Celebrations
Launch parties, authorly anxiety, and the art of letting go
Nightbirds has been out for just over a month. I can’t quite believe it: the time has - pardon the bird reference - flown by. I was prepared for some of the highs and lows of being a newly published author. The sweet thrill of a dream made into reality, the elation of meeting readers, the glow of getting rave reviews. It’s been filled with so many fun surprises (the book is a bestseller in Australia! It got picked for a popular TikTok book club! A friend spotted it in a major American airport bookshop!). And then there are the inevitable disappointments, the author anxiety, the total lack of control over what happens next. It hit me all at once that this book will never again be truly MINE. It belongs to the world, which will make of it whatever it will. There is something lovely in that release into the wild, in having a world that was only in your head for so long become one other people can visit with you. But it’s also hard to let go of something so precious to me. Will it find readers who will love it? Will it make any meaningful mark in our busy, fast-moving times?
And then there is the disconcerting feeling of exposure. Our art is not our hearts; it is not us. It is an expression, not an extension. But we pour so much of ourselves into our work. It’s hard not to feel like, when people don’t like it, that they’re making some judgement on the artist. We know better, of course, but it all feels so personal. Which is why I’m grateful for you. I have heard from so many friends, old and new, this month: readers who’ve taken the time to read Nightbirds and share their love for it. People who’ve shouted about it online and shared it with people in their circles. As my dear friend Amie just said in her newsletter, it’s a tough landscape right now for authors. Old marketing isn’t working as well as it did, and publishers are still trying to figure out new ways of reaching readers. Word of mouth matters more than ever, and your enthusiasm makes such a different to this debut author. I have treasured every email, message, post, and text. Thank you.
News
It’s been a fun and busy time, what with my whirlwind book tour. One of the perks of being an Ameristralian who calls two countries home is that I got to have not one, but TWO launch parties! I dressed up in 1920s attire for both of them (obviously). It was a joy to get to celebrate in person with my family on both sides of the world, to share the moment with friends and Exploress and Pub Dates listeners, and teens who dragged their moms along to see what this Kate J. Armstrong lady was all about.
Australia, my adopted country, sure ushered me home with a warm reception. I was shocked and delighted to find out that Nightbirds is a bestseller here! I’m thrilled by how my beloved Aussies are taking to my magical girls.
To thank my Aussie friends, I’ve sent some signed bookplates and a limited number of character cards to some indie bookstores around the country. First come, first served!
Sneak peek: The Nightbirds Playlist
I listen to music when I write. Partly because it’s been a way to train my brain to get the wheels turning, no matter where I am or what’s around me, but also because it helps me capture the mood. The right songs help me hold onto the emotions and tone of a scene, to ground me fully in it. But they also inspire my stories in ways I’m not absolutely sure I am aware of. I hope you enjoy this list full of (mostly) female power ballads and atmospheric melodies. They were on constant repeat every time I opened up my draft.
A Special Giveaway: Show Us Your Nightbirds
I’m so excited to have my Nightbirds out in the world that I’m giving away three VERY special prize packs! See the images below for the rules and the list of prizes. This is open internationally - I’m hoping to give a pack away to someone in the USA, someone in Australia, and someone elsewhere in the world. The idea is to post your picture on social media, but if that’s not your thing, you can send it directly to me at katejarmstrongauthor@gmail.com. As a newsletter subscriber, your entry counts twice. Hurrah! Just make sure to let me know via email or a comment below that you’ve entered and are a member of this particular club.
Meanwhile, on Pub Dates…
Over on my podcast with Amie Kaufman, we had a Nightbirds launch party! It was a joy to reflect on the moment.
We also released an interview with both of our wonderful character artists, who told us all about the process of bringing other people’s characters to life in portrait form. It’s a fun conversation about creativity and a collective love of stories.
Oh, and have you listened to The Exploress?
Season 4 of my history podcast is now in full swing, and it’s all about (you guessed it) the 1920s! I’ve already published an episode on flappers - get ready to learn some very fun slang - and on the women who helped make Prohibition a reality. Soon we’ll meet some of the women who defied the booze ban, which is something I can’t wait to get into.
I’ve ALSO published some special interviews with author friends, including my BFF Amie Kaufman and fellow debut Lyssa Mia Smith (see below), about using the 1920s as inspiration for our fantastical fiction.
What I’m Reading
After months of being too distracted to sink into a novel, I’m back, baby! Two of these are re-reads: the Captive Prince series (because sometimes you just need to climb back into a favorite and swim gleefully around in it) and Amie’s The Isles of the Gods. I can’t wait for the rest of the world to get their hands on this novel. Also…
Revelle by Lyssa Mia Smith: I’m still reading this, but what a delight! Think 1920s Moulin Rouge, but with magic.
Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo: this sequel to Ninth House is dark, atmospheric, and lovely, quintessential Bardugo (which means I liked it very much).
A Restless Truth by Freya Marske: the second in her Last Binding trilogy, and just as much of a fun, queer, whimsical romp as the first.
The Davenports by Krystal Marquis: Bridgerton, bit in Gilded Age America, and make it Black. I loved these enterprising women finding their own paths to love and success.
What I’m Sewing
I sewed a 90% historically accurate flapper dress for my big launch parties! But I ALSO made this completely fabulous, 70s-vibe gold velour jumpsuit. It is secret glamorous pajamas, and I love it. It’s the Avenir Jumpsuit by Friday Pattern Company, made out of stretch velvet.
That’s it for now! Let me know what you’re reading. And if you’ve read Nightbirds and loved it, it would delight me to hear that too.