"The grasshopper’s horn, and far-off, high in the maples, The wheel of a locust leisurely grinding the silence Under a moon waning and worn, broken, Tired with summer.
Let me remember you, voices of little insects, Weeds in the moonlight, fields that are tangled with asters, Let me remember, soon will the winter be on us, Snow-hushed and heavy." ~ From "September Midnight" by Sara Teasdale
So Long, Summer!
It’s Labor Day weekend as I write this newsletter, and after a lovely spurt of cooler fall weather last week, we’re back to the upper 80s/ 90s here in Michigan. I’m never one to rush toward winter and short days and frigid weather, but I do love the gorgeous crisp, sunny days of autumn. And I’ll be honest, there is one perk of cold weather — less yardwork and more time to relax inside near a cozy fire with a good book. <3
Speaking of books, I can hardly wrap my mind around the reality that THIN AIR will be taking off (pun intended — you’re welcome) into the world in just over six weeks! It feels like only yesterday that we still had six months to go. Something about releasing a debut book brings all the emotions. There’s so much to learn as you go through the experience for the first time, and every high feels higher and each low feels lower. I’m looking forward to when the roller coaster car pulls back into the station and I can get off the ride for a few minutes. Maybe grab an elephant ear and catch a show… LOL.
If you want to read more about life as a debut author, check out my latest blog post here:
Keep scrolling for all the THIN AIR news!
Pre-order Campaign
I shared about all the fun pre-order swag for THIN AIR in a separate blog post. In case you missed it, you can get a signed copy with all the goods by ordering directly from Schuler Books, the local indie bookstore I’m partnering with. If you want to order elsewhere, you can still get some fun stuff by filling out a Google form. All the details are in the post below!
Save the Date!
If you live in the west Michigan area (or perhaps you just enjoy long trips), save the date for my THIN AIR book launch party! It will be one week after release day, on Tuesday, October 24, 2023, at Schuler Books in Grand Rapids, MI. And I’m thrilled to share that instead of having to entertain everyone alone, I’ll be in conversation with NYT-bestselling YA author Erin A. Craig.
More THIN AIR News
As I mentioned in the last edition of The Inkwell, Penguin Random House Audio will be making an audiobook of THIN AIR. My producer for the project contacted me last month and sent several samples for potential narrators. After listening to all of them, I wrote her back with my top two choices, along with some notes for the production. Their plan is to release the audiobook on the same day the book releases, so if you’re an audiobook fan, keep an eye out for it!
Now that we’re getting closer to release date, trade reviews have been coming in. *cue mild panicking* I’m pleased to say that so far both Kirkus and Publishers Weekly (publishing 9/4) have given THIN AIR great reviews! You can find these on retailer websites and on my “books” page.
If you’d like to get a sneak peek of THIN AIR, you can read the first chapter right now on the Penguin Teen website:
THIN AIR Goodreads Giveaway
My publisher is giving away copies of THIN AIR over on Goodreads this month. If you haven’t entered the giveaway yet, it’s super easy! Just head over to my book’s Goodreads page and click the “Enter Giveaway” button on the left. Good luck!
Other Writing News
Remember how I was talking about the highs and lows of launching a debut? Unfortunately, my agent and I had to make the difficult decision to pull my option manuscript. If you’re not sure what an “option book” is, it comes from a common clause in most publishing contracts. When I sold THIN AIR, we sold it as a standalone book in a one-book deal, and my contract gave the publisher first rights to either buy or pass on my next (or option) book.
I’d been working on the “house” thriller for several months, picking away at different ideas and struggling to make it work. My agent and I finally pulled together a proposal we were both happy with and sent it to my editor. The characters are all social media influencers, and this dynamic plays a fairly key role in the plot. As it turns out, influencer books haven’t been doing as well as publishers would like, so my publisher opted to pass. My agent tried another imprint in an exclusive submission, but when they passed for the same reason, we knew the story would either need a major rewrite, or it was time to set it aside.
Since it had been giving me trouble anyway, I made the call to shelve it for now. Maybe I’ll come back to it sometime in the future and rework it. Regardless, no writing is ever wasted. We hone our skills through practice, and I certainly sharpened my writing while working on this project.
The downside is that I don’t have a second YA book deal to announce at the moment, but the silver lining is that I get to start a new secret project that I’m very excited about!
What I’m reading:
Summer brings with it a break from my yearly book club (with its thousand-page classics), so I’ve been catching up on some lighter reading. While on our summer vacation (a camping trip out west to Colorado and Wyoming), I read the first two books in Stephanie Garber’s latest fairytale-inspired series, Once Upon a Broken Heart and The Ballad of Never After.
Currently I’m reading Bellegarde, by fellow YA debut author Jamie Lilac. This one is a light, fluffy She’s All That retelling set in a very loosely historical 18th century Paris.
My book club will be starting back up again, but I’ll leave you in suspense over what literary classic we chose until next time. ;) And I’ll be popping back into your inbox next month to celebrate the release of THIN AIR!
~ Kellie