Beyond the Frost-Cold Sea Update: The Final Countdown

THREE DAYS, YOU GUYS

IngramSpark is still processing my files. Based on their three-business-day turnaround, everything should be ready tomorrow. That means that tomorrow (Wednesday), I *should* have a way to preorder the book.

Thank you so much for bearing with me on this endeavor.

I have a Facebook author page as of about an hour ago, if you’d like to follow it. I’ve also updated the widgets in the bottom left corner of the blog (under “Find Me Elsewhere”).

No new chapter this week–sorry! We’ll be back to our regular posting schedule next week.

I’ll be back later this week with more information on buying the book (a Real Book! that you can hold in your hands or e-reader!) and about my Virtual Launch Party on Friday.

I appreciate you!

Song of the Week

Poe, “Haunted”

It’s Monday again.

This is the week Beyond the Frost-Cold Sea launches! Right now, I’m still waiting for my files to finish processing. Once that happens, I should be able to assemble purchasing links and possibly paperback preorders. Thank you for bearing with me as I figure out this process.

I’m also having a Virtual Launch Party on Friday at 6pm (US Central)! It will be a YouTube livestream, and I’ll have the link for that available once we go live, so keep an eye out on Friday.

I am juggling how much time promotional stuff for the launch is going to take, so I may have the next chapter of Journey to the Water up on Patreon this week. If not, it’ll be up next week and we’ll be back to our regular schedule of chapters.

Once Beyond the Frost-Cold Sea is out into the world, I’ll start Part Two of The Book of the New Moon Door! It will alternate with Journey to the Water, first on Patreon and then here on the blog. I’m also looking to start a Patreon-exclusive project soon, so stay tuned.

I appreciate you! Have an excellent week.

Beyond the Frost-Cold Sea Update: IT’S HAPPENING

All the files are uploaded!

IngramSpark takes three business days to process everything. I was hoping to have preorders open today–please bear with me, I’m doing this for the first time–but I have to wait at least until it’s done processing (by this estimate, Tuesday or Wednesday). I’ll let you know as soon as I have an update.

Even if I don’t manage to get preorders working, the book will release in SEVEN DAYS: January 28! I’m planning a virtual launch party, and I’ll have more information about that on Monday.

I’m so excited! Thanks for being here for this process.

Journey to the Water Chapter VII: The Slope of Ewandar

Journey to the Water cover image: three evergreen trees stand on a hillside, shrouded in bluish fog. Subtitle reads: the sequel to Beyond the Frost-Cold Sea.

Table of Contents

My first tasks were menial ones: mending a roof, hauling water from a spring in the forest, and helping Kala reset her fish traps. The work was no great effort, though my eyes wandered every moment to the stone edifice behind the huts. I assumed, with no stretch of the imagination, that this was the temple, and when my work was done, I would enter it, and perhaps catch a glimpse of my beloved for the first time since he was stolen from me.

His god had promised me he would be safe. I would only believe it once I saw him—I had lost my faith in gods. I hoped that the god of this island, to whom the grandmothers paid homage, would prove more worthy of trust.

Continue reading “Journey to the Water Chapter VII: The Slope of Ewandar” →

Song of the Week

Laura Marling, “Night Terror”

It’s Monday again. It’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, also. The wheels of history turn toward justice, but slowly, and not without great effort.

Here’s what’s happening in my world this week:

I’ll be on Twitch tonight from 6pm until 8 Central time, if you’d like to stop by and chat. [ETA: no stream Thursday. See you next week!]

On Wednesday, I’ll have the latest chapter of Journey to the Water up! If you need to catch up, all available chapters are under the Stories tab above.

I’m finishing up the final formatting of Beyond the Frost-Cold Sea. I should have an update later this week, which will hopefully include information on paperback preorders.

I think that’s it! Have an excellent week.

Beyond the Frost-Cold Sea Update: Good News and Bad News

The good news is that I have a real cover, though as you can see, IngramSpark isn’t allowing any of my good fonts. Here is an updated cover reveal. It took me SEVERAL DAYS to get the background images to upload at a high enough resolution. The last paragraph on the back cover (left) is new also.

Further good news: my January 28th release date is a go! There should be a way to preorder the paperbacks before then. I’ll let you know as soon as I figure it out.

The bad news: In order to make literally any money off of any retail sales (and not owe them money for each book published), I have to set the paperback price at $14.99 and the ebooks at $3.99. These are pretty average prices for major retailers, but since you already have access to a free version, I wanted to make them cheaper. It just didn’t work out, and I’m sorry. There may be a way for me to give you a discount if you buy copies directly from the printer, where the retailer doesn’t take their (ENORMOUS) cut. I will do some more digging in the next week and come back with anything I find.

Thanks for sticking with me! I should have another update next week.

ETA: Also, the book is 312 pages long, including all the front material (table of contents and such) and some bonus content in the back! A nice, quick little read.

New Patreon Post/Journey to the Water Chapter VII

I had lost my faith in gods. I hoped the god of this island, to whom the grandmothers paid homage, would prove more worthy of my trust.

Journey to the Water Chapter VII

The latest chapter of Journey to the Water is now available on Patreon!

Song of the Week

Iron & Wine, “Woman King”

Happy Monday! I hope you’re warm where you are, because the arctic wind is blowing here.

Have you read the latest chapter of Journey to the Water? I’ll have the next chapter up on Patreon this week.

Beyond the Frost-Cold Sea is getting closer to publishing! Stop back here later this week for another update.

I’ll be streaming on Twitch tonight and possibly Saturday night.

I think that’s it for this week. Stay warm!

Beyond the Frost-Cold Sea Update!

Here is where things stand as of today (Saturday 1/8):

I’m going to be publishing through IngramSpark, which will allow me to get the book out to a wide variety of retailers.

There will be both ebooks and paperbacks available.

I am about a third of the way done with the last round of edits before my manuscript gets uploaded to IngramSpark’s book building program.

The cover design may change slightly depending on what said book building program allows me to do. If so, I’ll show you all the new design.

I am aiming for paperback preorders to open on Friday the 21st, and the book to release a week later on the 28th.

That’s it for now! Thanks for sticking with me.

Journey to the Water Chapter VI: The Isle of the Priestesses

Journey to the Water cover image: three evergreen trees stand on a hillside, shrouded in bluish fog. Subtitle reads: the sequel to Beyond the Frost-Cold Sea.

Table of Contents

The girl led me through a forest unlike any I had ever seen. Bright golden fruit peered out between leaves of deepest emerald green, and birds with cerulean feathers called out to each other from the tops of tall trees. A scarlet lizard, a tiny cousin of the fire-breathing salamander I had fought in the arena of Phyreios, skittered across the narrow footpath.

I asked the girl her name, and between bites of the pastry with which the captain had bribed her, she told me it was Kala. She was handmaiden to the grandmothers—a position of great honor, I inferred, especially for one so young. 

Our path sloped upward, toward the mountain at the island’s center. The only clouds on that bright blue morning ringed the black peak like a crown. Though the earth did not tremble and the mountain was still, it was a volcano, no less mighty than the ones that sprang forth in fire and steam from the sea in my homeland. 

Continue reading “Journey to the Water Chapter VI: The Isle of the Priestesses” →