Win an advance copy of A Forgery of Roses!
In This Issue:
Updates from My Laptop
Book Rec of the Month - Lakesedge by Lyndall Clipstone
Writer Life - Why Preorders Matter
Exclusive Newsletter Giveaway - Signed ARC of A Forgery of Roses
Updates from My Laptop
I'm sorry it's been a few months since my last newsletter! I promise I'm still here! ;) I've had a lot of non-book related things on my plate lately, but things are starting to calm down just in time for me to gear up for the release of A Forgery of Roses!
So what have I been up to lately with my books? Well, I just turned in first pass pages for A Forgery of Roses, which is the second-to-last chance I get to read through and flag any errors or typos in the book. Pass pages are for tiny little changes, like word choice or comma placement. At this stage, the book is already typeset and designed, so I can't change things that would force them to re-paginate anything. It's really only for the tiniest edits that might have slipped through the cracks! I'll have one more pass soon--called "final pass pages"--and then the book will be off to the printer. Hard to believe my second book is going out into the world soon!
Oh, and I also approved the text file for the Sing Me Forgotten paperback, which will hit shelves on February 1st and will include a sneak peek of the first chapter of A Forgery of Roses! If you want a paperback copy, I'd love if you preordered one! You can do so HERE. (or anywhere the hardcover is sold--Barnes & Noble, Indiebound, Amazon, Book Depository, Target, Wal-Mart, etc.)
I've also had so many exciting secret publishing things happening, and I can't wait for when I am allowed to share! Overall, I feel so very grateful for people's enthusiasm and excitement for my books. It truly blows me away, so thank you all for buying my books, for telling your friends, and for being a light to me! Authors couldn't make careers out of telling stories if it weren't for their readers. :)
Book Rec of the Month - Lakesedge by Lyndall Clipstone
This book officially came out a few weeks ago, and I'm so excited for everyone to get to read it! I love everything about it--a monster love interest, a gothic manor by a cursed lake, dark magic... it's all of my favorite things!
Here's the official blurb:
There are monsters in the world.
When Violeta Graceling arrives at haunted Lakesedge estate, she expects to find a monster. She knows the terrifying rumors about Rowan Sylvanan, who drowned his entire family when he was a boy. But neither the estate nor the monster are what they seem.
There are monsters in the woods.
As Leta falls for Rowan, she discovers he is bound to the Lord Under, the sinister death god lurking in the black waters of the lake. A creature to whom Leta is inexplicably drawn…
There’s a monster in the shadows, and now it knows my name.
Now, to save Rowan—and herself—Leta must confront the darkness in her past, including unraveling the mystery of her connection to the Lord Under.Â
Order it on:
Amazon, BookDepository, IndieBound, Barnes & Noble, or Books-A-Million
And make sure to add it on Goodreads!
Writer Life - Why Preorders Matter
Before I got into this career, if I wanted a book, I waited until it came out and then if I saw it at a bookstore, I would go, "oh yeah, I wanted to buy that book!" and I'd pick it up then. Now, if there's an author I'm actively trying to support whose book I know I want, I make sure to preorder that bad boy as soon as I am able. Why? Because preorders are HUGE. HUUUUGE.
Preorder numbers tell publishers that there is interest in a book. You know what that means? That means that if the publisher sees there's already interest brewing for a book before its release, they might allocate more marketing dollars and more publicity push to get that book more visibility. The more visibility, the higher a book's sales will ultimately be (because people usually don't buy books they haven't heard of before--especially during the pandemic when most book shopping has moved to online). AND more preorders signal to publishers that people like this author, which means the publisher will be more likely to buy a sequel or future book from that author.
So if you like an author's work and want more of it, the best way to help get more books from that author is to PREORDER.
But publishers aren't the only ones paying attention to preorder numbers. Bookstores are, too. Big preorder numbers make bookstores pay attention. Instead of only stocking one or two copies, they'll see folks are excited about this book and stock five or ten. They'll shelve it face-out. They might even make a pretty table display. They'll contact the publisher about doing a signing or event. And what do all of these things do? They move more copies of the book and help the author succeed.
Also, preorder numbers lump in with the first week sales numbers, which means that an author's best chance at hitting a bestseller list depends a lot on--you guessed it--PREORDERS!
Put quite simply, when you preorder a title, you are playing a key role in helping grow an author's career. Cool that you could have that much influence, right?
Plus, it's also fun to get the book on your doorstep the day of release. Sometimes I'll have forgotten I preordered a book and then it's like a fun little surprise present to myself!
SO, all that said, if you feel inclined to preorder A Forgery of Roses, you will be my favorite human for the day (and I have cute babies, so that's saying a lot ;) And if you do, make sure to hang onto your receipt (or a screenshot of proof of preorder!), because I have a fun preorder campaign coming your way very soon!
Exclusive Newsletter Giveaway - Signed ARC of A Forgery of Roses
Oh, hey, want one of these pretty advance copies of A Forgery of Roses???
Well, then you're in luck, because I'm doing another giveaway!!! If you want to be entered to win a signed ARC of A Forgery of Roses, all you need to do is respond to this email telling me what kinds of things you think would be the coolest preorder campaign gifts! (Authors often do bookmarks, signed bookplates, art prints, etc). As I'm currently finessing the details of my preorder campaign for Forgery, I want to make sure I'm including things y'all would actually want! And even better if it's a cool idea that hasn't been done before! I want your creativity!Â
I must receive your response/entry by 11:59pm CST on Tuesday, Nov 2, 2021. I'll send out an email on Nov 3 to the winner. You must be willing to provide a valid mailing address at that time. Must be 18 or older or have parent's permission to participate. Open internationally. If I don't hear back from the winner within 48 hours, I will choose a new winner.
THANK YOU SO MUCH for subscribing! I'll be sure to keep these exclusive prizes coming your way to show you how much I truly appreciate you letting me into your email inbox. Y'all are the best!