Song of Leira, Book Three of The Songkeeper Chronicles, releases in just 2 weeks. (So crazy excited, y’all!) Tomorrow, I’ll be sending out a special preview of the first two chapters to my newsletter list, so if you want to get a sneak peek at the story, make sure you’re signed up!

And for those of you who choose to pre-order, we have a special reward!

First … a free Songkeeper Chronicles short story, River of Song. More about that later.

Second, you will also get your name entered in a drawing for a “Super Fan” prize pack, including:

• A gorgeous, new Song of Leira woodmark (that’s a wooden book mark for those of you not up on the lingo) designed by the incredible In The Reads.
• Birdie, Amos, and Ky character cards (true collector’s material, y’all!)
• and a special print out of the map of Leira so you can find your way through the storyworld

The more pre-orders we get, the more prize packs will be up for the grabs. (Which means you’ll have more chances at winning!) The prize pack drawing will take place on June 8th.

As for the short story, you guys can get access to it now! River of Song is both a sequel (fits between Songkeeper and Song of Leira) and a prequel and an important piece of the story you won’t want to miss.

And like most good stories, it has a backstory too.

Originally, it was supposed to be the prequel to Song of Leira. But eventually, the story kept on growing and I decided that there was another story you guys needed to read as the prequel instead.

*hint hint*

 

So River of Song became a short story, with a lovely cover designed by the fantastic Hannah S. J. Williams. You guys should definitely check out some of her other work!

Pre-ordered Song of Leira and ready to read River of Song? Upload your pre-order receipt here to claim your copy!

And don’t forget to add Song of Leira to your to-read shelf on Goodreads too!

I just got back from a fantastic weekend selling books at the Called To Teach convention! I met so many new readers and got to chat about books and writing with some incredible teens, so of course, I’m even more excited about Song of Leira’s upcoming release!

(Only 3 weeks, guys.)

As part of the celebration, I’m working on some exciting additions to the website so you guys can better explore the world of Leira. Not to mention some behind-the-scenes type blog posts that will be coming soon and a host of fun giveaways and parties to celebrate the release!

And right now … my fantastic publishing company is hosting an amazing sale for the Orphan’s Song and Songkeeper ebooks!

Check it out, guys! Isn’t that amazing?

I know some of you have been dying to get your hands on the books for awhile, so now is your chance! From today until the 20th, you can read Orphan’s Song for $0.99 and Songkeeper for $2.99. And if you’ve already read the books, why not invite a friend or two to join in on the fun?

If you’ve been reading here for any length of time, chances are you know that Dr. Pepper and coffee are two of my favorite things. Well with this magical sale, you can read Orphan’s Song for less than a vending machine Dr. Pepper and Songkeeper for less than a (fancy) coffee!

And of course, if you read and enjoy, reviews make the book publishing world go around! :D

Find Ebooks on Amazon: Orphan’s Song // Songkeeper

Find Ebooks on Barnes & Noble: Orphan’s Song // Songkeeper

Thanks, guys! Enjoy the sale!

Can you guys believe that it is April already???

June 5th is going to be here before you know it … and in case the reason behind the importance and awesomeness of that date has slipped your memory (it happens to the best of us on occasion), June 5th is the release date for SONG OF LEIRA!!!

That’s, right! This beauty!

SONG OF LEIRA is the third book in the Songkeeper Chronicles. If you’re new the series, you should check out ORPHAN’S SONG first.

So … it is time to assemble the Launch Team.

“Hullo,” you say. “What is this Launch Team you speak of?”

I am SO glad you asked. SONG OF LEIRA‘s Launch Team will be a team of dedicated, awesome, passionate people who are excited about the book, can’t wait to read it before everyone else in the entire world, and want to share that excitement about others.

“Well, that sounds cool!” you say. “But … wait … did you say something about reading the book before everyone else in the entire world? That sounds important! Let’s not gloss over it. Give me all the beautiful, brilliant details!”

(Yes, thank you, imaginary fellow wanderer you, for helping me stay on track!)

The Launch Team will have the opportunity to receive a FREE ARC (that’s Advanced Reader Copy, for those of you not up on the lingo) so that they can read and review the book BEFORE release date.

Brilliant, right?

There are loads of other perks as well including a Top Secret Facebook group, members-only giveaways, and behind-the-scenes access to me.

“Well,” you say. “Surely there’s a catch. Exactly WHO gets to join this amazingly epic launch team of yours?”

YOU!

Really, I’m looking for people who are passionate about stories, who get excited about books, who love fantasy in general and this series in particular! Now, there is an application for the launch team – selected members will be notified in mid-April – and there are questions about social media presence and numbers of followers, but more so than numbers, I’m looking for passion.

I am stoked about SONG OF LEIRA. I am dying to share it with you. And I am so excited about assembling a team to share that excitement!

So head on over to the link below to submit your application. I can’t wait to meet you all!

I WANT TO JOIN THE LAUNCH TEAM!

This week has been a little on the intense side, so I wasn’t able to get a regular blog post scheduled. But I didn’t want to miss out on a chance to chat with my fellow wanderers, so that’s exactly what this post is!

An invitation to come and sit by the fireside with your favorite mug of something warm and tell me all about how you have been doing and how you have fared in this week’s adventures.

And … I’m going to ask for your input on something very exciting!

We are now 3 months out from the release of Song of Leira. That may sound like a while – and it’s true a LOT can happen in 3 months – but it’s really not much time in publishing terms, so I am getting ready for the release, which means lots of brainstorming, lots of planning, lots of I-can’t-believe-it’s-almost-here moments … and of course, a few tears (of joy … sorrow … joyful-sorrow?) for this final installment of the Songkeeper Chronicles.

But as I started brainstorming, I realized that I really want you guys to weigh in on how you think we should celebrate! I want to know what sort of things get you, as a reader, excited about a book – whether that’s a brand-new-to-you book or a long awaited sequel.

So, here are a couple things that I’ve seen done and enjoyed participating in as a reader, just to get you thinking, but then I would also love to hear your thoughts on things you’ve seen or would enjoy whether or not they’re on the list!

(And of course, there’s no way we could do everything on this list! It’s just a way to get the thoughts rolling so I can find out what you guys enjoy most.)

• Facebook parties with prizes
• Facebook parties with prizes and additional authors
• Blog hop where you and your blogging friends can join in to answer a question or write a post central to the book’s theme – it’s a great way to delve deeper into a book and also meet new online friends
• Online scavenger hunts
• Blog tour including author guest posts with behind-the-scenes info, interviews, and reviews posted on different sites
• hashtag challenge focused around the book
• Instagram photo challenge focused around the book/series
• a fan art contest with awesome prizes :)
• Photo scavenger hunt where you are given a list of photos prompts/ideas to take with the book
• etc.

Also, since we’re on the subject, what types of things do you like to see offered as giveaway prizes? Obviously, we can’t do all of these things – I have not yet stumbled across a cache of dragon treasure – so weigh in on the things you like to see!

• One big awesome prize OR several smaller prizes, so more chances to win ;)
• giftcards – if so, where to?
• bookmarks/candles/bookstagramming accessories
• unique fantasy related items – necklaces, weapons, somehow related to the story
• handcrafted mugs – this one is totally my favorite … but I kind of have a thing for mugs … kind of … maybe … I mean, I collect them. All of them. ;)

So … comment away! What adventures did you face this week? And how would you like to celebrate Song of Leira’s release?