Adventures and Reunions

Going home, meeting friends, and lots of autumnal splendor

A fancy New York cocktail in a fancy me made blazer.

Hello, friends. I hope your days have been filled with lots of leaf crunching, pumpkin carving, and autumnal goodness since last we met (unless you’re in the Southern Hemisphere, in which case I hope you’ve been enjoying warming temps and lengthening days).

It’s been a busy October for me, as I’ve finally been able to get on a plane and go home to the East Coast of America for the first time since 2018. It’s a funny word, “home.” For so much of my life it meant Virginia and Maryland, even in the years I wasn’t actually living there. I spent the first half of my twenties feeling like I had a foot planted on two different continents, not sure I really belonged in either.

Now Australia is home, and America is what I think of as my home place. The place and culture that built and shaped me, and in which I will always feel most effortlessly myself. It’s been wonderful to be with family again, to laugh with friends who’ve known me forever, to walk sidewalks and hillsides I know like the back of my hand. I gloried in fall foliage and the sounds of crows cawing to each other - who knew they sounded so different here than to the crows in other countries? - and went to some of my very favorite indie bookstores, imagining what NIGHTBIRDS will look like sitting on their shelves.

It was such a treat to meet my agent, editor, and publishing team in person for the first time since my professional life completely changed. Nothing says “I really am an almost-published author, and my book really is coming out soon” like stepping into a soaring, book-filled lobby in the middle of Manhattan and having someone usher me into its folds. As we get closer to pub day, so many exciting things are happening: I’ve approved the book’s final pages, which means it’s really, truly ready to be printed. The NIGHTBIRDS audiobook found the PERFECT narrator (seriously, get ready). I’m gearing up to announce some places outside the U.S. where NIGHTBIRDS will be flying to (hi, sweet Australia…but there are others as well!). I saw final versions of the character art I got commissioned, which I can’t wait to share. And of course, I’ve been hard at work on NIGHTBIRDS’ sequel. I’ve got a LOT of words to write between now and the new year - send me productive vibes, if you’re able - but this trip has filled my well with the creative energy I’ll need to get them down.

I was too excited to remember to take pictures with ANY of my publishing people, so here’s a photo I took just before I walked into the Penguin Random House office. It’s very pretty. I felt very legit.

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Meanwhile, on Pub Dates…

Over on the Pub Dates podcast, where Amie Kaufman and I are documenting our books’ journeys to publication in 2023, we’ve released a couple of new episodes since I wrote you last. The first is about our favorite teachers - the ones who inspired us as writers - and it was such a joy to record. In it, you’ll find out how two beloved high school teachers set me on the path that led me to Australia.

You’ll also find a wonderful interview Amie did with her long-time editor, Melanie Nolan. It’s definitely one for the writers amongst you.

You can find both episodes wherever you get your podcasts.

If you’re into sneak peeks - and I know you are, since you’re reading this - make sure you check out the Pub Dates newsletter. Super behind-the-scenes stuff abounds over there, and we’ve got some fun giveaways and an author Q&A coming soon!

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Recommendations

A book to keep you up at night…

The Whispering Dark by Kelly Andrew

I’ve loved stopping into some of my favorite indie bookstores while adventuring, but I’ve maybe bought more books than my suitcase will hold?! Still, I couldn’t resist picking up THE WHISPERING DARK, as I’ve been looking forward to this debut forever. It’s a lovely, haunting story about a deaf girl who hears whispers in the dark and the boy who isn’t supposed to love her. Full of angst, atmosphere, and ghosts galore, it’s the perfect autumn read. I’m only halfway through, but it’s the kind of book that, once fallen into, isn’t easy to climb out of again. It’s gorgeously written, with turns of phrase that make me wish I could borrow Kelly’s brain.

Mood music for long car rides…

Midnights by Taylor Swift

Look, you don’t need me to tell you Taylor has a new album out. If you love her, you’ve already listened to it, and if you don’t you’ve likely heard someone else blasting it with their windows down at a stoplight. That person might have been me.: sorry about that. Or am I?

The song I’ve been playing most is Vigilante Shit, because it reminds me very much of one of my characters. When I ask early readers who their favorite character in NIGHTBIRDS is, they almost always say Sayer. Vengeful, toothsome, sharp-edged Sayer is winning hearts already, and I love it. If you want an early glimpse into her psyche, this is the song for you.

Podcasts to listen to while you’re doing the dishes…

As you’ll know by now, I love history podcasts. This time of year I love spooky podcasts most of all, and so I’ve curated a great list of spooky-season-appropriate episodes for you to binge. You’ll find episodes on witches, poisoners, and all sorts of other goosebump-inducing topics. You’ll find this list, and a couple more, on Instagram @theexploresspodcast.

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Sneak Peek (or rather, a giveaway!)

I brought two signed advance copies of NIGHTBIRDS home to America: one for Mom, and one for taking pretty pictures of and showing off to friends. It’s come up and down the East Coast with me, and now I think it’s time for it to fly into the hands of one lucky reader. Is it you? To enter into this giveaway, leave a comment below telling me what makes you want to read NIGHTBIRDS. I’ll be posting about this giveaway on Instagram, too, and you can enter there a second time if you’d like to. Newsletter subscribers automatically get entered in twice, which means 2x your chances! International entries are welcome.

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Next month, I’ll be sharing more about my characters, including some very special art I commissioned. I seriously can’t wait for you to see the Nightbirds illustrated in all their glory. What kinds of character sneak peeks would you like: snippets of dialogue, dating profiles, quotes from each character that highlights what they’re all about? You tell me, and I’ll see what I can do.

Until then, happy autumn, and happy reading.

x Kate