At approximately one o’clock yesterday morning—give or take thirty minutes—the ebook version of Orphan’s Song magically appeared on the Kindles of all the brilliant people who pre-ordered it. And in that moment, my book was released to the world. I won’t deny a certain level of anxiety—terror, rather—because as an author, so much of my heart goes into each and every word on each and every page. I do not write myself into the characters, but they are born from my heart and the story is wrung from my soul. So while I cannot help feeling anxious, I am so thrilled that the story is out there in the world finally being read. It’s been a long journey from start to finish—a journey full of myriad ups and downs—and there were so many times when I was ready to throw up my hands and flee back to the Shire and the safety of my little hobbit hole. For so long, the land of Leira has been my own secret world, and the characters—Birdie, Amos McElhenny, and Ky—they have been my own secret friends. But now, the world of Leira belongs to you readers as much as to me, and the characters I hope will become as dear to your hearts as they have been to mine. I can only liken this moment to watching a fledgling drop from the nest and waiting for it to spread wings and fly. Will you watch with me? Upcoming Events: Launch Day: October 1st—one week from today! (The ebook is available now, but the paperback releases on October 1st, so that’s when the official celebration starts!) Make sure you stop by the blog on October 1st for contest news, giveaway information, and an invite to the release party! You won’t want to miss it.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Who Will Keep the Song Alive? Every generation has a Songkeeper – one chosen to keep the memory of the Song alive. And in every generation, there are those who seek to destroy the chosen one. When Birdie’s song draws the attention of a dangerous Khelari soldier, she is kidnapped and thrust into a world of ancient secrets and betrayals. Rescued by her old friend, traveling peddler Amos McElhenny, Birdie flees the clutches of her enemies in pursuit of the truth behind the Song’s power. Ky is a street–wise thief and a member of the Underground—a group of orphans banded together to survive . . . and to fight the Khelari. Haunted by a tragic raid, Ky joins Birdie and Amos in hopes of a new life beyond the reach of the soldiers. But the enemy is closing in, and when Amos’ shadowed past threatens to undo them all, Birdie is forced to face the destiny that awaits her as the Songkeeper of Leira. Find Orphan’s Song on Amazon or Goodreads!
Gillian, I cannot congratulate you enough or say how proud I am of you. You are the first of our circle of readers to take the plunge, so the eyes of many people are on you right now. Thank you for handling this with grace and courage. : )
(I'm reading Orphan's Song right now. It's really good!!)
Yay! Glad you enjoying it, Allison! Thanks for the encouragement. :)
This must be so exciting for you! I'm going to beg my parents to buy me a copy off Amazon :)
Hope you enjoy it!
Congrats again! I can't wait to get my hands on it and read it! :D
Paperback copy in 7 days! That just slightly blows my mind – I can't wait to actually hold it in my hands.
Congrats! So exciting, and I look forward to reading it! (Though I'll probably wait for the paperback version . . . and possibly my birthday. :P)
I'm a paperback sort of person myself. And books for birthday presents are always tremendous!
Yay!! Congratulations!!! I'll be back on October 1st for more celebration and to order the paperback! =)
Awesome, Emily! I think we'll have lots of fun with the launch party and contests I have planned!
I have already read it, and loved it! I look forward to composing my review, and seeing the rest of the love sure to be showering your way! :)
So glad you liked it, Hannah! Thanks for taking the time to write up a review.
Congrats! I've been reading it for several days and am definitely falling in love.
Thanks, Maddie! Just curious – who is your favorite character so far?
Well so far I love Amos xp
But I'm also oddly attached to the black soldiers that keep popping up. They're cool.
Congrats Gillian! That's so exciting :D I can't wait to review it – I'm sure it'll be great!
I'm looking forward to having you read it, Stephanie! :)
AAHHH CONGRATS GILLIAN!!! That is absolutely splendiferous news! I can only imagine what this moment must be like for you… And oh my goodness, I can't wait for the paperback release!! :D EEE THIS IS ALL SO EXCITING!!! ^_^ *HAPPY FLAILING*
Thanks, Deborah! I can't wait to hold the paperback in my hands … I just might do some HAPPY FLAILING then myself! :)
Well, I just read the prologue. Excellent! Top-notch. Sucked me right in. Your writing has really good grist, earthy feel to it. Arrows hitting the bone, a wing being broken, desperate struggle between good and evil, the promise of the future. I'm hooked.
Sincerely hoping it will come out on audio too!
If you would like, I can spend some time reading it out loud and see what you think.
So glad you enjoyed the prologue! The audio rights are in the publisher's hands, so any action in that court belongs to the publisher. I would enjoy seeing it as an audio book someday, but we'll have to see!
I just read the preview on goodreads. I loved it! Amos is pretty cool. :-) Madame reminded me of Mrs. Thernardier in Les Miserables. Actually, the whole situation with the inn reminded me of that. I'm hoping I can get the book soon.
When is your other book coming out? (or do you know yet)
I know you have worked so hard for this! Congratulations!
Elizabeth Russell
Glad you enjoyed the preview, Elizabeth! I think Amos is pretty cool too. He may just be one of my favorites. :)
My novella Out of Darkness Rising will be coming out in February of 2015, and the second book in the Songkeeper Chronicles should be coming sometime next summer!