Hey ,
It's me again, your friendly neighborhood book weirdo, Stevie. For the love of all things fantasy and sci-fi adventure. This is the monthly newsletter! "Hi" to my lovelies that I haven't seen in a hot minute, welcome back! As always, a bit of a story about my life, or a how to, or something entertaining, then some freesies reads at the bottom, and a fun giveaway! (If you are on the monthly and would like to return to weekly emails, please reply back and say "weekly" or click the button at the bottom of this email to update preferences.)
I've committed a sin that all authors make, I punch myself in the tit before anyone else can do it for me. Sometimes I defeat myself before a troll can ever lift their mallet of choice words.
5 shameful things authors do regularly:
1) question their worth based on people's reviews
2) berate their own work before anyone has a chance to make their own opinions
3) believe that the voice of a few speaks for all readers
4) as your writing becomes better, toss your older stuff into a dusty corner like a dirty monster that no one shall name or speak of
5) forget all about those 5-star reviews they received from people who genuinely enjoyed their work and focus on the ones that didn't
Yes, I don't know an author that doesn't go through the merry go round of emotions tied to their work. From curling in a corner of self-hatred to standing at the top of a mountain feeling like they can fly. It's all over the place, and I write this now to remind myself and to remind others, no matter what you are doing in your life, writing or otherwise, focus on the people that want you to be part of their lives, not the ones that don't.
And if you've read a book, make sure to leave a review because you never know if your kind words about your enjoyment of a book is exactly what an author needs to push through and write that next book!
My first book that I published is Blood Crescent, a YA dark fantasy with romance that is a coming of age tale from weak and annoying teen to strong and secure with themselves new adult. I don't talk about the book much, and it get's a small cameo at the end of all my emails, occasionally, but again... I haven't talked about this book or the series in over a year. And what does that mean for the book and the series? It means no one has read it in over a year!
Why would they? When the author won't even speak of it, or mention it.
I focused all my efforts and attention on my new release and let my other work rot in a corner of forgotten realms.
I let the trolls, the wrong market for the book, scare and belittle my author journey to the point that I was ashamed of my first book.
I will openly admit this series is not my best writing, and I don't mean because it's bad, but because I'm constantly growing and becoming better at the craft. So, naturally anything I wrote ten years ago isn't going to be the same as something I wrote now. I'm practically a completely different person/author.
I continued to write, and wrote many more books... I literally have 5 completed first drafts of various books, from a Medusa retelling, to a fae adventure romance, and more just sitting around waiting for me to give them some editing attention, but I allowed my first series to really stall my author career for the longest time. I kept my writing hidden, and waited until I got affirmation from a publisher to launch Kingdom of Acatalec. That's another story to unpack later.
The lesson here is that my Divine series is for a specific audience, and I needed to remind myself of that and play to the strengths of the book, remind myself that there were many people who loved the writing, said it was well-done, and they eagerly gobbled up the series, and enjoyed that each book got better as they read!
Naturally, my skills as a writer became better with each completed book.
So, I gave myself an exercise to take all the good things people said about the book and create a trope image like I do with all my other books, but NEVER did for this one, because I had defeated myself before I ever got there.
These are all words used to describe my Divine Series from reviewers that I have no affiliation with. From the very beginning of my author career I purposefully told people I know, not to review my book unless it's something they normally would read, not because they know me.
The result... all of my reviews excepting 2 are from strangers, and the book has over 50+ ratings on Goodreads, even after the mass exodus of 25+ reviews being wiped from the face of the internet when Goodreads was cleaning house, who knows what their metrics were for that, since I didn't know any of the reviewers personally. Yet another rant for another time.
I recommend for anything you are feeling down about in your life to make yourself a compliment pie, Like I did with the Divine Series.
The Divine Series, despite me still not feeling as proud of it as I am with my newest book, because I still struggle with shame put there by the book not reaching the correct market... (my fault because of the learning curve of marketing.), the book received lots of praise:
When the book first came out with a different cover (my first launch before the rebrand) It made it to #1 in Vampire Suspense, Paranormal Romance and in Young Adult Myth and Legends in 2018, making it a Bestseller with over 7,000 downloads!
The problem with free downloads is that a majority of the time the book sits in someone's e-reader like a fine wine, waiting for its moment to rock someone's world. But, alas, I was not super great at marketing at the time and allowed all of those potential readers to slip away and forget about me before they ever opened the book.
I've learned a lot since then, and FINALLY have my own newsletter. I did not have a way for these readers to stay in contact with me in the beginning, my platform was not prepared at all to communicate, or be capturing anyone's hearts.
If you like slow-burn fantasy that unravels into an action-packed adventure, filled with mystery, fantasy, coming of age, chosen one quest, and flawed characters that grow as the story progresses, then the Divine Series will be an entertaining escape from the mundane world into one of magic, vampires and the supernatural.
Available on Kindle Unlimited: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MB9JJ7K
I'd love to know whether you enjoyed this series.
I will admit my writing is vastly improved from book one to book two on this series, and even more improved today, with Kingdom of Acatalec, but like all things, just because I've grown doesn't mean my journey was bad. Nor does that mean that there aren't those who would enjoy the story I created, because there were people who did, and there were people who didn't, and there will continue to be people who do, and people who don't.
This story is for those who will enjoy it, and if you check it out, and find that it isn't for you then that's okay! I have bunches of more stories to tell, and I am improving with every completed book!
Sometimes we have to remind ourselves that the few don't speak for the many, and it's a blessing to share one's imagination with those that it's meant to reach.
I hope the Divine series frustrates you in the most delicious way in the beginning and then sucks you into a whirlwind adventure that will have you sitting at the edge of your chair racing towards the end from book two on. Enjoy!
