It was during my book tour for Stars Above: A Lunar Chronicles Collection that the idea for this coloring book began to take hold. It wasn't my idea, or even my publisher's idea, but rather the fans- those brilliant self-dubbed Lunartics- who started to ask me, at nearly every book store I visited, if a coloring book was in the works.

Just a few years earlier, this would have been an impossible fantasy. After all , regular old book series don't get coloring books! Those are reserved for children and big franchises. Thirty-two pages of princess line art or farm animal activities, sure, but my young adult space opera? I'll keep dreaming!

But them, seemingly overnight, a coloring book craze started to sweep through the book world, and coloring was no longer just for kids. As it turns out, it's a perfectly acceptable way for teenagers and adults to reduce stress, increase concentration, and explore creativity. who knew? What's more, a trend that stared out as abstract zen drawings was quickly expanding to include, of all things, beloved book series. So the impossible fantasy of a Lunar Chronicles coloring book started to seem, well, possible.

One other surprising thing happed on the Stars Above tour. It started at the launch party in Seattle, when a fan handed me an envelope containing a handful of 4x4 squares of paper, each with a fragment of a drawing on them. She instructed me to hold on to the squares throughout the tour as there would be more coming and, at the end, they would combine to make "one epic image." She was right- at nearly evert event, someone would eventually arrive at my signing table with an envelope full of colorful puzzle pieces

I soon began to anticipate these deliveries, becoming giddy each time a new batch was handed to me. After the events, my publicist and I would sit at a table at out hotel bar assembling the pieces, trying to interpret the newest pieces (Look , it's Winter! It's Scarlet I ... have no idea what thot one is. OMG it's Iko), and watching as the complete image was slowly revealed.

Most impressive to me was that one fan-artist, Kathryn Gee, had coordinated the whole endeavor. Not only had she drawn the image for the puzzle, but she had divided it into pieces and each one to a professed Lunartic, encouraging them to color their square as they saw fit. Each of the twenty-eight contributors even wrote a heartfelt message on the back of their piece before mailing them to those who would be attending the events, in order to be delivered to me.

I was amazed by the ingenuity and organization is must have taken to pull off. And, once all the pieces were assembled and the image was revealed, I was staggered by how beautiful, and yes, epic it was.* Those abstract 4x4 squares had turned into a portrait of the entire Lunar Chronicles crew, thoughtful colored by readers who had joined Cinder and her allies for every trial, adventure, and victory. It was an inspiring collaboration, and one of the most meaningful gifts I have ever received.

Not long after I returned home, I tolf my publisher that fans kept asking for a coloring book, and was surprised and delighted when they felt the idea had potential. I was even more delighted when the agreed to consider a wild and crazy idea- I wanted a fan-artist to do the artwork, and I had just the artist in mind.

Though I had never met Kathryn before, it was easy to track down her artwork online, and once my publisher saw her talent and the enthusiasm she had for the Lunar Chronicles, we all felt she was exactly the right person to bring this coloring book to life. We were all so trilled she agreed to be a part of this project.

From the start, we wanted this books to be by a fan, for the fans. I think we;ve accomplished that. I love that reader support has mad a Lunar Chronicles coloring book not so impossible after all, and I look forward to seeing how all you talented colorists are going to interpret the world, the characters, and Kathryn's gorgeous artwork.

So sharpen those pencils, Lunarics. We have coloring to do!

*The original artwork is included as the final illustration of this book.