Hey Friend!
Happy end-of-June! It’s time for my next bi-monthly newsletter. Yippee!!
Summer is in full swing here at the Mitchell household. Atlanta, Georgia brings with it muggy, hot wether filled with afternoon thunderstorms and hours beside the pool. Hello sunscreen! Don’t you love that summer smell? My neighbors across the street have given us an open-ended invitation to use their pool whenever we want. We're over there multiple times a week now. It’s the perfect way to relax for a few minutes after a long day.
Okay, I’ve got some important dates highlighted down near the bottom of this email, so if you’re just looking for releases, you can scroll down. Otherwise I’ll be outlining all the things I’ve been up to:
💫Social Media/INTL Giveaway: As you probably know, I adore being part of the “bookstagram” influencer community. It's great to have a place I can talk about all things books with others who love books as much as I do. I’m currently hosting a giveaway of one of my favorite YA series. Up for grabs is your choice of The Kinder Poison or The Cruelest Mercy. This is an international giveaway and open to whatever countries Book Depository/Amazon ships. It closes Sunday, July 4th, so hurry over to my instagram post, follow the instructions to ENTER
💫Writing: I started my first draft of Koldis the Green at the end of May. I’m four chapters in + the prologue. It’s…slow going. I have the plot, but I keep getting indecisive over which characters I want to feature first, and how I want to show the magic system. So each weekend is a struggle. But I’m holding myself to one chapter per weekend to stay on track. This allows me to have about 6-8 chapters written by the time I begin posting the first draft over on Wattpad.
In bigger news, I officially finished my FIRST round of edits for my Victorian steampunk assassin novel. Three years in the works. Last weekend I came up with a new "working title" and "working cover" (both are a secret for now). I even handed it off to a couple “alpha readers” who will read it and give me some initial thoughts. Alpha readers are the people closest to you who tell you if the book is on the right track. They are slightly different from “beta readers” who generally read a more developed version of a manuscript. My goal is to begin writing query letters in early fall, and start submitting the manuscript to potential agents at that time. This is a HUGE step for me. I’ve never skipped Wattpad. Usually all my book drafts and conceptual books go there first, and then straight to indie publishing. But I’m trying something different. I’d like to take my writing to the next level, if possible. And I think this is the book that will do it for me.
💫Blogs: Aside from my usual book review blogs posted regularly, I only managed one blog this time. I try to highlight two for each newsletter. But I just didn’t get the time. If you’re a paperback owner, I think this blog might be a good one for you. Ever wonder how you can better protect your paperbacks? Keep them from getting bent, faded, cracked spines, etc? Check out the blog I wrote! HERE
💫Publications: As you probably know, I’ve been working hard to get Verath the Red published. It will be available in three formats: hardcover, paperback, and ebook. With the increase in cost for printing, I’ve had to bump the price up just a smidge, approximately ~$2 for the paperback and possibly that much for the hardcover too. It’s such a bummer, but you know how inflation works.
Other exciting publication news, Blood and Ballet is officially available in hardcover!!! **excuse me while I go scream with excitement** YES! You heard correctly. Hardcover!! It’s a joy to be able to offer this. Amazon has offered the possibility to do a case laminate hardcover. So I accepted. The downside is, you can only get it through Amazon. BUT it’s stunning. You can check it out HERE.
💫Reading: My reading game is on point this year. I’m averaging 6-8 books per month. The great Stephen King advised that all aspiring writers should read 70-80 books per year…wait…what?! That’s a lot. But believe it or not, as long as I set aside a couple hours before bed, I get plenty of reading in. I checked my GoodReads goal, and I’m already 5 books ahead of my progress to meet my yearly goal of 70 books. I cannot believe I’m sitting at 40 books so far. Wozza. Reading is such a joy for me, and it shows! I can see an improvement in my writing on account of it. A BIG improvement. I love escaping into different worlds. I try to read every spare moment I get, because I’m so addicted to it.
Oh! And my lovely husband gifted me a Kindle Paperwhite last month. Bless him! It’s the best thing ever. I never realized what a pleasure it would be. I’m obsessed with that little thing. And it drives me to read more.
Regarding books, if you’re interested, there are a couple of books I read over May/June that I absolutely ADORED! I’ll highlight them at the bottom of this email. I encourage you to check out my blog review of them and consider giving them a try if you’re looking for any new book recs. My book reviews blog is a great way to keep up with what I’m reading.
💫Important Dates:
📌 July 16th: Koldis the Green chapters will begin posting on Wattpad each Friday.
📌 August 7th: Preorders for Verath the Red open on my website. Autographed copies will be available. I’ll send an email reminder to all subscribers of this newsletter.
📌 September 7th: Official publication date of Verath the Red. It will be available worldwide for purchase.
Well, that’s about all for me. You’ll find me by the pool over the next couple of months, trying to beat the heat. But not too much relaxing, because things are busy-busy-busy. Just as I like it to be. It’s definitely an exciting time. Book launches always add so much fun to my life. Thank you for continuing this journey with me. I am honored to have you here!
All my best,
Melissa
💫My favorite reads of May and June:
The Demigods of San Francisco (KU; New favorite Series!!)
The Crown of Gilded Bones (FBAA #3)
Kingdom of Ash (Throne of Glass #7)
The Cruelest Mercy (The Kinder Poison 2)