I really liked this review of the Divine Series, because sometimes readers are better at describing an author's work than the author themselves haha:
"This book was great! I am a personal lover of paranormal romance and fantasy, and this book fits all those categories perfectly. The main character, Crystal Dylan, is introduced in the beginning and instantly throws the reader through a loop with the character-driven plotline. The intertwining of fantasy creatures and vampires gives an enticing twist to the action and storyline.
The story structure with different realms and family troubles and obstacles makes this story gripping and keeps the reader on the edge of their seat. I loved the chapters having titles, you do not see that often anymore, and the table of contents. The pacing of the story is great, as we veer to the quarter mark of the book things begin to heat up and at the final point the ending is so good!
Overall, I thought the supernatural and paranormal details were well put and the powers were so interesting to learn. Both Crystal and her friend Victor were fun to read together and how they meshed as a duo. Their quest for answers and survival was very well thought out to make the idea of immortality seem so realistic.
I recommend this book to anyone who is into young adult fantasy and an intense quest filled with paranormal romance and vampire elements. The suspense-filled and intriguing plotline is so well written, this author has a way for words, and I cannot wait to read the rest of the story." - Livi Brooks on Goodreads
Read Blood Crescent on Kindle Unlimited and discover a world of magical realism, and fantastical adventures with vampires, witches and more. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MB9JJ7K
Also by me:
Kingdom of Acatalec is a fantasy adventure set in a futuristic world with deadly drone races, a kingdom with a mysterious secret that could end both civilizations, and along the way you have two magical dudes that she crushes on, but she's got more important things to do like survive this new world with the skills she's honed through adversity.
https://www.amazon.com/Kingdom-Acatalec-Book-1-ebook/dp/B0B4V9867P/
Magical world of aliens, check.
Lots of secrets, and world building check, and check.
Mystery, murder, and lies... Absolutely!
The romance takes longer to develop, yup.
MC is in a wheelchair, and that doesn't stop her from kicking ass, YESSSS!
It starts off slow, then takes off like a rocket and sucks you into the new world of Acatalec, full of adventure, romance, magic, and a futuristic Seattle with sciencey possibilities like drones as the future of transportation, brain implants like what we see Elon Musk engineering, and contact lenses that connect with it.
Go start reading/listening to Kingdom of Acatalec . Available in all the places books/stuffage is sold including Kindle, Audible and more! Even request the book at your local library! I would absolutely love it if you did that!
Kingdom of Acatalec: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B4V9867P
Already read the book? Thank you from the bottom of my squishy heart, please share your thoughts on all the places readers gather, even on your favorite Facebook groups! Many indie authors such as myself are not allow to self-promote on many groups, so your word of mouth means everything!
Review Kingdom of Acatalec on Amazon -- BookBub -- GoodReads
Review My Abett The Prequel on Amazon -- BookBub -- GoodReads
Did you enjoy this email?
~Stevie, author of all things fantasical and otherworldly adventurous, mom of a few humans in training... including my hubby. Overall booknerd, and yes... I am writing this in my pjs. Why not?
This Newsletter is weekly on Thursdays! But I can move you to the monthly, if you'd like to hear from me less often. Just reply to this email saying "monthly".
Grab this one Freesies a prequel novella to her Completed Under Black Banners Series with over 100 ratings on Goodreads!
Secret royal families. Unspoken alliances. Mysterious murder plots.
Fantasy, Romance and an bad-ass Female Assassin? Yes!
Check out Rescued by the Alien Enforcer with over 100+ 5-star ratings on Amazon!
Every skin trader in the galaxy is after me but the gold-skinned, winged beast poses the biggest threat.
I’ve been abducted from Earth and forced to dance at a burlesque on an alien prison planet where the inmates indulge in debauchery in return for good behavior. Seems human captives have become a hot commodity now that Earth is a breath away from extinction. Suddenly, every black-market skin trader and inmate with empty pockets is after me.
The Chosen One Fan Giveaway!
Some indie authors and myself have pooled together to host a fun giveaway for booklovers of fantasy chosen one tropes! Just like in my Divine Series, Chrystal is a reluctant chosen one that starts off in book one as a frustrating go-with-the-flow whisked away character, and in a coming-of-age growth discovers her strength and who she is in book two, and emerges as a strong beacon of hope and triumph in book three.
Vampires, witches, chosen one, coming of age, dark fantasy, first person narrative, weak to strong female lead, young adult into new adult growth, mystery, magical realism into fantastical magic, mundane world into the dangers of the supernatural.
Divine Series: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MB9JJ7K
And last but not least!
My Launch of my nom de plume Sky Robert:
What if there was an alien exchange program for humans to visit other planets? And one of those hunky aliens happens to be your fated mate?
Join my Sky Robert Newsletter and Read Free Today!
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Check out Kingdom of Acatalec: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B4V9867P
Check out the Divine Series:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MB9JJ7K
Check out the Treasures of Trillume Series:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BSRBF8T9
Disclaimer: Sometimes, not all the time, I do use affiliate links, at no cost to you, and I only recommend or promote things that I personally trust, checked out, want to read or have read myself. Books that I myself would share with friends and family. I do not sell your email/information.
I also do not buy/spam emails. If you are on this newsletter it is because you clicked a marketing consent when you entered a sponsored giveaway for books, grabbed a free copy of one of my books, read one of my books, saw me on socials and thought, hey that person seems like my kind of weird and decided to click that join newsletter to find out more. Affiliate codes help support this newsletter and future books.
If you're here it is because you wanted to join me in book rants, and if you don't want to anymore you are free to unsubscribe at any time, and also welcome to return at any time as well. I think that covers things... if I missed something feel free to email me.
I am a human behind these strange goings ons, so welcome to the weird, the strange, the fantastical, and all the book love I can give.
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