What happened to Airborne

I have news! For those who saw my twitter feed, or those who didn’t and are just now stumbling upon my page, Airborne disappeared from the e-shelves. This is just because I’m changing the e-book distributor to run it free for a special week. This is to help promote not only Windswept but the novella that will soon be on sale!

I mentioned the novella in this post, for those who remember. It’s basically short and sweet story that follows Mikhail, Jericho, and Eva. But unlike most background stories or spin-offs, this book has a strong plot of its own. These three characters were probably some of the strongest side characters in the Airborne Saga and deserve their own spotlights. I haven’t decided on a name yet. Also I haven’t decided on a cover yet either. While I usually go to Judyta (found here and here) for all of my covers, I plan to commission her for my next novel and don’t want to drop a commission fee on a novella cover. So while it’ll be painted and pretty, it won’t be custom and awesome. That’s saved for my next book.

Speaking of my next book, I’m in love. I actually feel like I’ve had time to spend more time on the writing and not just the plotline. But like usual, I refuse to release details until the book is near finished. I like to promise things that I can keep.

Additionally, it’ll be looking like I’ll have a month or so off this summer to do nothing but write. I’m dying for this time! I can’t wait to get back into the trade.

Anyways, keep an eye on my twitter (@Csibline) for new links to Airborne or any short announcements that I won’t necessarily blog about.

Moving Forward

So Windswept has settled itself on the shelves, has gotten favorable reviews (so I hear even while living under my rock), and the paperback is finally out on Amazon here.

In the meantime, my co-authors and I have temporarily closed Dark-Horse-Indie and you will no longer see its badge anywhere. I’ll probably still stick up a link to my fellow authors on the right. My fellow authors been a huge help in getting me through The Airborne Saga and no doubt, any books I write in the future. On that note, I guess it’s time to start my new project with Windswept now out of the way. I’ve had a few topics in mind, and a few books already started and plotted out. But I’m having a big debate about publishing something fiction vs. publishing something fantasy. The former reaches out to more people but the latter is a topic I’ve wanted to do for a while. I’d like to say I could quickly write both but any book I work on is a four month minimum.

I’m going to spend the week figuring it out but even while I start the new project, I’m going to delay making the official announcement or posting until it becomes a sure thing. I’ll continue to update as details come out or blog as anything interesting happens. So until then...

Windswept is live

Windswept is finally out on shelves! Well, virtual shelves. As promised, I have the hyperlinks below. The paperback should be up by the weekend on Amazon. As same with Grounded (the second book in the series), the paperback is usually only available on Amazon so I can keep my prices lower. I’ll include the link to its soon-to be-location as well. Otherwise e-books are already up.

Barnes and Noble

Amazon e-book/paperback 

Additionally, you’ll always be able to see where Windswept is under its tab. This will be updated throughout the weekend as it continues to go live. Remember to follow my twitter if you want minute-by-minute updates.

So grab a copy and enjoy the weekend!

Last remarks about release!

Wow, it’s almost February 28th! Which means Windswept is almost out! Don’t ask me why I picked that date over March 1st. Instead of being a Friday surprise, it’ll be a Thursday one. I don’t think sometimes. Anyways, the deadline is still looking good but there is something I need to point out here and now before my email blows up with questions.

I can only send the copies to Amazon and Barnes and Noble. I do NOT control what time the sites process and post the books for sale! So just because I send it in on February 28th does not mean it’ll be up right at that moment. Sometimes it will even take a day to process and post, although this is rare.

So from the 28th on, you can be on the lookout for it going up. It may be up on one site faster than the other. I’ll post the URL’s as soon as they’re available. This is also an issue for the paperback. The paperback is usually slower than the rest but it will be out shortly after the 28th.

Okay, so now that everyone can look forward to the book, I will go over the boring stuff. I’m still holding to my plans as seen in this post.

