May Newsletter
***NOTE FOR AUDIO LISTENERS: I only found out last-minute that I could share news about the box set, so that section isn’t included in the voiceover! Sorry!***
Hi everyone!
Another month, another newsletter! (Also, um, oops, I missed last month, but I PROMISE there was a good reason! More on that later!)
I told myself I wouldn’t start this newsletter mentioning how quickly time is passing since it seems to be a recurrent theme at the beginning of all my newsletters, and I’ve begun to give myself a bit of a complex about it. So this is me decidedly NOT talking about how I’m genuinely bamboozled whenever I think about how we’re almost halfway through the year. It’s also me decidedly NOT freaking out about it. And lastly, it’s me decidedly NOT lying to myself about those first two points. (Though perhaps there’s a smidge of a fib happening that we also will decidedly NOT talk about…)
Ahem.
So! May! The gateway into June! If you live in the Southern Hemisphere as I do, you might be bracing for the coming winter (insert iconic Game of Thrones quote here…), and for all those on the other side of the world, the coming summer. Wherever you are, I hope you’re happy and living life to the full, and, of course, reading lots and lots of books!
Speaking of books (and bookish stuff), let’s jump straight in! (See what I did there? The perfect segue, if I do say so myself. *Dusts shoulders with pride*)
THE PRISON HEALER SERIES - BOX SET:
I cannot BEGIN to tell you how excited I was to learn that the fab folks at Penguin Random House Australia had decided to release a box set of The Prison Healer trilogy, but that was NOTHING compared to the excitement I felt when I was sent photos of the finished product — and even THAT paled in comparison to when I saw the set in real life for the first time!
These box sets are so SHINY and GORGEOUS and did I mention SHINY!?!? They have foil on the box! FOIL! You all know how much I love foil!!!! *Insert starry eyes here*
These are fresh off the printer and they've only just begun making their way out into the wild, but they should begin to reach your local stores soon (and in some cases, will already be there!). If in doubt, call first to check!
Alas, at this stage, these are only available for AUS/NZ readers! If ever I learn of a box set in other countries, I’ll be sure to share!
USA E-BOOK SALE:
There’s an epic sale on the e-book of The Prison Healer happening in the US at the moment, but ONLY UNTIL THE END OF MAY. So you have until this coming Friday to take advantage of this deal! If you haven’t started the series yet and you’ve been thinking about it, or you’ve already read it and you’re trying to get your friends on board, now’s the time to jump in! (And spread the word!)
GERMAN SPECIAL EDITIONS:
I’m absolutely OBSESSED with this “luxury” special edition set of The Prison Healer trilogy that’s available (in very limited numbers) by Bücherbüchse in Germany! I shared these beauties over social media when they were announced a week or so ago, but they’re so gorgeous that they deserve their own newsletter slot!
These are the redesigned covers (so pretty! so shiny!):
And here’s the other fancy details:
I’m pretty sure these are still available to purchase for anyone interested, and you can find everything you need to know (including more specifics about these editions) on their website here.
EVENTS:
I have two events coming up in June (plus my Brisbane Writers’ Festival session on The Medoran Chronicles this coming weekend, but it’s already sold out, alas!), though only one is a signing event where you can meet me and get photos, etc., while the other is me interviewing an author during their international tour around Australia. Here are the details for them both:
SYDNEY: I’m so thrilled to share that I’ll be attending Sydney Supanova over the weekend of June 22-23 out at Olympic Park. I absolutely love doing Supanova events since it’s two full days of signing books and speaking on panels and meeting all my lovely readers and hanging with fun new author friends. (Rebecca Yarros (the author of Fourth Wing) will also be signing at this event, and unless things change between now and then, you miiiiiiight just find me interviewing her for her solo panel, which I’m so excited for, given how much I love her books!)
On my end, you’ll find me signing all day both days at the QBD Books stand (aside from when I’m speaking on panels or off at lunch, etc.). I don’t have panel times for you yet, but once the schedule has been released, I’ll share the specifics over my social media, so keep an eye on my posts in the coming weeks for all the official announcements!
