add SCORPICA to your shelf at Goodreads!

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Eeek, it’s all happening! My epic fantasy debut SCORPICA, the first book in the Five Queendoms series, comes out in six months and change — on the auspicious-feeling date of 2/22/22.

Did you see the cover reveal at Tor.com? SO COOL.

And so, since a little time is going to pass before you can actually get your hands on this epic story of danger, betrayal, motherhood, struggle, secrets, and a bunch more other things, why not add it to your to-read shelf at Goodreads?

(Plus there’s a nice summary there, and kind words from the few people who’ve been able to get their hands on very, very early copies. Yay!)

3 tips for cover reveals at Writer Unboxed!

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For obvious reasons, I have cover reveals on the brain… so while all that’s fresh, I figured I’d share some tips and thoughts with my fellow writers with a post on Writer Unboxed. Whether you’re traditionally published or self-published, experienced or new, connected or solo, I think there are three things you should keep in mind when planning a cover reveal — first of all, that the word planning is key.

Read my thoughts here!

review of SHE WHO BECAME THE SUN up at CHIRB!

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Yesterday was a pretty big day! In addition to the cover reveal for SCORPICA going up on the interwebs, my latest review for CHIRB also went live. I raved about Shelley Parker-Chan’s SHE WHO BECAME THE SUN, “both inseparable from its real-life inspiration and wholly original.“

A sneak peek into my thoughts on Parker-Chan’s debut:

It may seem odd to keep coming back to “original” as praise for a story based on real-life events and people, but the word kept springing to mind as I read. Perhaps “imaginative” would apply just as well. She Who Became the Sun beautifully illustrates how the fantasy genre opens up to embrace anything an author can imagine—not just ghosts and goblins, but new ways of exploring and interrogating gender and identity, prejudice and violence, history and humanity.

Read the full review here.

writing about reviews at Writer Unboxed!

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Here’s this month’s Writer Unboxed post — instead of talking about how authors feel about our reviews, I thought I’d tackle whether or not authors should write reviews of other authors’ books. Obviously, since I write reviews for the Chicago Review of Books, I’ve answered that question for myself with a yes — but not everyone will make that same decision.

I talk about the guidelines, potential pitfalls, and things to think about here.

THE ARCTIC FURY in great company at Greatist!

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How fun is this!? THE ARCTIC FURY made a list of 15 Best Historical Fiction Books at Greatist.com, in amazing company with the latest from Chris Bohjalian, Pam Jenoff, Michelle Gable, Kristin Harmel and more!

(Honestly, fully half of the authors on this list are friends of mine, and I’m genuinely delighted for every one of us! I am so lucky to run in these circles.)

I particularly love that the intro points out that “historical fiction” just means these novels are set in the past, though “many of them are inspired by real people and events, use familiar settings as backdrops, or retell old stories from new perspectives.“ Nicely put.

Jump straight to the writeup of The Arctic Fury or check out the whole list here.

interview with Kerstin Hall at CHIRB!

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You probably know me as a historical fiction writer, but have you heard I have an epic fantasy novel coming out in 2022? It’s the beginning of a series, even. BIG change. We’ll have a cover reveal soon, and I’ll tell you more about the book then (including its title, premise, all the good stuff!)

To go with that shift, I’m making some other changes, including expanding my beat at Chicago Review of Books to include more fantasy and sci-fi along with the historical fiction and thrillers I’ve been reading and review the past couple of years.

So I was thrilled to read Kerstin Hall’s STAR EATER and interview her about all the rich complexity of her novel, including the joys of world-building, the “minefield” of genre categorization, and why some readers insist on labeling books with no teenage characters as YA.

I also got to ask her one of my favorite questions about SFF:

Fantasy novels set in matriarchal worlds seem to be surprisingly few and far between, considering how open the genre is to invention and imagination. Why do you think that is?

Read Kerstin’s answer, and the complete interview, here.

THE ARCTIC FURY in great company at CrimeReads!

Sorry it’s been so quiet around here! Between last week’s very busy and very enjoyable virtual Historical Novel Society conference and an upcoming book deadline breathing down my neck for next year’s epic fantasy novel (about which more soon!), not much time for blogging. But I’ve got a couple fun links to share, so here’s the first!

Loved seeing THE ARCTIC FURY included in a roundup of “immersive” historical novels at CrimeReads. “The Arctic setting really crystalizes this story.“ Check out Martha Hall Kelly’s great list of recommendations here.

one-day deal on THE ARCTIC FURY!

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April 15 looks a little different this year — not only am I not scrambling to get those last-minute tax forms in on time (phew), it’s a big day for THE ARCTIC FURY, my historical adventure-slash-courtroom drama about an ill-fated all-female Arctic expedition! The ebook is a BookBub deal, meaning it’s $1.99 across all major book platforms, as well as a Kindle Daily Deal. So if you haven’t read it yet, snap it up! And if you’ve read it and loved it, please spread the word!

Easy-peasy lemon squeezy buy links:

Apple Books

Google Books

Kindle

Kobo

Nook


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