Post-pre-actual-release of Azuri Fae

Nov 23, 2011

The plan was simple. The simplicity of it brought on mostly by my panicked rush to get the details nailed down, to not skip any steps, to put out the best, cleanest book I could, and do it right after a major computer meltdown sent me into a tailspin. So, I intended to slip Azuri Fae onto Amazon ASAP, and then on December 1st, I’d make the big announcements, do my social networking rounds, etc. This would give me time to breathe and to make sure everything looked right with the new book. Accidents, delays, oversights… they can all happen with a book release.

And then this weird thing happened.

I followed through on the first part of the plan–snuck the book onto Amazon. But then you readers out there did something that caught me by surprise, and sent my whole sneaky plan out the window. You started buying it. Like, lots of you. Like, lots and lots of you. Enough to put Azuri Fae on two bestseller lists over the weekend. All before I’d told a soul, sent out my newsletter, made one tweet! Which left me wanting to post something saying, “Who are you people, and why are you buying my book?!?!?” (I’ve been told that wouldn’t be very professional though.)

I hadn’t expected anyone to discover the book was available yet. After all, it’s not even in Amazon’s search system, it hasn’t been tagged, it has only one review up, and it is too new to appear on the “also-boughts” (That takes at least two weeks). So, because no one would know the book was available, I’d dismissed the idea of any sales for November. When I read my sales reports Sunday morning, I quite literally thought it had to be a reporting error by Amazon. But no, the ranking just hovered, readers kept picking up their copy, and Amazon never wrote correcting their “mistake”. (Who are you people? And why are you buying my book?)

So I’m stunned. And delighted! And overwhelmed. I was feeling quite emotional about it yesterday, and to celebrate, I took the day off. After all, I’ve not had a day off since the Great ‘Puter Explosion of 2011.

Today, I’m here saying a very humble THANK YOU to my readers. I’ve never done anything so fulfilling in my life. No other job has given me what writing and publishing have. I am working harder, longer hours, pushing myself every day, and yet…I’ve never been happier. It’s not about the money (although getting paid to write feels incredible after years of collecting rejection letters), but rather, that sense of elation comes from feeling like I’ve found my spot in the world. I’m telling stories, and people want to hear them. It fills me with all kinds of warmness. =)

Thank you, readers! ♥

Azuri Fae is Book 2 in the Caledonia Fae series.

A faerie prince disappears in the borderlands, and his father enlists the help of outcast Eilidh and her bonded druid, Quinton Munro. Tantalised with hints of a lost and ancient magic, they learn that time is working against them every step of the way. Is the prince’s disappearance related to the vanishing of an entire Scottish village?

Faced with deception, assassination attempts, and a mad queen who would sacrifice her own child to keep a dreaded secret, Eilidh struggles with an impossible situation. Her people demand she commit treason and betray the man she loves. Will she do what duty requires, or throw away the chance to reunite the kingdom in exchange for the life she hadn’t dared hope for?

Caledonia Fae:
Book 1: Blood Faerie
Book 2: Azuri Fae
Book 3: Enemy of the Fae (Coming 2012)

And just in case you haven’t gotten your copy of Azuri Fae yet, you can find it here:

Amazon USA
Amazon UK

Print edition to follow in early 2012.