We’re 8 days away from the UK release and 13 days away from the US release!

I will actually be traveling the week of the release, so it’s likely everyone else will see my book in stores before I do. So if you spot it out there in the wild and follow me on social media, post a photo and tag me in it so I can see all the cool places it’s showing up. That’s been a really neat part of this whole journey, getting to see my book in all kinds of different bookstores.

The kind of work I did as a software developer was often the invisible kind. I did very little front-end work, with front-end being the UI that the user sees. I’d work with the data after it was received from the user, or I’d work on systems that users of the software never interacted with. Obviously what I was doing had an impact on users, but it wasn’t visible in the same way that adding a widget to your favorite app would be.

Honestly my work was mostly noticeable when it broke.

So it was a bit of a surreal experience to be able to walk into a book store and pick up the tangible result of all this work myself and others (check the acknowledgements!) has done. I’m not quite sure what it’ll feel like this second time, but I already feel a lot more excited than nervous!

And for those keeping track from my last newsletter… no, the garage is not organized yet. I’ve made some progress though! I promise!

Spiders.

Okay, there’s more to it than that. Kate will have to deal with difficult campers, always a fun time for everyone. You’ll see some familiar monsters return (like The Man With the Skull Cup) along with some new ones, including one of my personal favorites: The Harvesters. You’ll learn more about Kate’s mother and some of her family’s bloody history as campground owners. And of course, Seasonal War of Royal Divisions - the medieval reenactors - make an appearance. Bonus points to anyone who figures out what time period and country “puffy hot pants” are from.

Hope you all enjoy reading The Lady in Chains! I personally plan on cooking some celebratory Brussels sprouts. Why Brussels sprouts? No reason. None whatsoever.

May is going to be busy! If you’re thinking of going to these events, help the folks hosting the event out by registering. Thank you!

May 12th: Authors at the Library in Hilliard, Ohio

May 28th: Blue Couch Bookshop in Columbus, Ohio

I’ve been working my way through book 4, The Beast. I’m about 75% of the way through it, just moving things around and smoothing out chapter transitions to get it out of the “weekly post on Reddit” format and into a more linear novel structure.

I also got the ARCs for book 3, The Ancient Things! My mother and I are going through them right now, giving it yet another pass to see if we can catch any mistakes. (my mother enjoys helping with this, she takes it very seriously) Honestly at this point I’ve lost track of how many times and how many people have reviewed the book.

But just look at that cover! I think all of the covers look spectacular, but this one just happens to also be my favorite color.