That’s right, you in the corner who just said TWICE UPON A TIME is out: TWICE UPON A TIME is out! How’d you know? It’s not like I’d ever blog to tell you!
The guy in the corner knows what he’s talking about, people. The second book in the HALF UPON A TIME series is now out! Will May find out which fairy tale she’s from? (Yes.) Will Jack be sentenced to death by the Sea King? (Yes.) Will Phillip ever get any love from readers? (Probably not, poor guy.)
Pick up a copy and let me know what you think of it in the comments below, and maybe I’ll give you some hints about the third (and final) book in the series! Will it be called THRICE UPON A TIME? (Hint: Maybe!) Who betrays May, and who dies? (Hint: Jack and Phillip, not necessarily in that order, but maybe!) Will I actually wrap up all the different stories going on? (Let’s hope!)
Hope you like it!
*Measured in metric, which actually means there’s less overall humor.
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I agree with the guy in the corner — definitely twice the humor!
Twice Upon a Time is awesome!! What will Book 3 be called?
Comment by Leia — April 25th, 2012 @ 2:49 pm
Knowing my math, Book 3 will probably be called SIXTEEN TWENTY-FIFTHS UPON A TIME. Though I actually kinda like that … (That’s a long way of saying, an official title should be coming soon!)
Comment by James — April 25th, 2012 @ 3:31 pm
maybe it will be called Thrice upon a time?
Comment by Jess — April 25th, 2012 @ 4:00 pm
Ha ha, awesome!! Why go with the obvious Thrice Upon a Time when anything goes in a fairy tale? Can’t wait to see the new cover art, too!
Comment by Leia — April 25th, 2012 @ 5:27 pm
OH, MY GOSH! WE LOVE THIS SERIES!!!!!
May is awesome because she’s not your typical wimpy princess. Jack is really funny, and he tries really hard to be a hero. Believe it or not, we even like Phillip, too, though he’s unbearably perfect. The first book was totally cool. Jack’s grandpa is SO funny! We love it when he goes into the house (Jack hopes to get something useful) but he comes out with a chair to watch. We love how you make twists at the end that leaves us screaming “NO WAY!” and then making our families look at us like we’re crazy because we actually screamed out loud.
“Twice Upon a Time” was better than the first one, though only by a tiny bit. The ending of the second one was shocking and a little, tiny bit sad.
SPOILER ALERT!!!!!!!
Jack fell down and broke his crown. Is he a prince? Or do you mean his head? Because if he’s a prince, maybe even May’s prince, that would make us really happy.
STILL SPOILER ALERT
We don’t really trust Merriweather or Jillian. Ever since we trusted the Wolf King and he turned out to be bad, we have hard trust issues.
NO MORE SPOILER ALERT
We are bursting with so many questions that this comment would be as long as “Twice Upon a Time” itself!
These books are our favorite books series. They rock. Seriously. They ROCK!!!! They are better than the Hunger Games, Twilight, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and Harry Potter all rolled up into one and mulitplied by fifty. Thousand. Hundred. Million. Fifty thousand hundred million.
The only thing we don’t like about your books are the end in sort of cliffhangers and then we have to wait for the next book. When is #3 coming out?!?!?!?!?
Comment by Sofia and Mckayla — April 25th, 2012 @ 9:05 pm
Sofia and Mckayla,
You both obviously have great taste. Multiplied by fifty thousand hundred million. THANKS for all the compliments!
Just for that, I’ll answer all your questions:
SPOILER ALERT — Jack breaking his “crown” just meant his head. He definitely wasn’t wearing a crown at the time. As far as he knows.
STILL SPOILER ALERT — I don’t trust Merriweather either … it’s the no-pupils-in-her-eyes thing. Jillian’s hard to trust too, because she says what people want to hear on both sides. If only there was something in the third book that made it 100% clear who’s side she was on… right before something really horrible happens …
And for your last question, Book 3 will be out early next Summer, which I know is a long time to wait. BUT I promise it won’t end on a cliffhanger, because it’ll be the last one, and wrap everything up! You can trust me, even if I don’t have pupils in my eyes.
Thanks again!
Comment by James — April 26th, 2012 @ 12:57 pm
I can’t wait to rad the book!!! I know it’s going to be awesome!! The first book was great, and I loved the adventure and the twist at the end. This one will probably be better, but it’s definitely going to be hard to top the first.
