On Publication Eve

In a few short hours, the day I’ve been looking forward to for over a year will finally be here. (Or, to be more accurate, it is a day I’ve dreamed about for over thirteen years, from the moment I started writing books.) It is the eve of my publication date, and soon I will become a published author.

A flood of emotions is contained inside of me.

Will I cry when I find my book on shelves for the first time? Most likely. I get misty-eyed at kind comments and videos of fluffy kittens, so I’m certain that seeing the physical proof of my hard work, imagination, and the culmination of my dreams sitting in a place where anyone can take it in their hands and open it up to reveal what’s inside will break down whatever it is that’s holding all these emotions inside of me and allow them to flow free. Tears will be involved for sure.

I’ve been thinking a lot about the art I’ve created over my lifetime, and how River of Spirits is about to become the most widely spread of them all. Readers across the country will walk into a bookstore or library and find my book on the shelves. This book carries my name upon it and my heart within it, and woven through its pages is a story that I made up, then painstakingly wrote down so others could experience the story as I imagined it. It is extraordinary, isn’t it? It’s an art form that borders on true magic.

I’m still wrapping my mind around the fact that this book will be read by children and adults across the US and Canada, and that it won’t vanish after they close the cover. My hope is that this story will be carried inside of them long after they’ve finished reading, and that the memories of their first time experiencing the story will be soft-edged and hopeful.

I hope this is the case for you, if you read it, too.

Upcoming Events

Tomorrow night (Tuesday, March 25th), I’ll be at the Powell’s Books at Cedar Hills Crossing at 7PM PST to celebrate the launch of my debut. Joining me in conversation is Laini Taylor, the author of the Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy and the Strange the Dreamer duology.

On Saturday, March 29th I will be at Barnes & Noble at Clackamas Town Center at 2pm. Scott Kurtz (Table Titans Club, PVP Online) will be joining me in-conversation. We’d love to meet your kids, so bring them along!

The Pre-Order Campaign is still open! Order The Underwild: River of Spirits or request from your local library and submit your receipt by March 29th to get these gorgeous limited edition gifts:

✨ A bookmark featuring the cover illustration by Danlin Zhang

✨ Stickers featuring cover art by Danlin Zhang

✨ A signed bookplate featuring art by Marcella

✨ Bonus! If you order from an independent bookstore you'll also receive a special, limited edition recipe card featuring art by me.

Signed and personalized copies are available from Annie Bloom's Books in Portland, Oregon or from Vintage Books in Vancouver, Washington.

Signed copies are also available from Powell’s Books.

These gifts will be sent in a gorgeous, pearlescent envelope! Here’s a sneak peek:

Purple pearlescent envelopes with gold foil edges and a wax stamp! The stamp has a feather and moth design to match my book.

This campaign is open until March 29th, but supplies are very limited, and I anticipate running out of stickers soon.

Thank you for all your support ✨

Shana