Long overdue updates!
I have been in a deadline cave for the past 6 weeks, and a lot has happened since then
Where have I been?
I just handed in my first major revisions on LAST HOPE 2, which have kept me very busy over the last month of summer. And as soon as I turned it in…I got sick! This always happens when I push myself a bit too hard, and now I’m trying to rest and recover 🤒
GHOSTSMITH
During that deadline haze, the second and final book in the House of the Dead duology published! GHOSTSMITH is out now in the US/Canada, the UK, and in France!
I also want to thank you all, truly, for shouting about it, sharing pictures, and posting reviews—I sincerely couldn’t do this without you! Writing GHOSTSMITH was really hard for me, possibly the hardest time I’ve had writing a book so far (Wings of Shadow is up there too, and I sense a theme with last books in a series being a challenge) and I worried my readers would be disappointed. So, to see so many positive reviews was such a relief. Again, thank you!!! Y’all really are my ride or dies.
Foreign Rights
These are always tricky to share because we often don’t know when the book will be published or when we’re allowed to share the news, but I’m so happy to reveal that the House of the Dead duology will be publishing in:
US/Canada
UK
Russia
Italy
France
Spain
Czech Republic
Germany
With more to come! This has been such a thrill, as the Crown of Feathers trilogy didn’t do as well with foreign rights, and some publishers only bought one or two books in the trilogy (which absolutely sucks for readers to not be able to finish a series), but all these publishers have bought the complete duology, which is super exciting! And as I said…more to come!
Special Editions
I also want to take a moment to shout out some special editions!
The Fairyloot special edition of GHOSTSMITH is available for pre-order! I have gotten my copy of this and let me tell you, it is perfection and a gorgeous match for their BONESMITH edition. There is also some amazing character art inside, including a certain Gold Prince and some of Wren’s Breachside family…
The Bookish Box edition of BONESMITH is still available, and I absolutely love what they did for the cover and edge artwork. It’s truly stunning. I would also keep an eye out on their social media for an announcement sometime this fall… 🤐
Finally, the Dreamerwhale edition of BONESMITH is also available for my Italian readers, though frankly, this book is so pretty, I’d want a copy just for the cover. This is hands down my favorite special edition I’ve ever gotten, and like Bookish Box, they went in a wholly unique direction, which I am obsessed with.
Kobo Writing Life Podcast
I also did this great podcast interview with Kobo to coincide with the release of GHOSTSMITH, and it was such a fun chat, with a lot of discussion about my process, which might appeal to other writers out there!
You can listen on their website here, on YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts!
THE LAST HOPE SCHOOL FOR MAGICAL DELINQUENTS
Is coming out in TWO WEEKS 😱 on October 1st!! I’ve never launched two books in the same year before, never mind like 6 weeks apart, and I feel like I’m dropping the ball on keeping you all in the loop!
This book is a combination of so many of my favorite things with regard to contemporary fantasy, including:
misfits and found family
x-men style magic
magic boarding school!
mischief and mayhem, like a black market homework trade and constant side bets and shady deals
Home Alone style climax where the kids must defend against attack
So, I hope you’ll give it a try and come with me to this new genre/age category! I think there’s something for there for older and younger readers alike, and I can’t wait to hear what you think. I’ve also got some travel coming up for this release, and I’ll share more when I can!
📚 CURRENTLY READING
HEARTLESS HUNTER by Kristen Ciccarelli - I am fully understanding what all the hype is about! I loved Kristen’s Iskari series but she really knocked it out of the park with this one. I’m just on the last few chapters and am already eagerly awaiting book 2! The book is a masterclass in drama, tension, and stakes.
LEGENDS & LATTES by Travis Baldree - I read this earlier this summer, and I really enjoyed it! The audio was really excellent. It was careful world building with subtle character interactions, like the build up to a vast fantasy world—but it never left that slow, gentle state. It’s like if Tolkien never left Hobbiton, and I dug it!
📺 CURRENTLY WATCHING
Good Girls - I’ve had this on my Netflix watch list for years and I finally started the other day! It’s fun, empowering, and making my brain chew over new story ideas…
Stranger Things - I love watching this show at this time of year, and I still need to finish the most recent season, so maybe I’ll make it all the way through this time! But for me, season 1 is perfection
Okay, I think that’s finally it! Please drop any questions or comments you have below!
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Can't wait to listen to the podcast. I'm reading Ghostsmith right now and loving it!
I just listened to the Kobo podcast and you mentioned that a lot of your world building tends to get cut out and how in adult fiction it's a lot more forgiving when it comes to info dumping. Personally, I love a good info dump and was wondering if you'd ever consider writing for that age group? I'm in that awkward age group between YA and NA and would so read a book of yours targetted towards older audiences.