Comment by Avril — April 26th, 2012 @ 1:19 pm
Sorry, I meant read.
Comment by Avril — April 26th, 2012 @ 1:20 pm
Thanks Avril, hope you like it! I’d normally say I like both books equally, but it’s not true … I like the second book just a bit better. Not that I’d ever tell them both that, that’d be mean.
Comment by James — April 26th, 2012 @ 1:44 pm
Hey! If the 3rd book is the last book in this series, are you going to create a new series of books?
Comment by Maham — April 26th, 2012 @ 2:27 pm
Yup, as soon as the third book is completely ready, I’m going to get going on a new series. Can’t really say much about it yet, but it should be fun (and hopefully funny)!
Comment by James — April 26th, 2012 @ 3:01 pm
Just read it!!! Was AMAZING!!I was impressed the library had it 2 days after it came out! Cannot WAIT for the next one!! Totally left me sad… but Jack had good reason! Please write more soon!
Comment by Luisa — April 29th, 2012 @ 12:57 pm
Penelope cracked me up… and I totally did not see Jillian as being his sister… but hey…all they better, no??
I feel bad for Phillip, nobody really likes him.
Comment by Luisa — April 29th, 2012 @ 1:02 pm
I just finished this book. It. Is. Amazing!
I’m so rifled up, I can’t stop thinking about it!!!! So many questions! Does Jack ever become a hero?! Oh I can’t wait till Thrice Upon a Time or Sixteen-Twenty-Fiths Upon a Time or whatever it shall be called. I hope that next early summer comes soon!
Comment by MKB — April 29th, 2012 @ 1:07 pm
Luisa,
I’m impressed the library had it that quick too. I like Phillip too, and he may not be as perfect as he likes to think he is. There’s a lot more to come with him and Penelope both … after all, there was something Malevolent mentioned in the first book about Phillip and some princess….
James
Comment by James — April 29th, 2012 @ 4:38 pm
Thanks MKB! As for whether Jack ever becomes a hero … every time he tries, things seem to go wrong. Kinda looks he’s going to try the opposite approach for a bit, and see how THAT goes, doesn’t it? You’ll see for sure in Book 3!
Comment by James — April 29th, 2012 @ 4:43 pm
Well, I hope Jack at least tries to be a hero, after all it’s the thought that counts, right? (or lack of thought…whichever…)
I totally hated Jillian/Lian until the 2nd-to-last chapter…now I am not so sure… Is the grandpa coming back? He is awesome!!
Comment by Luisa — April 30th, 2012 @ 6:29 pm
merriwhether is so mean to disappoint jack. i cant wait till summmmmmmmer! it it this summer which is in a month or next summer which is in a bunch of onths?
Comment by Rachel — April 30th, 2012 @ 6:32 pm
I too have become anti-Merriwether. Especially if she is May’s fairy godmother, it was her job to hook May up with her prince, so now she falls in the same category as Phillip.
Nobody really like him, do they??
He kind of had it coming though… with the sunsets and all…(totally my favorite line though, I have to give him that!)
Comment by Luisa — April 30th, 2012 @ 6:46 pm
Hi!!!!interesting question………… IS JACK CURSED OR SOMETHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I mean really it almost seems as if there is a hidden or unknown curse on him,for every time HE LOSES!!!!But the book is as following:AWESOM ,THE BEST,FANTABULOUS ,AMAZING,WONDERFUL,CREATIVE,ASTONISHING,BREATH TAKING etc.etc.etc.…IT IS THE BEST BOOK I EVER READ
Comment by J.H.B. — April 30th, 2012 @ 6:49 pm
Ok, answers to all those questions!
LUISA — Whether Jack’s grandfather comes back or not is going to depend on a lot whether his grandson is still around to see him.
RACHEL — Summer of next year, sorry to make you wait, but I have to finish writing it first! (I know, I want it out too so you all can find out what happens, and I can stop being vague
LUISA (Again) — I actually met someone who liked Phillip … I think she was the only one so far. Poor Phillip, he’s just trying to be a good prince … though that might get him into trouble in Book 3 (title to come tomorrow, by the way!).
J.H.B. — Seriously, why does Jack always lose? It’s almost like he’s on the wrong side or something … and thanks for the compliments, that’s really nice of you to say!
