Today’s Lesson: Snow Queen is a Fairy Tale

Hi Champions! This post is your reminder that the 2018 Reader Survey will only be live for a few more days. If you haven’t filled it out I’d love to hear from you as the answers will help me plan what books to write in the future! This is also your last chance to get the sneak peek of Snow White before it is released in December (you’ll get redirected to the sample when you finish the survey).

Now we have to talk about something that quite frankly I find a little scandalous. If you’ve already taken the reader survey you know that one of the questions asks which of my book series you’ve read. There is also a question asking what genres you like to read.

The clear winner so far for the “genres you like to read” question is “fairy tales” which as a fellow fairy tale lover is not a surprise to me. 😉  What IS a surprise is the answers for which of my books series you’ve read. I’m including a screenshot below so you can see the responses so far.

I actually swooned a bit like those delicate Victorian ladies you read about when I saw that The Snow Queen series really far behind the Timeless Fairy Tale series. I feel a bit strange asking this, but is it obvious Snow Queen is a fairy tale? Have I not made it clear that it’s connected to the Timeless Fairy Tales series and they should be read together? If you’ve haven’t read Snow Queen but have read the Timeless Fairy Tales series can you leave a comment below telling me why? (I’m totally flummoxed by this, and it’s pretty important given how closely intertwined Snow Queen is with the Timeless Fairy Tales. I’m starting to sweat a bit about Angelique’s books, ahahaha.)

On the happier end, I’m shocked that Robyn Hood is ranking so high. I’m saying this with all the love of a mother, but it is not well edited and frankly you can tell it was one of the first books I launched, so its popularity is a bit puzzling. (It’s beating out The MBRC and Second Age of Retha series which are much more polished.) If you have chosen to read Robyn Hood but decided to skip stuff like the MBRC and Retha, could please let me know why in the comments below? (I’m trying to figure out if this is purely a genre based decision, or something else, as this will affect what book projects I take on in the future.)

And finally, I have a somewhat sad message for everyone who keeps asking when will I write a sequel to Life Reader. I’m so happy you all love that book and it has a special place in my heart too since it has so much of the magic and humor I love packed into it. But if you look at the graph…It’s in last place right now. 🙁

This is a good example of how the results of the reader survey really do impact what I do in the future. I can’t justify devoting time to writing a sequel for the least popular series right now, particularly when I have some big projects coming on deck. BUT! Don’t panic, I still am planning to write a sequel to Life Reader. It’s just going to be quite a long time (as in, several years) before I can get to it.

Once again, a big thanks to everyone who filled out the survey and is helping me fill in the gaps of my understanding! 😉 I hope you guys have liked the free sample. I’ve been thrilled by the feedback I’ve gotten as I’m taking a slightly…different approach to Snow White than the usual retellings.

I am happy to share that Snow White (the first draft anyway) is tapping out at roughly 92,000 words, which is about 10,000 words longer than 12 Dancing Princesses and Sacrifice, so I’m hoping you guys will enjoy the extra pages. (Lol, and I cannot WAIT for you to meet all the characters. This book has some of my favorite character interactions ever!)

But I digress. Thanks for reading–and commenting, and taking the survey–and have a lovely week!

2018 Reader Survey and Snow White bonus!

Hi Champions, would you like a special sneak peek at Chapter 1 of Snow White?

Last year I did my first ever reader survey and as a thank you for completing the survey I gave a sneak peek of Frog Prince Chapter 1. It was so successful I decided to do it again this year, only the bonus this time is the first chapter of Snow White! (You’ll also get an exclusive look at the cover!)

Click here to start the survey now!

The survey asks you some basic information about your book reading and buying habits. The information helps me plan my future book releases, figure out what you guys want in everything from books to giveaways, and determine how to find more readers like you! I tried to keep the survey as short as possible so it shouldn’t take you long to complete.

Keep in mind, since I’m still in the writing process, this chapter of Snow White is unedited so there are definitely mistakes in it that I will be correcting before the final version goes out.

The survey will close on October 19th so make sure you fill it out before then!

I really appreciate your feedback so thank you so much for taking the time to complete this survey. I’m also selfishly excited to see what the answers are to the last question (other authors you like) as I’m always looking for more good books to read! 🙂

I’ve learned the fall is the perfect time to hold the survey, so it gives me time to go over your input and use it when I start planning next year’s releases and activities! (Hahaha, it only took me about four years of it, but I’m finally starting to get a handle on this author thing. ;D )

I hope you guys enjoy Snow White! Her story is shaping up to be the longest Timeless Fairy Tale, but given that her book kicks straight into Angelique’s story–which will end this arc of fairy tales–I can’t say I’m too surprised. I hope you guys enjoy it when Snow White releases in December!

But as I said earlier, thanks for taking the survey! Enjoy the sample chapter, and have a lovely week.

The Revived Character Name Contest Winners

Thanks to everyone who participated in the character naming contest for The Revived. There were so many good names it was really hard to pick just a few. The winners (and the name they submitted) are listed below. If I didn’t pick one of your names, don’t worry! I’m going to save all the entries and I plan to use them for names in books 4 and 5, so your submitted name still might make it into a book! (Particularly since that last one is going to be a doozy)

This adorable artwork concerning the contest was done by the awesome Champion Zeke–I love the hat on “Smart me” <3

Okay, and the winners are (grouped together, might I add, by the characters’ guilds/parties)…

1. Shooty D’Arrow is the name of the hunter– submitted by Melanie, and the hunter is joined by guildmates Metronome–submitted by Hannah–and Konk–submitted by Alvin Greunke.

2. The female scout claimed the name Hide_N_Seek by Cherie Smith, while the swordsman selected Arild Edge by Elizabeth Davis, the spellbinder chose Glowrious–compliments of Glowrious–and the Mystic went for Lumina Myst, submitted by Dawn.

3. The crazy fantasy name I picked for the super-fantasy fan is: Ai’lan’therristos–submitted by Ravi!

I also had some unexpected additional winners:

1. Lydia, who suggested Edmund Ironside–a name snatched up by a first officer I was finishing with!

2. Zeke, submitted name: Nick; Jake, submitted name Greg; and Aidan, submitted name Kellivar–their submitted names went to a pack of guildmates seen briefly at the end of the book.

Thanks again to everyone who submitted a name! You guys had some awesome names I can’t wait to add into Book 4 and Book 5. But in the meantime, stay tuned for information about The Revived‘s release date! (Spoiler: It’s not too much longer!!) Thanks for participating, and thanks for reading, Champions. As usual, you guys wowed me.