▁sold ▁as ▁a ▁proposal ▁in ▁a ▁two - book ▁deal ▁and ▁published ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 7 ▁by ▁Crown ▁Books ▁for ▁Young ▁Read ers . ▁Stone ▁has ▁stated ▁she ▁began ▁writing ▁her ▁debut ▁novel ▁D ear ▁Martin ▁after ▁the ▁death ▁of ▁Jordan ▁Davis , ▁a ▁ 1 7 - year - old ▁black ▁high ▁school ▁student ▁who ▁was ▁fat ally ▁shot ▁by ▁a ▁white ▁man ▁in ▁a ▁hate ▁crime ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 7 . ▁ ▁The ▁book ▁deb uted ▁on ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁best s eller ▁list ▁at ▁# 4 . ▁It ▁was ▁also ▁chosen ▁as ▁a ▁final ist ▁for ▁the ▁William ▁C . ▁Morris ▁award ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 7 ▁and ▁received ▁a ▁star red ▁review ▁from ▁Book list . ▁It ▁has ▁been ▁published ▁and ▁translated ▁in ▁Germany , ▁Brazil , ▁Indones ia , ▁The ▁Netherlands , ▁UK , ▁Turkey , ▁and ▁Roman ia . ▁Two ▁years ▁after ▁it ▁was ▁first ▁published , ▁D ear ▁Martin ▁again ▁hit ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁best s eller ▁list , ▁for ▁Young ▁Ad ult ▁P aper back s ▁and ▁at ▁# 1 , ▁in ▁February ▁ 2 0 2 0 . ▁ ▁A ▁sequ el , ▁D ear ▁Just y ce , ▁about ▁an ▁in car cer ated ▁te en ▁who ▁is ▁on ▁trial ▁for ▁murder ▁charges , ▁was ▁published ▁in ▁October ▁ 2 0 2 0 . ▁Stone ▁says ▁she ▁wasn ' t ▁planning ▁on ▁writing ▁a ▁sequ el . ▁but ▁encourag ed ▁by ▁her ▁publish er , ▁and