Six Months of Nightbirds
Author musings, dramatic walls, and Fyrebirds hints
Why hello! Fancy meeting you here. And to my newest subscribers, welcome! If you’re looking for behind-the-scenes author talk, sneak peeks on my works in progress, and first looks at things like covers and preorder campaigns, then you’re in the right place. I’m currently publishing every other month, but I’ll pop in more frequently when I have juicy news to share.
So: Nightbirds has been out for six months. In some ways, it feels like my life has changed so much since it published. It’s been a dream made real, to see my book in so many bookstores, and in more than one country. I’ve gone to book launches and spoken on the radio; I’ve seen my work featured as one of Amazon’s top picks and in People magazine, and on reader’s lists of favorite books.
And yet, being a published author doesn’t always feel so different from my life before. Mostly, the balance of my days hasn’t changed. I still spend a lot of time in my writing shed, alone and quiet, typing away at my computer, trying my best to wrestle the stories in my head out and onto the page. The big difference, I think, is that now I’m writing not just for me, or for the vague notion of a readership. I’m writing for real readers, who’ve messaged me and come to see me at events and begged me for this sequel. Now I know who I’m writing for: you.
I’m still so proud of Nightbirds. And as frightening as it’s been, at times, to have it fly out into the world for public consumption and judgement, it’s also been a joy to know it’s out there. I never get tired of hearing from readers who’ve loved this story. I hope my girls will continue finding more.
These past few months, I’ve been hard at work in the Revision Cave whipping Fyrebirds into shape. It’s been my most challenging project to date, which is fitting. First, because it’s my first book written on contract, which means I’ve had to write and revise a lot faster, pushing myself in ways I haven’t before. It’s my first sequel, and it turns out they’re hard to write, especially when they have so many characters and such a big plot. I’ve spent a lot of time wringing my hands over it. But this week, as I take a little breather and wait for my editor’s feedback, I can feel the thrill starting to wash over my doubt. This book is bigger, darker, and more ambitious than the first one. It’s full of things that excite me, and I’m very pleased by what it’s becoming.
In other news, I also decided to paint my writing shed and hang up some art at last. What used to be a tool shed full of spiders is starting to feel much more like the cozy vintage-vibe study of my dreams.
Sneak Peek
I can’t tell you TOO much about Fyrebirds yet (including its publication date: soon, I promise!), but that doesn’t mean I can’t drop some fun hints about what you’ll find inside…
Meanwhile, on Pub Dates…
Amie and I have been taking a little break from our podcast while we both work on revisions for our sequels, but we’ll be back before you know it, and full of behind-the-scenes peeks we’re keen to share. In the meantime, have you listened to our spoiler chat episodes? I had a great time answering all of your burning questions without having to keep my answers vague.
And on The Exploress…
After taking a good long Season 4 mid-season break, I’m about to get back to publishing new episodes that dive into what life was like for the ladies in 1920s America. Keep your ears peeled for that in mid-September! In July, though, I brought a special hour-long bonus episode out of my Patreon vault and shared it with everyone. It’s the story of the ill-fated Titanic, told through the eyes of some of the women aboard.
Also, I’d like to highlight another episode that Nightbirds lovers are likely to enjoy:
In the five years The Exploress has been happening, I’ve delighted in producing especially spooky Halloween episodes. This one remains one of my top tier favorites. It’s full of jealousy and blood magic, palace intrigue and parties, witches and poison. So basically, it’s very Nightbirds brand.
What I’ve Been Reading/Listening To
I’ve been on a big-time romance kick lately, with extra points for books with a strong feminist vibe.
That’s all for now. Tell me: what’ve you been reading/creating lately?
The whole “did I mention kissing?” point on Fyrebirds has me SQUEALING 😍 also just began reading “Immortality” by Dana Schwartz and was thrilled to see it on here!
Little late to the party, but just wanted to say I enjoyed the update and throughly like your podcast :)