News and Appearances
..and if you reach the end of the article, a big giveaway!
Hi Everyone! It’s been a while since I’ve done a substack post, so I have lots of news to share. First of all, thanks to all of you—my over 1,000 Substack subscribers! I really appreciate you being on this wild ride with me!
My appearance calendar is filling up. Here is what’s happening in the next few months. For appearances with readings and panels, I will share specifics as I get them on my website and via Instagram (and maybe substack).
Please note that my next appearance is this Saturday, February 7 in Brooklyn at the Brooklyn Books & Booze Author Bookfest at Barrow Intense! There will be giveaways, agent speed dating and lots of great books and booze! Please come by! This event is FREE, but if you want to meet with an agent, you have to sign up here.
ReInception hits #3 on the Amazon Best Seller List!
In other news, ReInception recently hit the #3 Spot on the Amazon Best Seller List for Genetic Engineering, Science Fiction for both print and eBooks. The book has been hanging around for days in the #3 - #7 spots. I have no idea what is causing the spike, but whatever or whoever is influencing this sudden attention to my book, THANK YOU!! It blows my mind that thousands of people now have my book on their shelves, in their audio lists, and in their eReaders. I’m forever thankful to everyone who has read, gifted, borrowed, loaned or recommended my book. I’ve been on this journey now for six years and these characters feel like family. Thank you for stepping into their world with them.
Please don’t forget to leave a review!
MassInception First Draft is DONE!
And speaking of 6 years—MassInception is finished! On January 31, I typed “The End.” I can’t believe it. Now, I’m going through my edits and getting ready to send it along to my editor and beta readers for feedback. Still on target for an October release date and hopefully will be looking for ARC readers in April!
(I love updating the progress bar on my website)
I can’t believe this trilogy is coming to an end. I will be sad to let these characters go, but they’ve said what they needed to say and done what they needed to do. It’s time for the next book.
Unless someone wants to make a movie or tv show about these people, in which case, it’s time for a movie.
What I’ve Been Reading
I set some ambitious goals for reading this year, not in terms of volume so much as in terms of frequency. I’m trying to put away the devices, turn off the TV and read for at least a while every night, preferably on paper, but my Kindle will do. I also listen to books pretty much every day and I bought myself a nice reading journal as a holiday gift. I’ve only missed about 4 nights!
So far this year, I’ve completed the following books:
Karin Slaughter, “Pretty Girls.” (Print)
It’s been a while since I’ve read Karin Slaughter and mostly that was to devour a good chunk of her Will Trent books a few years back. I often have trouble enjoying crime novels because of my background as a prosecutor, but during vacation, I was in the mood for it. “Pretty Girls” seems to be a big fan favorite, so I tried it out. Man does this woman know how to twist a plot! Every time I thought she was done blindsiding me, she came up with something new. If you ever want a master class in plot twists, this book is it.
Matt Dinniman, “Dungeon Crawler Carl Book 4: Gate of the Feral Gods.” (Audio)
This series has been such a surprise favorite for me. I was standing two tables down from Dinniman at a book event a few months ago wondering who the heck this guys with hundreds of people waiting on line to see him was. Seems like I was the ONLY person who didn’t know. I picked up the first book to see what all the fuss was about and they are just so much fun. These books are funny, fast paced, endlessly inventive and the perfect escape. I’ve been working through the audiobooks and the narrator, Jeff Hays, is phenomenal. In the past, I’ve had a hard time enjoying LitRPG because of the points accumulation, but Dinniman even makes that part hilarious. Not only do I have nothing bad to say about these books, but halfway into book 5, I can also say that they are consistently excellent throughout the series. Trust me on this—you’ll love them. And Princess Donut may be one of the greatest characters of all time.
M.R. Carey, “The Girl with All The Gifts.” (Print)
Oh my god, guys, if I give you the synopsis for this book, you just won’t get it because to summarize it for you can’t possibly tell you what it’s really about. This book was astonishing—so soul crushing, so inventive. Here is a little blurb, but if you love post apocalyptic science fiction, this will knock your socks off. And if you are more of the literary type, but you are spec fiction curious, this book will convert you.
“Every morning, Melanie waits in her cell to be collected for class. When they come for her, Sergeant keeps his gun pointed at her while two of his people strap her into the wheelchair. She thinks they don't like her. She jokes that she won't bite, but they don't laugh.”
And Please, Read More Books!
I think that’s all I’ve got for this month! Again, thank you for reading my books, for supporting me and for supporting reading and literature.
Some studies came out recently that claim that more than 50% of adults said they didn’t read a single book last year and another study says that GenZ is the least flourishing generation that we know of in history. Those things are not unrelated.
Today, “The Washington Post”, which is owned by Jeff Bezos (Amazon controls over 70% of the current book market and got its start there) shut down its Books Section.
In a recent Instagram Post, I cited this NY Times article from a few years back about “Your Brain on Fiction.” Among other things it says that:
“The brain, it seems, does not make much of a distinction between reading about an experience and encountering it in real life.”
This is why reading lights up the brain; it helps us better understand the world around us, it develops our creativity and our empathy. We lose so much when we stop reading, so read a book. Loan one to a friend. Start a book club. Buy books as gifts and do exchanges. Go to your library or your local book store or to a Little Library. And especially, put books in the hands of the next generation.
To celebrate my being in the Amazon top 3, I’m giving away 25 copies of ReInception to GenZ Readers. ReInception is appropriate for ages 16 and up. If you have or are a teenager or young adult who likes or might like science fiction, DM me. I will send a free copy to the first 25 people who reach out (domestic only for paper, but eBooks, I will send anywhere).
Thank you for your love and support.
Sarena