Comment by James — April 30th, 2012 @ 7:26 pm
Hi again!!!! You know philips really AWESOM in the 1st book but the second he has t the adventure feelin while helping helping the “punk princess in distress”but he still is helping her.He is still pretty awesome and would be really nice as a friend.he’s not my favorite character but he’s on the top5=D.(though now I know there is being a little too optimistic)he is very funny in the part where he just barges in to may and jacks conversation and his heads filled with rainbows and stuff.
Comment by J.H.B. — April 30th, 2012 @ 8:21 pm
HAhaha, okay, so I have been randomly quoting Phillip ALL day! I am actually starting to like him… though he better not end up with May, I must say….
And yes, my friends have been thoroughly annoyed by Phillip admiring sunsets.
Comment by Luisa — May 4th, 2012 @ 6:04 pm
Ha, what can you do, sometimes a guy just needs to point out a beautiful looking sunset while on a pirate ship…
Comment by James — May 4th, 2012 @ 8:45 pm
I was in LOVE with Twice Upon a Time. The cliffhangers frustrate me, but help ALOT because in Half Upon a Time since that cliffhanger I kept thinking about the book and it was like a year and a half later when we were at Barnes and Noble in Lincoln, Nebraska and I was Like, “NO WAY! MOM!!!! CAN I PLEASE GET THIS?!” Because I saw Twice Upon a Time and I about fainted and it made SO MUCH MORE SENSE because I had been reviewing the book all that time!
I hate to say it, but I think it’s gonna be Jack that dies. But hopefully not in vain! I think he is going to take down the Wicked Queen with Jill by becoming an Eye and spying, than sacrificing his life for May. I think Phillip is going to betray May in LOVE and go for Penelope. This makes sense to me. I REALLY hope I’m wrong!!! Not with the taking down the Wicked Queen part though… He can still do that just not die… If I’m right, I will be completely amazed. I mean seriously. Jack can be… predictable. By predictable, I mean he makes stupid choices. I’m with May on that one. He almost died because he let go of Meghan to save May, which wasn’t THAT stupid but made me kind of mad at him for leaving her! But it DOES prove my point that he would die for her… AGAIN!
I about wanted to slap Merriweather for laughing at him when he said he cared for May. Destiny is what is SUPPOSED to happen. As you can see, it doesn’t always work out. I mean, Jack and May weren’t even SUPPOSED TO MEET. But that happened anyways, didn’t it? They can still totally end up together! May is a little stubborn when it comes to love. Hopefully the clouds will clear and she will FINALLY see the light!
I hate to say it, but I kind of feel sorry for the Wicked Queen. Sure she made the deadly mistake of trying to protect May, but she misses someone she loves more than anything. And she knows that the person she loves isnt dead or anything, but it RAN. That would be more heartbreaking that anything.
Phillip is… perfectly perfect. It bothers me SO MUCH! I mean, everything he does is perfect (except maybe the shark pen thing… atleast we know he can do SOMETHING wrong!). He is pretty much Prince Perfect. Atleast he doesn’t steal May from Jack. He has Penelope now! I hate how he gets mad at Jack for the Dream Eye thing. HE CANT HELP IT! And he always interrupts Jack and Mays little moments. He BOTHERS me!!!
In Twice Upon a Time, my favorite character would DEFINITELY be the little pirate monkey! He doesn’t have a big part, but is EXTREMELY funny! I love May’s reaction when he keeps trying to bottle the ship, and how he does the EXACT SAME MOTION and bottles it when May tries. I love how he can do it, but May can’t which ticks her off! He is just SO funny!
Bluebeard confuses me kind of. First he is Bluebeard, Then Maatin (sorry if I spelled it wrong!), then a Prince. MAKE UP YOUR MIND, BLUEBEARD!!1
That is all I have to say. One more thing: THIS BOOK RULES!!! CAN’T WAIT TILL THE NEXT!!!
Comment by Nichole — May 12th, 2012 @ 2:37 pm
I have one more thing to say: TAKE ALL THE TIME YOU NEED ON BOOK THREE! I DON’T CARE HOW LONG IT TAKES, I WOULD LOVE A COUPLE MORE TWISTS AND TURNS. I’m serious, take a few years if you have to. Just please answer every question. Is Jack a loyal or disloyal Eye? Will the Wicked Queen be destroyed? Is there going to be another war? Will Robert and Justin and Wallace and all the village boys (I REALLY liked them. Especially Justin) come back? If so, will they be furious with Jack? Will Samson eat someones face off? Will the huntsman come back? Will Jack find his family? Is Jillian trustworthy? Is Merriweather wrong about Jack and Mays future? Will May truly find where she belongs? Will Phillip ever be liked? WE NEED TO KNOW THESE ANSWERS!!! PLEASE!