And that includes the disappearing and not staring down any reviews the book receives! I hate pre-release jitters. But I have something to ask of all reviewers now. I ABSOLUTELY DO NOT want people to be giving away the plotline in the reviews. I know we all had to find out that Dumbledore died before half the people even got a copy of the Potter book, but that’s so unfair! Especially to those who have to wait longer than the others. So be nice to fellow readers and don’t post any spoilers without alerting to it first!

Thank you guys for reading, reviewing, and following the Airborne Saga thus far. I hope you enjoy the third book! See you on February 28th!

I'm too excited about ARCs

This is the first time in a long time I’m awake before 8AM (and not because there’s a crisis at work). It’s because I’ve gotten the Windswept ARC’s sent out:

 

**note the title and the cover image aren’t the final version. The ARCs always look a little different but it’s nice to distinguish it from the final copies since ARCs are unedited versions. On the front few pages it will say it’s an ARC as the edition and will have ‘PROOF’ written on giant letters on the back cover.

Anyways, I’m not excited about the formatting. Although that turned out well too…

 

 

I’m mostly excited about the book being officially done. I did last minute trimming to bring it down to the size of the other books (this helped the plotline more anyways) and now it’s golden.

Which brings me to another point à reviews. Young authors often ask people how the cope with book release jitters (lets face it, they just are nervous about bad feedback) and older authors don’t ever seem to have much advice. Bad reviews are terrible and there is nothing worse as a writer (probably, I haven’t actually made a list) than waiting for negative feedback about something you’ve worked very hard on.

Now me personally? I don’t read them when the book comes out. Most authors say they won’t and sneak some reading in still, but I won’t ever.

Logically, you’d think it’d put me at a disadvantage to not know what people disliked about the book. This is true but it’s also true that I can’t honestly change a published book (grammar, editing, etc are one thing, plotline changes are another).

BUT this all being said, it doesn’t mean that I never end up reading reviews. While I try to avoid them, I have my people who always forward or flag them for me. Anyone who has written a more heartfelt review has definitely been read, especially where there’s something unique about the review.

Anyways it’s too early in the morning to write a full-fledged blog about something and too early in the month to give any more specific release day instructions. So until next time…

The Countdown

It’s time for the official Windswept release announcements! This isn’t exactly going to be what some of you expected but I promise you, it’s for the better. I’ve learned my lesson about rushing things out and I will deliver the quality that Windswept deserves.

First off, Windswept’s release date has been pushed back. But it finally has a date that will NOT change! February 28th. In the meantime, there are some things to tide you over. First, I’ve posted the first chapter under the Windswept tab along with its official release date. Check out the chapter and release date here. And the countdown:

(It’s on NY time…so EST. I’m clarifying since it won’t go live according to any other time zone.)

Further, I’ve started an ARC giveaway on Goodreads you can join here:

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Windswept

by Constance Sharper

Giveaway ends January 25, 2013.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

It will begin no later than December 31st. It’s scheduled to end January 25th, roughly a month before the book will actually be released. This is easy to do because ARCs are still technically unedited versions. The ARC versions are about 97% the final copy minus some proof reading, formatting, and minor changes to the storyline. I think Windswept, since I’ve had so long to work on it, will be 98% the same. The main story will be the same and the Avery-Mason fix will definitely be there.

Anyways the news doesn’t quite end there. In relevant news, I’m planning to write and release more than just the Windswept novel. In addition, I’m writing a novella that covers a timespan before the books ever began. In particular, the novella will deal with Jericho, Mikhail, and Eva. This plays a massive background stories to the books. Now I usually hate spin-offs because I believe most spin-offs never can stand up on their own. However, as I was writing out the backstory to help with my knowledge of the characters in the Windswept novel, I found there’s actually a compelling story here.

For those who don’t know or have heard the term novella dropped to mean many different things, it’s just a story that is roughly half the size of the regular books. So about 45,000-65,000 words. I won’t know for sure how long it will be until I write it. Fun fact, Airborne was about 83,000 words. Grounded 78,000. And Windswept is threatening to top 100,000 words before editing. (These aren’t exact but I can’t remember the last time I stared down the word count in books. Writing for length rather than content is a very dangerous thing for an author!)

