The Road Through Debut Year is Long Yet Goes By Fast
Can you believe there's a little over 3 months before In the Company of Killers releases?!
Hey there!
It’s been a little while since I last wrote a newsletter. Life, and lots of writing and marketing, have gotten in the way. I decided though on this last day of November that it was time I sat down and sent out a quick update to you about what’s been going on in my life and reveal some exciting updates that have been happening for In the Company of Killers!
So, what have I been up to?
Nearly two months ago, I finished writing the first draft of my sixth book. Above is a small hint at the secret Pinterest board I have for it! It was a bit brutal to do under the circumstances. I’ve heard many times over the years of pursuing traditional publishing that second-book syndrome is a thing and it WILL find every author no matter how prepared they think they will be. Second book doesn’t necessarily mean the second book you’ve ever written, but just the second book you work on post-debut book deal. And boy, did it hit me. I wasn’t sure I would make it to The End (and there are many instances of [fill out scene here] or a descriptor of what I want to do in the next draft), but I did and I’m relieved more than anything to have done it. There are more circumstances around why it was so tough that I can’t get into right now, but I hope someday soon that I can! Please have all your fingers and toes crossed for me in the meantime.
I also got to announce an exciting debut bit of news! Two independent bookstores, one based in New York City, USA and one based in Toronto, Canada, both agreed to partner with me for a preorder campaign which includes signed copies of my book! This was a big hope I had and I’m so thrilled it came true with two incredible bookstores. All copies of In the Company of Killers preordered before March 18th, 2025 will automatically be signed (and personalized, if you’d like) by me. They’ll also come with some bookish goodies I haven’t announced yet, so stay tuned for that! Books of Wonder ships across the United States and will ship internationally as well. TYPE Books ships across Canada and has graciously offered to give a 20% off discount code at checkout for any preorders through them! How sweet is that?
Any preorders mean the absolute WORLD to me, but if you’d like to make it extra special for yourself, then please consider preordering through one of these stores! I also have some more exciting news to share in the new year about these two (plus more…) that I can’t wait to reveal. It’s going to be loads of fun!!
Books of Wonder Signed Preorders
I also had commissioned an absolutely STUNNING new piece of my mafia children done by the extremely talented, Emma Gillette! I knew I wanted something softer of Tasha and Leo given how dramatic and intense a lot of their story is (and my branding around them can be) since they do have a few softer moments together. This piece depicts a scene in the book I asked Emma to bring to life that’s a near-kiss moment and one I love dearly. It’ll be included in the preorder campaign I mentioned above, so stay tuned for how you can snag a print of it!
Fun little fact: while editing this scene, my editor asked me if I could just *maybe* have these two kiss here as part of their building romance. I said, hmmmm…no. But I *can* give a forehead touch and hands-against-the-chest moment! What can I say, I love slow burn a little too much haha.
On the international sales front, I’m thrilled to share In the Company of Killers is going to Poland! Books4YA, an imprint of Wydawnictwo Zielona Sowa, will translate my debut into Polish and add it to their amazing list of YA books! This was such a thrilling piece of news to receive and an author dream to have my book translated into other languages! Here’s hoping more translation deals are in the pipeline.
Another exciting and fun thing that’s recently happened is pictured above! Indigo has included In the Company of Killers into their Most Anticipated Teen Books list which is a HUGE honour as a long-time Indigo customer and Canadian reader. I got my Plum membership way back in 2013 when I was still a teen myself, so this is extra special to me. I’m not sure how long it’ll be featured on this list, but if getting plum points is important to you, then I’d jump on this offer!
On a personal note: a week ago, I got to attend N6 of the Eras Tour in Toronto with my Momma!! This was such a special night for us and a year in the making! We had incredible seats facing directly at the stage that allowed us to see the entire show easily and had a fantastic time singing along with Taylor at the top of our lungs. As you can see from the photos, Mom and I dressed up as the Lover Era with matching sparkly cowboy hats and face glitter. We had so much fun celebrating such a talented artist with 50 thousand other fans! The whole night wouldn’t have gone so perfectly if it weren’t for such kind friends on my end and my mom’s. We were able to get tickets because of the wonderful Elle Tesch (a fellow Canadian and debut buddy!) and my mom’s dear friend who helped us find a beautiful place to stay nearby after all the hotels booked out long ago. Feeling very grateful and blessed still!
What Am I Currently Reading?
I’m currently enjoying two very special Young Adult books, one very popular recent release and one yet-to-be-released by two authors I greatly admire! Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli and Royal Heirs Academy by Lindsey Duga are quite different from each other, but both are so gripping and have such unique spins on their subject matter!
If you haven’t already heard of Heartless Hunter, it’s about a secret witch and a witch hunter playing a very fun game of cat-and-mouse set in a kingdom inspired by the island of Newfoundland. This is extra fun and special to me as my partner, Josh, is a Newfoundlander and I spend a lot of my time on the Rock! I’m a few chapters in and I can already see the Newfoundland inspiration! I’m enjoying the set up for a very fun and very dramatic enemies-to-lovers romance. I also may have some special news to share that’s related to Kristen in the near future….for now, all I’ll share/say is, look at this lovely photo of us at her debut book launch all the way back in 2017!
Royal Heirs Academy is releasing January 7th, 2025 and is with the same publisher Little, Brown, so Lindsay and I thought it would be a great idea to swap books! I’m loving the fresh spin on a prestigious boarding school with a unique mix of protagonists we’re following throughout. My current fave is Emmeline, but that shouldn’t come as a surprise since she’s the most like my girl, Tasha! It’s definitely for all the readers who love The Princess Diaries and the American Royals books.
And that’s all from me for now! I’m still so shocked how fast this year has gone by. It’s a bit cliche, but it really does feel like yesterday I got the call from my agent letting me know we sold In the Company of Killers to Little, Brown BFYR. And yet, it’s almost been TWO years ago!!! Wild. I’ll be trying not to lose my mind over the remaining months until release day and continue to try my best spreading the word about my book child who I love dearly. I hope you enjoy the remainder of 2024 and that the final month of the year is good to you!
Until next time,
team forehead touch!!!