The Countdown Begins

Hey everyone!

February is always the quickest month for me, and I can’t believe we’re already almost at the end of it. I’m not mad about it though, because it means spring is getting closer and I am more than ready for longer days and a bit of actual sunshine. This month has mostly consisted of me packing up my life and living out of cardboard boxes in preparation for our move this Friday. It’s been slightly chaotic, slightly stressful, but also very exciting. Because of that, I have fewer updates than usual this month, but I still have a few teasers and fun things to share with you.

This month has mostly been spent editing Empire of Blood and Greed book two, which is currently with my lovely PA Lisa for an alpha read. I already love this book more than book one, which is clearly becoming a pattern with me whenever I write something new. I can almost guarantee that in a few months I’ll swing into the “why did I write this” phase while editing, only to fall back in love with it again once it’s finished. I do enjoy a good emotional rollercoaster.

Right now the book is sitting at 159K words, and that’s before it has even gone to my editor, so I have a feeling it’s going to grow and become a proper chunky one.

This story dives much deeper into the darker, grittier parts of the world, and there’s also a new surprise POV. That’s all I’m saying for now. If you follow me on Instagram, you might have already seen me teasing the acronym for the tile WPBP. I’m really excited to start sharing more once book one is officially out in the world.

ARCs for When Blood Runs Red have officially gone out, and they landed in the hands of 700 new readers. That number is genuinely terrifying in the best possible way. I really hope everyone who has started reading is loving it so far. If you applied and haven’t seen anything yet, please make sure to check your spam folder just in case it decided to hide in there.

My New Year’s resolution was to stay completely off review apps this year, which I have already failed at. Apparently, I love being nosy and have absolutely no self-control. That said, I am genuinely trying to avoid reading too much while I’m still writing the rest of the series. I don’t want outside opinions influencing where the story goes, so I’m doing my best to stay focused and let the characters lead the way.

This weekend is also the Happily Ever After romance book event. And yes, I am also moving this weekend. The timing could not be more crazy. If you’re coming, I really hope I get to see you there. I may be powered entirely by energy drinks on the day, but I am genuinely so excited to talk all things books. You can find me in Golden Miller room right next to my author bestie Amy Reading!

This will be my second event of the year, and you’ll be able to get early copies of When Blood Runs Red. If you follow me on Instagram, you might have already seen the first printed deluxe and hardback editions. They flew out within the first hour at Leeds Book Bonanza and got so many lovely compliments. I’m so glad people are loving them as much as I do. The beautiful inside formatting and chapter headers for the deluxe edition were done by my close author friend Meg Humble. She was honestly a lifesaver.

Another little surprise I’ll have with me this weekend is life-size cardboard cut-outs of Rowe and Dom from When Blood Runs Red, so you’ll be able to get all the pictures. I’ll do my best to bring them to all my events this year, but it will depend on space.

My next event after this is FFB After Dark in Manchester in March, and my pre-orders close this weekend. If you want to secure any special editions, make sure you grab them soon.

After that, one of my biggest events this year is Pascify Con at Yorkshire Showgrounds. You can read more about the event here: https://www.harrogateadvertiser.co.uk/sponsored/harrogate-to-host-first-paranormal-sci-fi-and-fantasy-book-convention-full-of-international-authors-5604894

I’ve already spoken to the organisers about space, so the cardboard cut-outs are definitely coming to that one. Pre-orders for that event are also still open. Since it’s more fantasy-focused, on the day I’ll mainly have When Blood Runs Red and possibly a few special editions of the Hallow’s End series, but that isn’t guaranteed. If you’re hoping to grab romance paperbacks or special editions, please make sure to pre-order in advance.

I’m also taking part in a Romantasy Trail with a few other authors, where you’ll have the chance to win some big prizes. All you need to do is collect your trail card on the day and get each participating author to sign it. For every £10t spent at any of the author tables, you’ll get an extra entry, and yes, pre-orders count towards that as well.

As always, I have a couple of lovely author recommendations for you this month, because I do like to keep your TBR list just as busy as mine. This month is all about Romantic Fantasy!

When Blood Runs Red releases next month, which still feels slightly unreal to type. You can still pre-order from the two lovely indie bookstores I’ve partnered with, so if you’d like to support small businesses while grabbing your copy, now is the time. The release date also happens to fall on my birthday, which feels very fitting. I’ll be celebrating my very first fantasy release and stepping into the final year of my twenties at the same time, so expect a lot of emotions.

I’ve also been having so much fun with my street team lately. This week we’ve been deep in fan casting conversations for Rowe and Dom, and I genuinely love seeing everyone’s takes.

I had to share one notable mention though. My husband is fully convinced that Dom looks like Chef Ben from Below Deck. Please feel free to question this opinion at any of my upcoming events, because he will be there as my PA and I fully support you holding him accountable for this casting choice.

Next month I’m planning to start working on book three of the Empire of Blood and Greed series, while also finishing up a romance novel that’s heading to edits in May. Fantasy books two and three are both going to edits in June, which means the next few weeks are going to involve some very long nights and serious locking in. Apparently I thrive on slightly unhinged deadlines and working under pressure, so here we are.