Let Us Eat Cake

Epic birthdays and finishing sequels

I usually send this newsletter out on the 28th of the month, but I waited for this one. I wanted to be able to type the following words, with feeling: FYREBIRDS IS DONE. Well, not DONE done, but it’s officially out of my hands and off to copyediting. That’s where someone much more detailed-oriented than I am reads through the book for everything from typos to name/date inconsistencies to confusingly constructed sentences to “wasn’t Willan holding a sword before?” queries. Being in copyedits means the book is very close to being in its final form, and I couldn't be more delighted. There were moments in my journey with FYREBIRDS when I worried I couldn’t do it justice. The story is just so BIG, and there is so much I wanted to do with it. But now that it’s done, the final chapter written, I know I’ve create something I’m proud of. It’s full of fierce magic, female rage, the power of friendship, some excellent romantic moments, and characters I continue to fall in love with. I don’t really want this particular story to be over. But now that it’s (mostly) done, I find myself impatient to share it with you. By next newsletter, I’ll be able to announce EXACTLY when that day will be. And hopefully some cover news, too!

Away from the writing desk, I’ve been busy having a few excellent adventures. This Scorpio Child just celebrated a big birthday with a trip to the windswept wilds of Tasmania. I soaked in a tree-fringed hot spring, stroked a baby Tasmanian devil, and climbed many small mountains. I love nothing more than hiking up hills and letting my mind wander wherever it fancies. Inevitably, it meandered over to a story I’ve been dreaming about since probably 2015, and which I hope will turn into my next book project. It feels strange to dip my toes into a world that isn’t NIGHTBIRDS, but exciting too.

Exploring Cradle Mountain National Park in Tasmania. The sky was blue, which we were told means we were lucky.

I’ve been going to see some really cool theater too. One show, called Love Lust Lost, was like a live choose-your-own-adventure in a creepy old hotel, complete with swearing pirates and sailor girl dancers. Think Sleep No More and Ten Thousand Leagues and The Little Mermaid all wrapped up together. I also just went to see Moulin Rouge! the musical. What a lush, magical, glitter explosion of a good time! I LOVED that movie as a teen, and it was such fun to see it brought to life on stage. There’s something wonderful about immersing yourself in someone else’s art. It never fails to inspire my own.

Me at Love Lust Lost, trying out my best pirate face. Is it working?

I managed not to sing along during Moulin Rouge! the musical, for which I think I deserve a special prize.

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News

Nightbirds has come out in Spanish, Polish, and Portuguese! I watched a reel the other day of a Polish reader talking about why she loved Nightbirds. I had no idea what she was saying, which is kind of a thrill in itself. Nightbirds will come out in French in January, and the German edition shouldn’t be far behind it.

Nightbirds sitting pretty in Polish.

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Upcoming Events

I’m excited to be a featured author at GenreCon in Brisbane this year! Come and see me February 23-25 at the State Library, where I’ll be talking about magic, research, and all things fantasy. I’d love to see you there. You can snag your tickets here.

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Meanwhile, on Pub Dates…

Amie and I are still taking a little break from our podcast, but we’ll be back in December for some fun holiday episodes. We’ve missed you all! 2024 will be full of behind-the-scenes peeks on our sequels we truly can’t wait to share.

And on The Exploress…

Season 4 is back! We’ve gone deep diving back into women’s lives in 1920s America, including what they got up to at work and working at home. Next up, an episode about all things cars and dating. These everyday life episodes are always SUCH good grist for the creative mill: I learn so much, and it always gives me new ideas for my novels. I also released a small Halloween bonus about a lady poisoner, which I imagine the Nightbirds fans amongst you will enjoy.

The next few months will take us back into some of the more glamorous (and sometimes gritty) parts of the Roaring Twenties: we’ll meet the scandalous women of Chicago’s Murder Row (the ones who inspired the musical Chicago).

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What I’ve Been Reading

I eagerly awaited this third installment in the Wolf Den trilogy, and it is perhaps the best of them all. This series, about a woman living by her wits in ancient Pompeii, is everything I love in a historical, rich in detail AND drama, and told through a unique lens. If you haven’t picked this series up yet, imagine me pressing the first one into your hands and whispering “do itttttttt.” If you’re curious, I did an interview with the author over on The Exploress when the first book came out, and will be releasing a new one this week.

I wanted fun banter and a sweet love story, and that’s exactly what I got with this one. Christina Lauren’s book are going to become a comfort read, I suspect.

Truth to tell, I’ve been too busy revising my own novel to read a lot of books by others. My TBR right now is unreal. Here are some of the books I’m fanging to dive into…

My next reads

That’s all for now, friends. For those of you in North America, please go and crunch some dried leaves for me. If you’re in Australia, like I am, enjoy that summer sun.

x Kate