Author Sarah J. Maas set the literary world alight when she was announced as the latest guest on Alex Cooper‘s popular “Call Her Daddy” podcast—sparking frantic speculation that she is set to announce a release date for the sixth book in her wildly popular “A Court of Thorns and Roses” series, which is more commonly known as “ACOTAR.”
Maas, 39, who was born in New York City, has debuted three different romantic fantasy—or “romantasy”—franchises, beginning with the “Throne of Glass” series, which she began writing when she was just 16. However, the first book was not officially published until August 2012.
She would go on to release eight books about the “Throne of Glass” world, simultaneously beginning work on “ACOTAR,” which made its debut in 2015, while her third franchise, “Crescent City,” was launched in 2020.
The author’s books proved to be an instant hit; however, they were turned into cult obsessions by the rise of TikTok’s “BookTok” trend in the early 2020s, with Publishers Weekly reporting in June 2022 that Maas’ titles had seen an 86% surge in sales between February 2021 and February 2022, helping to propel her publisher, Bloomsbury, to a record year.
According to her website, the #acotar hashtag has received billions of views on TikTok, while her books have sold more than 70 million English-language copies worldwide.
And that success only looks set to continue, with Maas’ appearance on “Call Her Daddy,” which is scheduled for March 4 at 8 p.m. ET, sparking a renewed interest in her tomes—particularly those in the “ACOTAR” series, which follows the story of a young woman called Feyre.
Maas—who started her literary career by self-publishing her work online—began writing her first “ACOTAR” book in 2009. However, it would be six more years before it was officially published.
In the years since she shot to literary fame, much has changed in Maas’ life: She moved from New York City, where she was raised, to Pennsylvania with her husband, Josh Wasserman, whom she met in college. The couple welcomed a son, Taran, in June 2018, and a daughter, Sloane, in 2022.
“I am lucky enough to have a partner that I’ve literally grown up with,” Maas said of her spouse during a 2024 interview with the “Today” show’s Jenna Bush Hager.
“I’ve been with him for over half of my life now. He was my first boyfriend, my first anything. This sounds very cheesy to say—but I think I can write about true love because I get to live that every day, and have someone that supports me and cheers for me, and is just rooting for me, and isn’t threatened in any way by my success.”
Three years after the release of the first “ACOTAR” book, the family moved into a palatial Tudor-style mansion in Haverford, PA—purchasing the seven-bedroom, 6.5-bathroom dwelling for $3.3 million in 2018, according to property records.
In its listing description, the dwelling, which sits on 0.9 acres, was described as being located on “one of the most coveted” lanes in its community, offering “8,000 square feet of carefully designed perfection.”
Among its more luxurious amenities are a “stunning chef’s kitchen,” a circular stone staircase that leads to a “custom built wine cellar,” and a stunning pool area in the backyard.
During their time living in the home, the couple welcomed their second child, Sloane, and Maas also published a total of four books: two in the “ACOTAR” series, as well as “Kingdom of Ash,” the finale of “Throne of Glass,” and “House of Earth and Blood,” her debut “Crescent City” novel.
It was also during this period that Maas’ popularity really took off, with the author revealing in February 2020 that she’d been forced to fill the entryway of her dwelling with hundreds of boxes that contained signed books requested during a virtual event.
“Behold: the state of chaos that my house has become!” she wrote, while posting photos from her dwelling on Instagram. “Thank you so, so much to everyone who ordered a copy—I can’t wait for you guys to read this book!!!”
While the author has attempted to keep her private life away from the spotlight, she and her husband, who goes by Papa Maas online, shared several glimpses into their home, including sweet snaps of Wasserman trick-or-treating with his son in the neighborhood.
However, in 2021, the couple quietly sold the home, having initially listed it for $3.75 million in August 2020, with Maas later revealing that the family had relocated to Los Angeles—sparking furious speculation that she had moved to the West Coast to work on the TV adaptation of her “ACOTAR” series.
She made that news official in May 2021, announcing on her Instagram that she was working on a script for the pilot of the show—which had been picked up by Hulu—with showrunner Ronald D. Moore, while jokingly blaming her husband for letting the news slip accidentally.
“So, it’s official (and thank you, Josh, for accidentally spilling the beans!). Ron Moore (creator of Outlander and one of my creative idols) and I will co-adapt ‘ACOTAR’ as a TV show for Hulu!
“I’m currently hard at work writing the pilot with Ron (!!!!!), and while there is SO much more news to share with you guys about bringing this series to life, it just feels so great to finally be able to talk about this! Stay tuned for more details!!”
Maas spent two years living in L.A. with her family before revealing in a June 2023 Instagram post that they were relocating back to New York City, where they have been living for the past three years.
The author has yet to reveal whether they plan to remain in the Big Apple. However, she hinted in 2025 that much of the sixth book in the “ACOTAR” series had been written at a more remote spot in the mountains, sharing a tongue-in-cheek video of herself closing her laptop before popping Champagne in front of a very rural backdrop.
“First drafts DONE,” she wrote in the caption.