Anyways, that novella should be available just as mainstream as The Airborne Saga books are.

Now, speaking of extras, there is one other thing I will be adding. Many of the characters in the book (other than our heroes) have backstories. In the novel, we know enough to understand them. But we lack the ability to see it through their eyes. As I was working on Windswept, I had written short background stories to the characters. Half narrative, half descriptive things, they are virtual overviews of the character’s life with short snippets of the important moments written out in detail. But…these are ragingly full of spoilers for the third book! And it will ruin the book! So while I thought they’d be cool to post, I’d warn everyone to read with caution.  Unlike the novella, these will just be available on my site under a tab I will eventually designate. They’re free, short, and just cool extras to the harpie universe.

The novella and the shorts I don’t have exact dates for but it will be closer to February or March. More details soon to come.

 

The Relevance Test

I’m sure you’ve seen it: Authors buzzing about on their twitters 24/7, sometimes talking and posting incessantly. We live in a world where we know much more about our favorite authors than we would from their books. This is always kind of a cool thing. I know I’ve followed my fair share of authors seeing if I could take a peek into their heads or vicariously experience their lives. And authors keep posting and posting.

For those who don’t know, most agents actually advise their authors to do this. It doesn’t have to be relevant to the book at all. Agents say that if you’re not tweeting, you’re rapidly becoming irrelevant. And irrelevance is a very bad thing.

I’ve been given this advice too. It’s not very hard to see that I don’t post much these days. But I feel like it’s hard for me to talk about much besides my books.  Okay picture this. I’m in law school. For those unfortunate enough to be going or have gone to law school, it’s not that fun. Picture Legally Blondeà the very first scene where the teacher humiliates Elle Woods in front of the entire class. This is a fairly accurate portrayal. Sure there are easy teachers who aren’t so very mean, but being unable to answer questions for the nicer ones is equally embarrassing.

Now my official job. Working with clients is nothing like you see on Law and Order! You’ll come across clients who have amnesia or rap sheets seventeen miles long (usually amnesia about the rap sheets). You’ll have people who don’t even know how many children they have and clients that will hate you. No matter what. Well, maybe it’s a little bit like Law and Order...

In my spare time (when I’m not writing), I’m reading up the Financial Times on mergers of massive book companies. The fact that I find it interesting sometimes makes me wonder what my life has come to...

Anyways I don’t encounter much that is fun to talk about. Or that I can talk about. I think any agent would strangle me if I happily went off on the horrible things I run into. But this is not me being miserable about life or particularly hating on the legal world. I just think this through every time I’m trying to pass the relevance test. With a book coming out soon and a totally new series on its way, I need people to actually remember who I am. And it’s been such a long time since Airborne hit the shelves.

I am making more of an effort-- or am being forced to make more of an effort. I’m attending a writer’s convention next June in Tennessee. I probably won’t be speaking (I’m sure no one actually understands me half the time anyways). But there will be quite a bit of interaction going on. My books primarily and almost wholly sell in ebook format so signing would be strange but I’m more than happy to sign. I may even have some promotional materials like bookmarks and such. Those are cheaper and more practical. If I can line it up correctly, the date will also be corresponding with my next book release date.  I’ll have more details about this when the date gets closer.

Book conference aside, I’m going to be revamping my image anyways. The next book coming out is not at all related to harpies. So even though it was the Airborne Saga that kick started my career, I think I’d be doing the next book an injustice by not changing up all these harpie specific banners.  I think I’ll get an expert to help me next time too. Did I ever mention I was technology challenged?

I’m going to have the cover chalked up sooner and a synopsis on its way eventually. But right now everything is Windswept, Windswept, Windswept.

Anyways, I’ll leave you with my favorite video about law school. Don’t take my advice (any lovely undergrads out there) who want to go. Law students always joke incessantly about their life choices. But this is still worth a laugh.