This post was originally sent through my author newsletter on July 21st, 2023. To subscribe to my newsletter and receive up-to-date news, musings, and more, click HERE.
Some weeks, I know exactly what I want to write about.
Other weeks, Thursday sneaks up on me and catches me off-guard.
This week was the latter. I finished my chapter yesterday (8,185 new words this week, not counting whatever happens today!) and was sitting there thinking, now what do I need to do? Then I remembered my newsletter.
You would think, since I've been doing this weekly for over a year, that forgetting it wouldn't be an option—but that's life.
So, what's on my mind this week? For starters, it seems like I *may* be allowed to announce this secret project I've been working on soon. One of the strangest aspects of doing a write-for-hire job has been the secrecy. With my own books, even if the news of a book deal isn't public yet, I can talk about what I'm working on as much as I want with my friends and family. My current project has not been like that; only a select few people know what I'm up to right now. There is a freedom in that, but it's also a bit isolating. I like sharing what I'm working on, especially when it's going to become something people can buy next year!
So, I'm very excited at the prospect of announcing these books in the near future. Please stay tuned!
In other news, I learned this week that the paperback of Tally Tuttle Turns into a Turtle is currently being reprinted—which is great! Not quite as great: the reprints won't arrive in my publisher's warehouse until probably mid-October. So, that paperback edition might be a little scarce over the next couple months. (It's already listed as Out of Stock on my publisher's website, and is only available on Amazon in used condition...) If you have a hankering to purchase a Class Critters title, I hope you'll consider choosing David or Madison, or else buying Tally in hardcover. There are still plenty of hardcovers floating around!
Multiple printings of a book are wonderful. They mean there has been, and continues to be, demand. And I believe this may actually be the third printing of the Tally Tuttle paperback, as I've seen second printings in my local bookstore.
School visits have been a great source of sales for me with this series, which brings me to the other thing I've been thinking about this week:
I am currently booking author visits for elementary schools for 2023-24! Please reach out for information if you have any interest at all in bringing me in to speak to your students. I can do Class Critters presentations for K-4 and will be working on a presentation centered around The Thirteenth Circle for grades 4-8 for the spring. (That book releases in January!)
I think that's all the updates I have for this week, and my brain is mush from trying to write all the words while my kiddo is in camp, so I'll catch up with you again next Friday!
~Kathryn
What I'm:
Reading: My BookBub summer reading challenge is going great! So far, I've read:
The Antiquity Affair (book recommended on the BookBub blog)
Freewater (historical novel set before the 20th century)
Smile (biography or memoir—in this case, a graphic memoir about middle-school, perfect for middle-grade readers!)
Mrs. Nash's Ashes (romance featuring your favorite trope: in this case, a grumpy-sunshine match. In this road-trip romance, she's an eternal optimist and he's a grouch with a secret heart of gold. I loved this book!)
Does anyone want to recommend a thriller set in a vacation destination or a book about books/libraries?
Watching: I went to a Broadway show this week! I haven't been to a Broadway show (aside from taking my kiddo to see Winnie the Pooh: the Musical last year) since before Covid. A friend and I went to Funny Girl on Wednesday evening. The show was fun, and Lea Michele is such an incredible singer and performer.
Loving: My daughter has started swimming lessons, and I'm so proud of how brave she's being in the pool and how open she is to trying what the instructors ask her to do. But I can't share a picture of her swimming (for starters, there are too many other kids in the pool at the time!) so here's a pic of the Funny Girl marquee. Look, Broadway!