Note that books will be available to purchase on the day, or you can bring your own from home. Aside from the ticket entry price into the convention, there’s no cost to have me sign your books, or to take photos with me, or to listen to the panel sessions. At present, there’s no limit on how many books I’ll sign, but on the rare occasion that things get crazy with queues, the lovely Supanova volunteers sometimes enact a limit — usually 2 - 4 books, if memory serves, though you can always go back and line up again to get the rest signed!
Note also that this is MY ONLY SYDNEY EVENT THIS YEAR (as of right now), so I hope to see some of you there!
You can grab tickets by clicking here.
BRISBANE: Speaking of Rebecca Yarros, I’ve been asked to be her in-conversation partner for her Brisbane event on June 27. Tickets have already sold out so I won’t add the link, and there won’t be any kind of signing for this event (for either of us), so it’s just a fun interview where I’ll be chatting with her about her books. If you’re a fan of hers and/or the Fourth Wing series and you have any burning questions you think I should ask the Q&A, let me know by clicking the “send me a message” prompt below!
Note: I’ve never used this button before, so if it doesn’t work, just hit “reply” to this email and I can receive your questions that way. (I won’t be able to reply back, though, so don’t send through anything you want a response for!)
WRITING/EDITING/PUBLISHING UPDATE:
Okay, so.
Here’s the thing.
I have a million things to share, since the last two months have been the most exciting OF MY LIFE when it comes to career stuff, and the last week especially had the most INSANE thing happen and I’m still floating around on a cloud of disbelief.
But.
I’m not allowed to share anything yet.
I’M SORRY!!!!
I will say it’s all book-related (so nothing movie-related — that industry moves slowly, remember? As soon as I have updates on the film/TV side of things, I’ll let you know, but as of now, I’m waiting to hear how things are progressing there!)
I’ll also say that this news pertains to both my YA contemporary/survival/action/ adventure/romance book (I really need to figure out how to pitch that better, lol), AND also my brand new YA fantasy series that I recently finished writing.
I’ll lastly say that I think you’re all going to be almost as excited as I am when you hear the news.
But, alas, that’s all I can say for now! I promise it’ll be worth the wait once you find out, though!!
THE BLOOD TRAITOR - BONUS SCENE
The time has come! I’ve just uploaded the third and final bonus scene from The Prison Healer books to my website, and I have to admit, as much as I love the Jaren bonus chapter from the first book, and Torell bonus chapter from the second book, it’s this one — Caldon’s one — that I absolutely adore. I had so, so, SO much fun writing from his POV, especially since so much of this scene doesn’t actually happen in The Blood Traitor, with it happening during a… “rest” time, let’s say. (IYKYK.) A highlight of this scene for me is the banter between Cal and certain ::persons:: because the dynamic between them is just… *chef’s kiss*.
Remember that this bonus chapter is full of SPOILERS so make sure you’ve read right up to the very end of The Blood Traitor before reading it. You can find it by clicking here (and you’ll also find Jaren’s and Tor’s chapters there too, if you missed them previously!)
WHAT I’VE BEEN READING:
[Quick reminder that you can find a list of book recommendations on my website here. These include YA, adult (including romantasy), and middle grade. I’ve just updated these lists, with new faves at the top of each page]
Despite two months having passed since my last newsletter, I’ve been so busy that I haven’t had a lot of reading time (sad!), but I’ve done my best to try and sneak in a few chapters here and there. Here are some of the books I’ve read in the last 8 weeks — an odd mix of YA fantasy, adult fantasy, paranormal romance, and contemporary romance.
Also, if you’ve been following my social media stories, you’ll know I’ve been slowly re-reading The Prison Healer series, and it has been such a delight to be back in the world of Wenderall with Kiva and Jaren and Tipp and Naari and Caldon and Cresta and, and, and, ALL OF THEM! A few people have asked if it’s weird to read my own books, and sometimes it can be — sometimes it’s difficult not to read with a critical eye and cringe at poorly constructed sentences, or even wonder how I might have done things differently if I’d written the books today. I tend to feel that more whenever I go back and re-read the first two books in my Medoran Chronicles series, since those were the first books I ever wrote in my entire life, and I believe (or at least hope) that I’ve grown a lot as an author since then. But as soon as I switch off that critical voice and just try to enjoy the books as a reader, it’s as if I forget that I wrote them and I just go along for the ride of what another author has created. (It helps that I have such a goldfish memory, so it’s almost like I’m reading them for the first time, and that makes it so much fun!)