One more question: WILL THEY BECOME A MOVIE?! I CAN TOTALLY SEE IT HAPPENING! I WOULD TOTALY MAKE AN AWESOME PENELOPE!
Comment by Nichole — May 12th, 2012 @ 2:46 pm
Once upon the end, eh? To come out next summer? (At the beginning, no less.) This pleases me.
Comment by Abriel — May 16th, 2012 @ 5:57 pm
Hey NIcole, that is an incredibly long entry.
At least we know your obsessed.
If this book became a movie, i can’t really imagine them being a person. It could be better anime or whatever-its-called.
Umm, no offense , you are a bit like Pandora. I didn’t actually find the book.
See, I was waiting for it on Nook. Then I begged my mom to take me to Barnes N Noble. I saw it showed off on the fairy tale section, because that is where I first saw it and thought it was interesting. I didn’t see the second book, until my 3 year old brother gave it to me. I loved him so much after that and practically jumped for joy and finished it in and hour or 2 .
Love Maham
Comment by Maham — May 16th, 2012 @ 8:23 pm
By the way, AWESOME BOOK.
and NIcole, don’t hate me. I’m obsessed too.
Comment by Maham — May 16th, 2012 @ 8:25 pm
Hey James,
So I was reading the second book and started to wonder why Jack can hear the fairies but not others. What makes him so special?
Love the series
So much!
Comment by Questions — June 25th, 2012 @ 9:48 pm
Don’t worry, the reason why Jack can talk to the fairies when no one else can is finally explained in the next book … I’d say more, but don’t want to spoil anything!
James
Comment by James — June 26th, 2012 @ 7:13 am
Hey also why can Jack slow time down? Is he really slowing time down or is it just some kind of illusion? You know he is really mysterious. Which is kind of annoying but is good because he’s awesome and suspensful. But its weird because he has a lot of secrets too, like May. Like what is up with his family? And his parrents? And is Jack really on the wrong side? I think that Lian(/Jillian) were childhood (like as toddlers and yougerards, even though they are still in their childhood,) firends or even siblings. And when Lian says he hurt him self, she means “Jack adn Jill went up the hill…..and Jack fell down an dbroke his crown”, right? So thats probably what she means, so that prooves that they must have known eachother beforehand. I have this theory:
Maybe Jack’s family was on the Wicked Queens side. And when Jack and Jill(Lian) we’re going up the hill and stuff. And when Jack falls down and breaks his crown, maybe his parents gave him to his grandfather. Or maybe Jack’s grandfather is really not, by blood I mean. Maybe they thought Jack was dead or something like that and a random man came and adopted Jack. And the man was on the other side. That would explain why Lian keeps telling Jack he is on the wrong side. Maybe something like that.
Also deos he become an Eye? I think he deos.
Also who is Mays parents? And why does that Wicked Queen not wnat her to find out about them? And is her parents Snow White an date Chosen One? I know your probably not going to answer these last few questions becaus eit might spoil something but at least tell which book the answers are in!
Well thanks and love the book.
Comment by Questions — June 26th, 2012 @ 10:20 am
Oh also I think Jack is like a prince or someone really high up there and who is really high and mighty and important for him to be bale to do all those cool things like hearing fairies and magical Eye sword. So yeah. Gosh he is really confusing.
Comment by Questions — June 26th, 2012 @ 10:23 am
Ha, all of that will be answered in the last book, don’t worry … even how he slows time!
Comment by James — June 26th, 2012 @ 10:49 am
I just finished Twice Upon a Time and at first was really distraught- I thought there wasn’t going to be another book! So I was relieved to find out that there’s going to be a third and final book-”Once Upon the End”. I like the sound of that. I have pretty high expectations for this book because the first two books were AMAZING! I thought (like almost everyone else) that Phillip was really annoying. It gets on my nerves the way that even when he talks he’s perfect. I mean, couldn’t he just abbreviate sometimes?! I love May, though. She is perfect in the fact that she’s not perfect- she’s only human! She has her faults and she doesn’t always understand everything (but who would, stuck in her place?!). And Jack is a great character too. Poor Jack. Why does he always seem to make a mistake at the worst moment?
