Market Days

Happy summer to those who celebrate. 😊 We’re in the midst of a heat dome here in New England, and while it’s quite toasty (like, heat index of over 100F, toasty), I still prefer it over the cold, dark days of winter. There, I said it.

I haven’t written much new material over the last few months. Partly because I was rewriting a book, partly because we were traveling in April (to Ireland) and May (to Germany/Switzerland/Liechtenstein, for my 40th birthday).

But the rewrite is done, and no other travel plans are in sight for me. So it’s back to writing—and attending a few public events as an author.

Before I get into that, let’s do an update.

Projects In-Progress

Rise of Iron (The Tredania Chronicles, book one)—This is the book I recently rewrote. I first wrote it in 2023, in a burst of inspiration after leaving my previous job. But I’ve honed my style quite a bit over the last three years, so rather than edit in-document, I opted to rewrite it. Trust me, that was much faster.

Rise of Iron is the first in a new series, which I’m really excited to share with you all. A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned on my blog that I decided to query this book. I researched a handful of agents and queried seven (I’ll query another on Monday, when he opens for queries). Stay tuned to my blog for updates on how that’s going. In the meantime…

Unnamed (The Tredania Chronicles, book two)—I’m now writing book two. This book begins right where book one ends, and follows the same two main characters plus one side character you first meet in book one. I’ll go into more detail about this series, including what it’s about and its overall structure, in a future blog/newsletter. For now, all I’ll share is that it’s planned to be eight books, and it has a metal magic system.

Other Projects—A couple of other projects are in various stages of ideation. One is fully outlined, and I plan to start working on that once I have a good handle on TC, book two. Another is starting to really take shape in my mind, and I anticipate outlining it within the next couple of weeks. There’s also my niece’s story, which she refuses to let me forget about. (I haven’t.)

No rest for the weary!

Public Events

In addition to writing (a lot) this summer, I also plan to do something I’ve never done before: attend public events as an author. While I’m very excited to take this next step in my career, I’m also incredibly nervous.

When I used to work in public relations, I attended public events on the regular. In the years I was in that job, I probably attended hundreds. Some were quite hostile, others were more cordial. Some were in front of large groups of people, others were one-on-one. I interacted with the public so much (and knew the material so well) that my fear of public speaking almost disappeared.

But this is a whole different ballgame. I’m no longer speaking on behalf of a corporate entity; I’m speaking on behalf of myself and my stories, which mean more to me than any of those projects ever did (sorry, former colleagues, but it’s true). They’re close to my heart—they are pieces of my heart—and I’m very, very passionate about them. That makes these public events all the more terrifying, because when I’m passionate about something, I get really animated, talk too fast, and sometimes stutter.

But none of that will stop me.

Bookish (Bliss) Market

For those living in or around New Hampshire, you might be familiar with the Bookish Bliss Mobile Bookstore. I first encountered them at the Hopkinton State Fair last fall, where I bought one of their “blind dates with a book”. They attend many public events, and even do private events like birthday parties and weddings.

Recently, they announced they’re hosting their own events, starting with the Bookish Market. This will be held on Sunday, July 5, at the Sandlot Event Center in Sandown, NH from 11am-4pm. Dozens of local authors and book-related vendors will be there, selling books, signing books, talking about books, and interacting with readers. I hear there’s even a Bookish Bingo event happening, which sounds super fun.

Quick Event Details:

WHERE:
Sandlot Event Center
33 Sandlot Way, Sandown, NH 03873

WHEN:
11am-4pm (rain or shine)

If you’re in the area and need something to occupy your Sunday, come on by! Look for me under the pavilion (“Author Alley”)—I’ll be in the back corner, with a poster-sized print of The Way of the Wielder’s cover on my table. I’ll have copies of all of my books, including my middle grade story, and free bookmarks.

Future Events

If this upcoming Sunday doesn’t work for your schedule, no worries! You can always buy my books on Amazon, or stop by Water Street Bookstore in Exeter and pick up signed copies. (They only have the first three books in The Way of the Wielder series, though, and won’t take more until more sell. Hint, hint.)

Looking forward, I’ll also be attending two more Bookish Markets:

• Last Chapter of Summer Book Fair on August 23

• Spines and Spice Fall Festival on October 24

These events will also be held in Sandown, NH. More to come as they get closer.

That’s all for now. I hope you have a very happy (and safe) Independence Day, and I hope to see you on July 5!

Until next time, be well, and stay creative.

~Sarah