I’m partway through The Blood Traitor at the moment, and I desperately don’t want it to end. I forgot how much happens in the final book, and all the emotional torment in amidst the adventure of the quest and all the rest. No spoilers, but if you’ve read the book, I’ve just finished the chapter where Cresta stabs ::someone:: in order to “motivate” Kiva, and omggggg I somehow forgot just how much I loved writing Cresta as a character. She’s so unapologetically savage, but somehow manages to still have a heart of gold buried deep (deep) inside. I can’t wait to see how the story continues to unfold!! (Yes, I KNOW that sounds crazy since I wrote it, but I haven’t re-read this book since it came out, which was like 2 years ago. Goldfish memory, remember?!)
I’ve been making a list as I continue through The Blood Traitor to note some of my favourite scenes, so for anyone who has read the book, here’s my faves so far (keeping in mind that I’ve only just finished chapter 15 and still have like 3/4 of the book to go, so I’ll try to remember to update the rest either over my socials or in my next newsletter). These are spoiler-free mentions for anyone who hasn’t read the book yet!
Chapter 10 - the drama and ::tension:: but also especially the emotional Caldon reunion scene (MY HEART!)
Chapter 11 - Cresta’s complete lack of respect and reverence (especially her snarky commentary), and when she unties herself without anyone realising
Chapter 12 - “Who did this to you?” (*SOBS*)
Chapter 14 - When Cresta stabs that ::person:: to “motivate” Kiva
Up ahead, I can’t wait to get to the arena battle, which is literally where I’m at right now, but I have a bazillion things keeping me from continuing reading just yet (le sigh). And of course, everything that happens at the Midnight Markets is probably my favourite part of the entire book (that, or the salt mountain hike!). But there are so many other moments that I love as well, and I can’t wait to get to them! (Yes, I’m aware that I’m oddly fangirling about this book that I wrote, but, but, BUT I’m reading it as if I didn’t write it, okay! Don’t judge me! Or, actually, do — that’s all right, too!)
WHAT I’VE BEEN WATCHING:
The last two months have included a weird mix of movies/shows, since I’m definitely what you’d call a “mood watcher” and I’ve been a little chaotic and all over the place with my mood (largely thanks to the exciting news (that I can’t share yet) and all the stressy waiting time leading up to it). So I’ve seen everything from cartoons to action movies to musicals to thrillers to dramas to rom coms to superhero flicks. Here’s a list of just some of the things I’ve watched to give you an idea of the bizarreness of my taste of late. I wouldn’t say I absolutely loved any of these, and I don’t think I’d rewatch any of them, but they were all entertaining enough in their own ways!
I think, if I had to choose one as a “favourite,” I’d probably go with Argylle? BUT that’s purely because I was told that it was terrible (by numerous people), so I had super low expectations going in, and that turned out to be a boon because I actually really got into it. (It probs helps that it’s about an author trying to write a book! There were some fun moments I could relate to!)
Annnnnd I think that’s all for another month! I’m so looking forward to seeing some of you over the next few weeks in Brisbane and Sydney, and for everyone else, I’ll catch you on socials!
… Actually, for people outside of Australia: I’m getting asked A LOT about whether I’ll ever visit your countries, and my answer is that I would LOVE to, but it’s kinda up to you. I know that sounds strange, but my publishers won’t fly me all the way across oceans unless they feel pretty confident that it’ll be worth their while (book tours are expensive, folks!), so the best chance you have of me visiting is if you contact my foreign publishers directly and let them know you’d love to meet me. No guarantees that it’ll work, but, to quote The Hunger Games: “May the odds be ever in your (our!) favour!”
(Note: publisher names can be found on the books (check the imprint page after the title page if you can’t spot it on the cover), and a quick Google search will show you how to contact them (or over socials works, too!)!
Catch you all next month! And HOPEFULLY I’ll be able to share my exciting news by then!!! Fingers crossed!!
