Back In Action!

Hi, guys!

I apologize for being gone for so long, but I'm happy to say that I'm back, baby, and quite possibly better than ever :).

I have been working diligently on some very exciting things for the past few months, and will have a BIG announcement coming up at the end of this month.  And no, I'm not going to tell you what it is because it's a surprise.  You're just going to have to wait because I'm evil like that ;).

Thank you so much to all who participated in naming the next installment of the Fairytale Assassin short story series. I got distracted by other projects, but then decided to go a different way with the naming, so I wanted to let you know that. I appreciate the support, though, and the great names you guys put out there.  I love this blog. You guys are so awesome!

Anyway, fun stuff is coming down the pipeline, so stay tuned!

I also have 10 authographed copies of the delightful trade paperback version of Legacy of the Empress that I'm currently selling :). I'm happy to autograph these any old way you'd like and may even include some bad artwork if you're lucky, so snap them up for any loved ones who love a great fantasy adventure for under the tree!  You can purchase them HERE.

How many people can say they got a book for the holiday personally autographed just for them? I think that would be pretty darn nifty, if I do say so myself.  I'm using wepay.com for the transactions, so it's easy and safe for all.

Other than that, you'll be seeing a lot more of me 'round these parts... so hold onto your butts.

Legacy of the Empress is available in PAPERBACK!

The day has come!  It's finally here, and I am practically vibrating with excitement :).

Legacy of the Empress is a FOR REALS book!  On paper!  With bindings and pages and new book smell!


To your left you will see me holding a copy of my for-realsies paperback novel, formatted with tender loving care, and looking completely and utterly awesome.

330 pages full of goodness.. in my actual hands.

I know that I've said in the past that when the day came that I held my book in my hands, that I'd get a big pile of them and swim through them like Scrooge McDuck, however... now that the day has come, I don't want to crease them with my flailing body.

They are just too pretty.

In related news, the trade paperback is available on Amazon for $10.99!  How awesome is that?

So if you love the feel of a delicious papery book in your hands, and also want a great epic fantasy read, here you go.  You're all set :).

I have my first ever book signing this Saturday at 5:30 p.m. in Vancouver, WA at Cover to Cover bookstore, so if you're in the area, come say "hi!"  I will be thrilled to see you :).

Thank you for letting me share this incredibly exciting moment with you, and for all of the love and support over the past couple of years.  You guys mean the world to me.  ((internet hugs!))

New Cover Art! A Paperback! A Book Tour! OH MY!

In case you've been wondering what I've been up to when I've been horridly neglecting you, here's some new and exciting news! :)

Legacy of the Empress has a Fancy Pants professional cover, and is coming out in paperback form NEXT WEEK!  That's right, ladies and gents. I'm going paper, and I'm going there hard.  The book will be a nice sized trade paperback, and will be priced at $10.99.  Woot!

Along with that awesome and most excellent news, I'm excited to say that I'm going on a booktour around the Portland Metro Area in October with some other really cool, local YA Authors.  Since Legacy straddles the line between YA and epic fantasy, they were nice enough to have me.

Here's where you can find me if you live in the area:

• Cover to Cover Bookstore on October 1st, from 5 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
• West Linn Public Library on October 7th, from 6:30 p.m. - 8:15 p.m.
• Beaverton City Library on October 20th, from 4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
• A Children's Place Bookstore on October 22nd at 1 p.m. - whenever they kick us out!

So, all of you Pacific Northwest Internet Friends, come say "hi!" :)  I'll be the one getting all nervous and sweaty before reading a passage from my book.

I'm so excited!  I hope I get to meet some of you face to face. How cool would that be?

Also, please tweet, facebook, or blog about these events, or even the paperback. It would be a huge help.  Thanks for all your support, guys!

Hardcover Vs. Paperback

I was going through my favorite editor and agent blogs today, and found an old post of Moonrat's that got me thinking.

She had a delimma: should her debut novelist's book come out in hardcover or as a trade paperback?

(http://editorialass.blogspot.com/2008/12/to-cloth-or-not-to-cloth-or-age-old.html)

It was fascinating, because I'd never really sat down and thought before about the pros and cons of either--I just figured when the time came, my Awesome Future Editor would tell me what the house was thinking of going with and I'd say "Hooray!" no matter what.

However, Moonrat laid out that for some authors, coming out only in paperback makes them Sad Pandas because they feel that their book is being slighted and won't be reviewed as widely.

BUT in this economy, are people really buying hardcovers? I know I don't unless it's something I've read in paperback and want to collect and preserve for all time. Those things are expensive!

Yet their expensive-ness is what makes them three times as profitable... WHAT TO DO??

Sell more paperbacks, but run the risk of not creating good review buzz? Or sell fewer hardcovers, and run the risk of their never being a paperback run because your publishing house is saddened by your awful, tiny, puny, microscopic sales numbers?

What do you guys think? Which would you go with if you had the choice?

Cloth or paper?