Briar Girls Preorders, and More!
It’s finally fall in my part of the world, and I am thisclose (barring some lingering hiccups of humidity) to breathing out a sigh of relief. I do not particularly like summer. The heat, the sweat, the unrelenting sun… Give me the fall, crackling leaves and light sweaters all the way.
Of course, the other bonus this fall is that Briar Girls, the paperback edition of Storm the Earth, and the delightful rom-com anthology Fools In Love (which contains my first anthologized short story!) are just around the corner! Yep, Briar Girls and the Storm the Earth paperback will both be released on November 2, and Fools In Love is coming your way on December 7! And all three of them are available to preorder right this very minute!
If you’ve been on the internet in the last few months, you may have seen a lot of author/bookseller/publishing types talking about supply chain issues and how it may become very difficult to get your hands on books for the holiday season. Rather than try to summarize here, I’ll link to this detailed and very helpful Twitter thread from esteemed indie bookstore Tubby & Coo’s. But suffice to say, if you’re looking forward to acquiring my new books (or anyone’s) in the next few months, I’d highly recommend preordering if you’re able.
Not totally sure if you want to preorder Briar Girls yet? Let me tempt you with…
An Excerpt!
I got to read an excerpt of Briar Girls to a group of booksellers last week and I loved it so much I thought I’d share it with all of you, early! This bit is from one of my very favorite scenes. Lena, our protagonist, has visited a family of dragons in search of something very spoilery…
Now the dragon on the ground was rolling back and forth, seized by peals of laughter. “And she talks just like a human on a quest!”
“What do you want from me?” I barked. “I won’t stand here and be laughed at.”
The dragons’ laughter stopped abruptly. Without warning, the lights went out. The room went cold, and I shivered. Something slithered behind me, brushing against my calves, and I flinched.
“Humans should not make demands,” said a voice that raised the hairs on the back of my neck. “Humans should understand they are here only as long as they amuse us. That was not amusing.”
“I—I’m sorry,” I stammered.
“Sorry is not good enough.”
“What shall we do with her?”
“Break her bones, watch her cry.”
“This one is no fun.”
“I want to burn her.”
I was acutely aware that there was no way out of this mess. I was entirely at the dragons’ mercy.
“I did not mean to offend,” I said desperately. “I’ll tell you a story.”
“A story? That is too small a price for the prize you seek. And for the offense you have given, we require something more. You say you seek something of personal value. Your payment must be personal too.”
“Anything,” I said, before realizing how foolish such an offer might be.
“Anything?”
Something—a tail, I thought—coiled around me and tightened, squeezing my body like a vise. I tried not to panic.
“Even your happiest memory? Your dearest dream? Your keenest pain? How much of yourself are you willing to give?”
Oooooh, that just sends happy shivers down my spine every time I read it. If you too are waiting with bated breath to find out what happens next, read on!
The Preorder Campaign!
I’m very excited to announce my first ever preorder campaign for Briar Girls. I’m partnering with a few of my favorite independent bookstores to offer signed and stamped copies of Briar Girls. And for all orders (including those placed elsewhere and international orders) and library requests, I’m sending out an exclusive digital reward—a behind-the-scenes peek at deleted material with author notes and commentary.
To get a signed and stamped copy of Briar Girls, place your order through Porter Square Books, The Silver Unicorn Bookstore, Belmont Books, or Copper Dog Books. I am also working with Tubby & Coo’s, a fantastic indie in New Orleans, to offer gorgeous custom signed bookplates.
Visit my website for all of the preorder details and forms!
Other Miscellany
Apparently all I have done since my last newsletter dropped is watch more Apple TV. It’s extremely annoying to me that I will probably have to actually pay for the subscription once my free trial ends, because of all the shows I’m kinda sorta watching these days, the best ones have been on Apple TV. Namely—Ted Lasso, Dickinson, and most recently, For All Mankind. This alternate history show begins with Russia winning the race to put a human on the moon, which escalates the space race over the following decades. The history feels real and plausible, the characters compelling, and the storylines believable (mostly) but still surprising!
I’ve also done some rereading. For the first time since they came out, I picked up The Hunger Games and sequels, and wow. While some stylistic aspects felt a little dated, this series is still gripping and extremely readable—and a masterwork in its depiction of the horrors of war and its effects on people who are just trying to survive. Suzanne Collins did exactly what she intended to do in this trilogy and she did it flawlessly.
Lastly…
I’ll leave you with this lovely blurb that Laura E. Weymouth, fellow author of tangled fairy tale retellings, gave to Briar Girls. (Her next book A Rush of Wings is based on one of my favorite fairy tales, and also comes out on November 2!)
As always, thanks so much for reading!
Best,
Rebecca
PS: Want to buy my books? You can find more information and buy links on my website!