Road trips and pre-pub day jitters

The January Newsletter ✨

My brother John and I getting ready for his wedding, doing our best muppet faces. We may or may not have had a shot of tequila just prior.

Why hello there! Since last I wrote, I turned in the draft for Nightbirds’ sequel and have been having some hard-earned adventures. Our first stop was Mexico, where I got to be the best man at my beloved brother’s wedding. I can’t describe how beautiful it was. Dinners on the sand, humpback whales leaping from the water, an a very fast ride out to a secluded island to watch one of my favorite people marry the woman he loves. Is there anything better than seeing someone you love as euphoric as this guy right here?

My brother the GQ model.

Since then, Mr. Nightbirds and I have been road tripping our way through a portion of the USA, stopping in places we love: New Orleans, Savannah, Charleston, Asheville, Virginia. I’m writing to you now from a cabin somewhere in West Virginia, not far from the family farm where I used to spend a lot of children fall breaks and summer weekends. It’s been good to step away from the computer and refill my well with some travel and time with usually far-flung friends. I’m a big believer in finding wonder in the everyday, but the experience of being on the road has been incredibly refreshing. It’s felt like waking up after a long, restless sleep.

A myriad of adventures.

Sneak Peek

As I type this, there is just ONE MONTH LEFT until Nightbirds hits a bookstore or tablet or Audible account near you. For so long, it felt like release day couldn’t come fast enough…and now, all of a sudden, it’s heading for me like a bullet train. I’m getting very nervous and starting to obsess about things like sales and reviews. I’m told this is what it means to be a debut novelist - the stakes feel so high, and suddenly it’s like someone is trying to peel all of your armor off. But I am trying my best to enjoy this precious time; to let go of all the things I can’t control and simply relish it. After all, it’s a dream come true, and those don’t come around all that often. I am nervous, but I am also incredibly excited. I love these characters, this world, and this novel so deeply, and I can’t wait to share it.

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Another starred review for Nightbirds

Booklist gave Nightbirds an amazing review! That makes THREE starred reviews, which blows me away a little. It’s so gratifying to have people in the publishing trade think highly of my novel. I hope readers feel the same. Here it is in full:

“In Armstrong’s intricate debut novel, magic is forbidden in the stratified theocracy in which the book is set, stemming from a time when girls born with magic were hunted and killed out of fear of their power. Despite this purge, girls are still born with magic and mostly try to suppress their ability. An exception to this are the Nightbirds, young women who can transfer their magic with a kiss. At the highest level of society, the Great Houses allow and protect the Nightbirds because they can’t use their power for themselves, but their magic can benefit the members of the Great Houses. The current Nightbirds, Matilde, Sayer, and Æsa, are under threat from the religious leader, the Pontifex, as well as others intent on further exploiting their powers. The three are plunged into intrigue and driven into hiding, particularly since they have become able to fully use their magic. Armstrong’s writing is remarkably lean and focused. She expertly weaves together the various subplots and characters without superfluous exposition. The three Nightbirds are distinct in their differences, but they have the capacity to unite seamlessly. Clearly, they come into their own, rejecting the attempts of potential love interests to control them. The novel is packed with memorable characters but never so much as to interfere with the riveting plot. Armstrong ends the novel with “To Be Continued.” Bring it!”

The novel is packed with memorable characters but never so much as to interfere with the riveting plot. Armstrong ends the novel with “To Be Continued.” Bring it!”

- Booklist, starred review

Preorders (and why they matter)

I often get asked why authors obsess so much about preorders. What does it matter when someone buys your book? Of course, I’m happy for you to pick up Nightbirds a week after it comes out, or a year, or more, but preorders are really important for authors, and most especially debuts. Why? Because they signal to our publishers, booksellers, librarians, and other book buyers that there’s buzz around a book. This sign of early reader enthusiasm can increase print runs, get books into places they wouldn’t be otherwise, get an author more marketing support…you name it. Preorder sales all go towards a book’s first week sales numbers, and thus are one of the surest ways to get them on bestseller lists. So if you CAN preorder Nightbirds, it really does have a big impact on my career and the book’s success.

Me and the gals in Asheville, North Carolina.

And don’t forget: ALL preorders are eligible to receive this amazing Nightbirds pin Penguin made! Just fill out a quick online form and submit your receipt, and you’ll get one in the mail. SO pretty.

if you preorder from One More Page, you’ll get a personalized and signed copy of the book AND some lovely collectible character cards. Make sure you buy before Feb. 28th to claim.

AUSSIES! If you order the book from QBD, you’ll also get a really cool art print featuring all three characters. I’ll have more information on where to get signed copies soon.

Tour dates

Don’t forget that I’m hitting the road soon and would LOVE to see you there. Come and see me at any of the following events on Feb. 28, March 1, and March 2. I will also have a launch event in Australia (tentatively scheduled for March 9, but stay tuned on that). If you’re coming to the launch at One More Page, make sure to register on their website, as spaces are limited. And make sure you bring a sparkly headband, as I will be dudded up in FULL 1920s garb.

Foreign rights

Pssst: Nightbirds is flying to a bunch of lovely countries!! Germany, France, Czechia, Russia, and most recently, Poland. I’m thrilled to know this novel’s going to reach readers it might not have otherwise, published in languages I do not read and cannot speak.

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Meanwhile, on Pub Dates…

We took a little break in the beginning of January, but now Pub Dates is back with a vengeance, doing some time traveling back to the swinging 1920s. Amie and I just published an episode about incorporating hints of that era into our fictional worlds: what did we take? What did we leave? How did weave history into fantasy?

Soon, we’ll be throwing a very special Nightbirds party on the podcast. Don’t miss it!

Here’s a bonus for you: If you would like to get your hands on an annotated copy of the first chapter of Nightbirds, make sure you’re subscribed to the Pub Dates Newsletter -- there's going to be a secret offering in the next issue. I didn’t ask my pub team for permission to do this, but I won’t tell if you don’t.

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Things I’m Loving

I’ve struggled to read lately, what with the above stated publication day stress and constant travel, but here are some of the books I’m excited to get my hands on soon:

• Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo

• The Black Queen by Jumata Emill

• Revelle by Lyssa Mia Smith

• She Is A Haunting by Trang Thanh Tran

• Seven Faceless Saints by M.K. Lobb

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Tell me: what books (besides Nightbirds) are you looking forward to? Have you been on any adventures lately, big or small?

x Kate