Last month I relayed some heavy news about book piracy and AI training, and if you follow the news, you will know that this past week has been very difficult for the book and library community. Yet, as I reflect on this poem by James Henry Leigh Hunt, I take pause. Spring is here. Warmth greets the Earth and beckons the gardens to grow. There are still good things in bad times, if you stop and smell a rose.
May and The Poets
There is May in books forever;
May will part from Spenser never;
May's in Milton, May's in Prior,
May's in Chaucer, Thomson, Dyer;
May's in all the Italian books:—
She has old and modern nooks,
Where she sleeps with nymphs and elves,
In happy places they call shelves,
And will rise and dress your rooms
With a drapery thick with blooms.
Come, ye rains, then if ye will,
May's at home, and with me still;
But come rather, thou, good weather,
And find us in the fields together.
—James Henry Leigh Hunt
Sale!
Everyone loves a sale and right now my Fallen Angel series is on sale through Draft2Digital. You can find my books at several online retailers that will be supporting this sale. Top retailers are Smashwords, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Cloud Library, Fable, and more. Sale ends May 31st.
Son of Tenshi Audiobook Update
Many of you are familiar with George, my narrator for my Fallen Angel series. We have worked hard together to produce the first two books in the series for audio format, Tenshi and The Comb of Izanami even winning an award. The third book in the series, Son of Tenshi, is in the process of being transformed into audio, but production has been delayed.
Through circumstances beyond George’s control, he’s had to push back the start of recording for a least another month. I can’t share the reasons for the delay, as it is not for me to say, but just know that everyone is fine, and it’s a season of life thing. We all go through those moments when life seems to challenge us at every avenue.
I would like to help George out by giving him a boost in sales. So if you are willing, please consider either buying the first two audiobooks in my Fallen Angel series or check out his other works. If you love what he has done with my books, you’ll love his other narrations, especially if you love Celtic romance and drama.
Five Codes Left!
I still have a handful of Iron Blood audiobook codes left. These codes allow you to listen to the audiobook for free. My narrator, Doro Jillings, did an amazing job and she deserve to have her work appreciated. She lives in London and was such a joy to work with. I know I brag about my narrators all the time, but they bring a magic to my books. I want nothing but the best for my narrators, and that includes sales (and yes, these free codes do help with that). So please, if you enjoyed the audiobook, leave a review. Just follow the link and a code will be randomly given to you.
Writing Update
Writing is going well for I was A Stranger. I have hit 21,280 words. That is about a third of the way through. I am really happy with how it is taking shape. Choosing to tell it in a suspenseful format with the diary sections wove throughout is working well. It is a bit of struggle, just because so much of the subject matter matches what is happening in our world. If you read the sample below, you’ll know what I mean. But as the old saying goes, “History doesn’t repeat, it rhythms,” and that is certainly true with this book. Over laying a small portion of what is happening today with an historical account from WWII is certainly rhyming.