. Good joke. xD
So 10 and 11 year olds will be “introduced to the themes of cannibalism, prostitution, and murder that are so central to the Night Angel books”? Ok this has to be an April Fools Joke. Children at that age shouldnt be exposed to that and because i do not want The Lightbringer series to be delayed a year let alone 6-7 years. Although the Night Angel series is Great!
Woke up to read this.
Was about to go do things that would land me in jail because of it.
Saw today’s date.
Cried. (From happiness)
Going back to sleep.
I like your style 😛
*Checks the Date*
Whew!
I would totally buy Ninja Kitty though.
agreed, ninja kitty sounds awesome
So I know April fools… but please write at least one Ninja Kitty book, please. K thx 😀 can i haz ninja kitteh boookz plz!
If I already didn’t have a heart attack today thanks to my best friend and his love to honor this day, I’d have it right now … Why do you people want my heart to explode?
What’s funny about this is … even though I’d be sad to see Lightbringer delayed … I would be all over this book. And I’d probably get it for multiple people as Christmas presents.
In fact, I sent this link to my sister and she bookmarked it so she could keep her eye out on publication updates. ..
Wow anyone who took this as real needs to rethink some things in their life, lol. Also on a different note, I would actually read ninja kitty.
Have you seen the sales figures for GO THE F*CK TO SLEEP or GOODNIGHT, IPAD? There’s quite the market for silly fake kids’ books.
(As a science-fiction convention book-seller, I’ve sold more copies of those two books than of the GoH’s newest paperback at a convention I worked within the past year… I would *absolutely* stock ONE KITTEN, TWO KITTENS, NINJA KITTEN!)
Awesome. Can’t wait. It’ll go up next to Scalzi’s new musical!
I know this is a joke, but I would be interested in reading this series.
This cracked me up!! I love a great author with an awesome sense of humor! HAHA ^_^
Mr Weeks is a genius!! No one can refute that, however if this is not an April fools joke his status needs to be modified to a mad genius. Honestly though since the moment I decided to buy “The Way of Shadows” cause the cover reminded me of the “Thief” games I could tell that Brent is not that type of author to ditch his fans for 6-7 years! I call hax Mr Weeks, and a well played April fools 😀
It’s really hard for me to know that I ‘ll have to wait 7 years for the next book of this incredible, amazing, unforgetable serie,euuuuh, the light something…? Am I right?
I understand your point, earning much more money is also a goal in life, and making easy money by selling crap to children is a great achievement too, I love the idea.
I proud of you…:o) lol
But, be sure that my own son will never read your children books, perhaps the others, but not theses ones, don’t like kittens stories, I hate kittens, a good kitten is a dead kitten!
Finally someone reads their fan mail. Just found Mr Weeks, but I have been spamming his inbox with a FLOOD of Reddit driven requests for MORE KITTEN focused material.
Thank all that is holy. You are gonna make so much money on these ninja kittens!!!
Cruel Mr. Weeks, cruel. But hilarious. The mere thought of the Lightbringer series being delayed…almost broke my heart. The thought of you writing a ninja kitten series…awesome. Nough said.
Spent a whole five seconds in pissed-off rage-sadness checking when this was posted. Well played, Master Weeks.
you had me going for a moment, well played, you almost made me cry
Well, the truth is if you wrote it, I would probably read it. Besides I really love cats. Although my heart skipped at beat at the 6 to 7 year wait for the next Lightbringer book. You just can’t joke about something like that (cannibalism, prostitution, and murder are always good for a laugh, but not delayed books).
Have to say, that was freaking hilarious. I just wish my boyfriend had seen it, that would have made it all the more funny.
…….Ninja kittens? *pulls out sketch book*
-_- You asked for what is about to happen….