News: June 23, 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR CASSANDRA CLARE SIGNS SECOND FANTASY TRILOGY DEAL WITH SIMON & SCHUSTER CHILDREN'S PUBLISHING

New York, NY, June 23, 2008—Margaret K. McElderry Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, today announced it has signed a deal for a young adult fantasy trilogy set in Victorian times, titled The Infernal Devices, by Cassandra Clare. Ms Clare is the author of the New York Times bestselling City of Bones and City of Ashes, and the forthcoming spring 2009 City of Glass, the three books in The Mortal Instruments trilogy, also published on the McElderry list. The first book in the new trilogy, The Clockwork Princess, will publish in hardcover in fall 2010, followed by The Clockwork Prince in fall 2011 and The Clockwork Kingdom in summer 2012. Paperback McElderry editions will follow in fall 2011, fall 2012 and fall 2013, respectively. The deal, which is for US rights, was negotiated by Karen Wojtyla, Editorial Director of Margaret K. McElderry Books, and Barry Goldblatt of Barry Goldblatt Literary LLC.

"Cassandra Clare is a powerhouse writer who sweeps you off your feet with her dazzling plots, while creating characters so convincing you could almost swear they were real," said Karen Wojtyla, who will be editing the books. "I can't wait to return to the devilishly delicious world of the Downworlders and Shadowhunters for this new trilogy. Cassandra has taken the world of YA fantasy by storm and what a joy it is taking this ride with her."

"Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments has been a tremendous bestselling series for McElderry Books and we're thrilled to be in a position to offer readers memorable fantasy from Cassandra for a long time to come," said Emma D. Dryden, VP & Publisher of McElderry Books.

The Infernal Devices trilogy, a prequel to The Mortal Instruments trilogy, follows 16-year-old orphan Tessa Fell, whose quiet life is thrown into turmoil when her older brother Nathaniel suddenly vanishes, leaving her alone. Tessa's search for him leads her into Victorian-era London's dangerous supernatural underworld, where warlocks throw masked balls for half-demon Downworlders. When Tessa discovers that she herself is a Downworlder, she must learn to trust her natural enemies, the demon-killing Shadowhunters, if she ever wants to learn to control her powers and find her brother. Torn between beautiful Will, a Shadowhunter hiding a deadly secret, and the devoted Jem, whose addiction to a demon drug is slowly destroying him, Tessa must draw on all her strength to save her brother and keep herself alive in this deadly new world.

"I'm completely blown away by the success of City of Bones and City of Ashes, and Simon & Schuster has been such a huge supporter of my writing, so I couldn't imagine a better home for my new trilogy than with the team at McElderry Books," said Cassandra Clare. "The support I've received from my fans both online and at my book signings has been so amazing, and I hope they will love these new characters and the supernatural world of Victorian England just as much as I've enjoyed writing it for them."

Cassandra Clare was born overseas and spent her early years traveling around the world with her family and several trunks of fantasy books. Cassandra worked for several years as an entertainment journalist for the Hollywood Reporter before turning her attention to fiction, and in 2006, her first novel, City of Bones, became an immediate New York Times bestseller. Cassandra lives in Brooklyn, New York. Visit her online and check out her wildly popular blog at www.mortalinstruments.com.

Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, one of the leading children's book publishers in the world, is comprised of the following imprints: Aladdin Paperbacks, Atheneum Books for Young Readers, Libros para niños, Little Simon®, Little Simon Inspirations™, Margaret K. McElderry Books, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, Simon Pulse, Simon Scribbles, and Simon Spotlight®. While maintaining an extensive award-winning backlist, the division continues to publish acclaimed and best-selling books for children of all ages. In addition to numerous Caldecott, Newbery, and National Book Award winners, Simon & Schuster publishes such high-profile properties and series as Eloise, Olivia, Raggedy Ann & Andy™, Henry & Mudge®, The Hardy Boys®, Nancy Drew®, The Spiderwick Chronicles, Charles M. Schulz's Peanuts®, Nickelodeon's® Dora the Explorer®, Blue's Clues® and SpongeBob SquarePants®, and Mirage studios' Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles™. For more information about Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, visit our website at http://www.SimonSaysKids.com.

Simon & Schuster, a part of the CBS Corporation, is a global leader in the field of general interest publishing, dedicated to providing the best in fiction and nonfiction for consumers of all ages, across all printed, electronic, and audio formats. Its divisions include Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing, Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, Simon & Schuster Audio, Simon & Schuster Digital, and international companies in Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit our website at www.simonsays.com.