At last I can broadcast the news — my second book contract! From Publishers Marketplace:

Kell Andrews’s DEADWOOD, when an ancient tree sends a message through carvings in its bark, seventh graders must break a code and a curse to save their doomed town…because the message isn’t just about the tree, to Jennifer Carson at Spencer Hill Press, by Kathleen Rushall at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.

Giddiness! Relief! Deep breaths!

Wait, did I say this is my second book contract? Yes, but observant readers will notice that this is for my first book, DEADWOOD, published recently by Pugalicious Press.

I took a risk when I accepted a contract from Pugalicious, a brand-new small press. I did it with my eyes open — many small presses fold before their second birthdays, taking books and authors with them. But I trusted the vision and intentions of Pugalicious editors. I was willing to take a chance on them, because I wanted DEADWOOD to have a chance with readers.

And it did — for a little while. Then Pugalicious suddenly closed.

DEADWOOD was out of print. The editors returned my rights swiftly, professionally. No hard feelings — just tender, bruised ones. We had ventured. We had risked. We had fallen short.

So did my bet lose?

Not yet.

My editor, Jennifer Carson, accepted a job at Spencer Hill Press, a rapidly growing independent publisher that has launched New York Times and USA Today bestsellers. And she wanted to take DEADWOOD with her.

By taking a risk and a few detours, I’ve found a home for my book a publisher with great distribution, publicity, marketing, and momentum. Thank you to Jenn and my agent Kathleen for having the patience and flexibility to pull this off.

A new publisher is a gamble, but every move we make in publishing is a gamble — self-publishing, a big advance, a new small press. Every word we put on the page is a tiny risk, if we’re doing it right.

But here’s the funny thing. When you play roulette, if you bet on red but land on black, you lose. But in real life, you might land on a color you’ve never imagined, and it might be just the perfect one. You can win anyway.

I took a chance, and I’m glad I did. Good bet.