It’s been a while since I have written an update. While it has been on my constantly growing to do list for (an embarrassingly long) two months now, life has been exceptionally busy lately, and I have yet to learn a spell which prolongs the number of hours in a single day.
Without further excuses, some important things have happened, which I will briefly highlight below.
A REVERIE TALE is out now!
My debut novel, A Reverie Tale, Book One: Borderlands and Transience is finally here and available to purchase from all major book retailers in the UK and USA, as well as elsewhere in Europe and worldwide! Going live on the 22nd of August, the book has already received substantial praise from readers and (despite Amazon struggling with the demand initially) is available to order and receive in a number of days now.
Publication day itself was a strange event. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but the day came and went rather unobserved, with a number of reviews flooding in. As someone with a full-time job alongside writing, I spent the day at work and focused on watching a 14-tonne digger scoop out an archaeological trial trench while mindful as to not let it break through any land drains in the field, recording any archaeological features which were found and constantly cursing at having to wear a hard hat in this heat.
I guess the day itself marked an achievement: the book was finally out. My dream had come true and it was now out there for all the dreamers to read.
Despite this, the rather pragmatic part of me had always expected the moment to come eventually once the contract was signed, and hand-on-heart I shall say that publication day was much less exciting than the actual signing of my publication contract, with ‘pre-order’ merely changing to ‘order now’.
A successful bookstagram tour
Publication week was, however, marked by a very successful bookstragram tour. With the sign-up list exceeding the number of available spaces, an ARC copy of A Reverie Tale was sent out to bookstragramers and authors across the world.
Seeing the reviews come in has been amazing. From those readers who were so gripped that they read the entire story in a day (how do people read so fast??), to those who wanted the second book asap as their questions have been left hanging, the reviews have been a testament to the variety of ways in which readers have connected with and enjoyed the book.
Alongside an ARC paperback, as part of the tour readers received a package containing some handmade goodies, including a print of the otherworlds map, some stickers, a bookmark, and a personalised letter reflecting a quiz that they were invited to take part in. Designing and making the ARC packages was an incredibly fun (if tiring, for they had to be made within a few days) process.
You can head the bookstagramers’ posts and see the bundles by clicking here.
Giveaways
As part of the bookstagram tour, I held a giveaway for a signed copy of the book. The lucky winner received a mysterious bundle wrapped in black tissue paper together with a wax-sealed letter. Here is what they said about it:
“this is the first book I have ever completed the same day I started reading it, I was hooked from the very beginning, the atmosphere the author manages to create is incredible, she had my attention and emotions fully immersed with every word. I can’t recommend this book enough!”
Right now, to celebrate the release of the book, I’m holding another giveaway on Instagram, and you have until TOMORROW to enter in order to be in for a chance of winning a signed copy of the first ever print run paperback plus some merch, so head to the link and sign up now!
At the same time, I recently donated a signed copy of A Reverie Tale to Treehouse Bookshop in Kenilworth, Warwickshire, my local second hand bookstore, which may still be available up for grabs. The book will hopefully also soon be available to borrow from Warwickshire libraries!
Personal news
As some of you will know, up until recently, I have been working as a field archaeologist in the West Midlands, UK. However, new things brew on the horizon as I put down my trowel and bury my spade, exchanging it for a university pass, thus swapping the outdoors for a desk-driven life in basements full of archives.
That’s all I will say for now, given that my current situation is one of chaotic house moves, frantic organising, and eating my dinner sat crosslegged on the floor, since I sold my dining table and chairs already.
Book Two
The pressing question that many of you have been asking. Borderlands and Transience marks a strong opening to the Reverie Tale series. So where is the next one?
In a file, on my laptop. Don’t worry, I got you. Book Two is in progress, albeit the publication of Book One and its whole marketing extravaganza (if I may call my having to learn to do social media marketing, setting up a website, and creating daily content an ‘extravaganza’) has set it back somewhat. Every day, I wish I had more hours to fill up with creativity, and every day, the clock stubbornly strikes 12am.
With life changes looming, however, I hope to organise my time better in order to allow space for writing, meaning that Book Two should be with you sooner than later. In it, you shall find out more about Fate’s plans, certain characters (dare I mention the Grim brothers?), and the mystery which surrounds Lilly-Anne’s background.
That’s it for teasers. For now.
P.S. I haven’t updated the title from ‘Book the Second’ to ‘Book Two’.
Reading recommendations
Being an author and getting to know the bookstagram community has certainly pushed me back into reading. Since June 2023 (my last update), I have read:
- An Ember in the Ashes, by Sabaa Tahir
- A Song of Wraiths and Ruin, by Roseanne A. Brown
- You’ll be the Death of Me, by Karen M. McManus
- The Luminaries, by Susan Dennard
- The Atlas Six, by Olivie Blake
- The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, by V. E. Schwab
- House of Salt and Sorrows, by Erin A. Craig
- Dune Messiah, by Frank Herbert
- The Black Company, by Glen Cook
- A Darker Shade of Magic, by V. E. Schwab
Some of these are timeless classics, while others are new authors, and yet others are recommendations by family and friends, or the bookstagram community. Of those, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, The Luminaries, and Dune Messiah (No 2 in the Dune series) most definitely stand out as favourites.
Right now, I’m reading Anna’s F-Plan by Sarah T. Wright and Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, both of which are something completely different to what I would normally pick up.
That’s it for now
I’ll aim to keep you all updated with my pursuits and any Reverie Tale related events or news. Make sure to follow me on my socials (Instagram being the most reliable one, since I’ve yet to pick up the others) to stay up to date.
As always, I vow to stay a true blood and bone person on the internet, with my thoughts and feelings, my experiences and setbacks, minor achievements and wins being let out in the open. Having set foot in the world of social media more profoundly as an author than as a private person, I have had my gripes and grudges with the phoniness of this plane, which I hope to write about soon. For now and always, I remain to you the girl who wrote a book, published it, and blogged about it.
In the meantime, a massive thank you to all those who have read and reviewed A Reverie Tale. Your honest opinions, comments, and messages mean the world to me and have made me think so much about my work and how I approach it.
The book is now available to purchase from all major retailers, including Amazon, Waterstones, WH Smith, and Barnes and Noble.
May Fate work to bring everyone’s dreams true,
All best,