I can’t wait to find out whether Jack and May ( SPOILER ALERT:a.k.a. Cinderella) end up together in the last book. I really hope so. And what happens to Pan, Maarten, Meghan, and the Piper? Why is the golden fairy still around- will she play a part in the next book? And most importantly (in my opinion); what is to become of Jack and Jill? Is Lian to be trusted? I am bursting with questions and hope that this year would speed up a bit so I can read the next book!!!
Comment by I love Half/Twice Upon a time — July 18th, 2012 @ 6:08 pm
I hope this year will speed up too, so I can see what people think of the last book! Glad you liked the first two, and thanks for saying so!
James
Comment by James — July 19th, 2012 @ 1:19 pm
i loved the books!
why cant you make a 4th book to?
Comment by may — July 23rd, 2012 @ 11:35 am
Hi May (nice name!),
If you want to see more stories in this world, I might write a fourth book (and more), but for now, the story’s over for Jack, May and Phillip in the third, so there’s nothing more to cover with those three. But let me know if you want to read other stories with other characters in that world!
James
Comment by James — July 23rd, 2012 @ 12:59 pm
As I said before I loved the first book and (finally) I finished Twice Upon a Time. Now I have a ton of questions that I now you will answer in Once Upon a End. Above you said to let you know if we want to read more books with other characters and my nswer is YYYYEEEESSSS!!!!!Here are some questions I really want to know!!!
1.Is Jack going to die?? You probably aren’t going to answer this because it will spoil the book but I don’t want him too!!!
2. What are people thinking at home in the real world about May and the Wicked Queen? Will May stay?
3. If May’s Grandmother is the Wicked Queen wouldn’t May’s mom be Snow White?? Can her mom still be Snow White and Merriwether be lying to save May from wondering and her mom didn’t get sick she git poisened by the Wicked Queen??? That is my theory.Also What appened to Snow White?
4. Where will the next book take place?
5. Is the Wicked Queens vision right about Jack next to her?
A question that you can answer,
Did you draw the covers of the books? If so they are really detailed and amazing!! They make me think about what will happen in the book before I read them soooo…. Hopefully the cover will be out soon!! Do you have a date for it??(I know that was multiple questions.. sorry)
Thank You and ..again.. love your books!!!
~Kelsey
Comment by Kelsey — July 30th, 2012 @ 8:30 am
Hi Kelsey!
Let me answer what I can … hmm…
1. I don’t want him to either, but I just write it, I don’t make the decisions!
2. May’s friends all wonder where she went, and hope she’s OK … but all they can do is wonder. For now.
3. Snow White is only the Wicked Queen’s stepdaughter. Which kinda makes the Queen an evil stepmother, too. Weird … doesn’t Cinderella have one of those? As for what happened to Snow White, don’t worry, you’ll see her again in ONCE UPON THE END.
4. Hmm … I’ll give you one hint: The first time we see May, she’s home. But … which home?
5. Wait til you see the cover of the book for that one …
I wish I could say I drew those, speaking of the covers, but a guy named Erwin Madrid did, and he’s amazing. Hopefully I’ll have the cover to show soon, maybe a few more weeks? I’ve seen it and it’s my favorite one!
Thanks for all the kind words!
James
Comment by James — July 30th, 2012 @ 8:23 pm
Yeep!!! I can’t wait to see the cover!! I hope it comes out soon!! Are you going to write any other Fairy- Tale books anytime soon?!? I would love it if you do
!!
Comment by Kelsey — August 6th, 2012 @ 6:20 pm
Maybe not fairy tales exactly, but something kind of close … we’ll see when I’m done with the last book!
James
Comment by James — August 6th, 2012 @ 9:12 pm
I finished both of the first books! MAN! they are more than awesome! I read them about 4 times. I can’t wait to see what happens with Jill and Jack and who’s the mystery prince that May is supposed to like! :O
Comment by Lauren — September 26th, 2012 @ 12:10 pm
Thanks Lauren, I’m glad you liked them (and read them 4 times, that’s amazing!)
James
Comment by James — September 26th, 2012 @ 1:39 pm