As to Not Leave the Year on a Bad Note…

It took a few more days but they did get the leak sealed and I felt a whole lot better. I hope I’ve had my turn with the bad luck in 2025 and I get a period of quiet. *stares at Rodney and Shawn*

This week I’m having proper rest (or trying to), refilling the well and doing some writing. Last week I did a chunk of work, including getting the first three Livi books in paperback with the rebranded covers.

This includes Ashford’s Ghost on its own in paperback for the first time (simply because I like the cover and wanted it lol).  Paperback at Payhip | Paperback at Amazon

In AG’s and ET’s cases, I actually went through and reread them entirely*, and did a tiny bit of trimming/working some lines (net 500 words added to AG, mostly a couple of spots of flesh, and net loss of 1000 words to ET). This is the first time since 2022 (when Charon‘s Gold came out) that I’ve been able to reread any of these books in their entirety and did not have any panic attacks. I did not go through SS and OS because they’ve been proofread a few times and they’re out in audio, so I’m letting them be.

So it feels good to get those four done to start with, and I remade the various eBook files including the boxset, so if you’ve bought anywhere outside Kindle (where I no longer sell), you can update your files to the latest versions.

I would actually really like to see Emperor’s Tomb in audio after all this. That first arc is so good, it’s works as a complete story with no cliffhangers**, and would be nice to have for audio listeners. I still don’t know how feasible it’ll be, I’ll talk to Kristi Burns more in the New Year about the various costs–maybe I’ll have the interest built up by the summer and I can launch the Kickstarter. For now, please don’t forget to follow (and pick up 1 and 2 in audio if you haven’t).

Shiva’s Bow, Yampellec’s Idol, and Charon’s Gold will wait a little while until I’ve got time again for re-proofing/tweaking, reformatting, and doing the full-wrap covers, and I’ve got plans to do the same thing with the Demons of Oblivion books (those front covers are done, I just don’t want to rebrand until I’ve had a chance to go over the books again).

As I’ve been redoing them, I’ve been adding them to Payhip to buy direct.

Printing and shipping is done through BookVault. The shipping costs can be obscene (esp in Canada) but multiple orders combine into one shipment, so it’s an okay option for those looking to get a few books and cut out Amazon, and don’t mind paying shipping. Later I plan to offer some sets of books in boxset slipcases because that’s a cool option.

Print books on Payhip also unlock 50% off the associated eBook and 35% off the audio (if available).

Other than that, I actually do have some exciting things in progress–in addition to the new serial coming in 2026 I announced for Patreon a few weeks ago, which they get a preview of on Thursday, I have a cool thing I’m doing with an Elis O’Connor “First Dates (That End Badly)” story launching in February, I’ve got another announcement and cover reveal for something else special, and I’m currently working on a Waverly story to go in the hardcover this spring for A Dark and Distant Home. So it’s a good quiet week to enjoy myself and I’m hoping folks at Patreon are excited about all the announcements about what’s to come on the first of the month. They’ve been patient and given me so much, and I want their investment in my work to be worth it for them.

Next week I’ll get my freelance stuff sorted for the month (dear god this month’s credit card bill is gonna hurt, I will be working 24/7) and then try to steal a week in January to do my final big pre-edit revisions pass on Waverly 5 done. But right now? I rest.

So, in marginally better spirits*** this time: Happy New Year.

God I hope it’s not terrible.

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* Genuinely, truly, once again, like COMPLETELY gobsmacked at the lack of reading comprehension among certain previous “fans” of this series, like imagine getting five books into what was going to be a twelve-book series, seeing all the carefully setup and connected threads I’d woven in, and believing West was gone from the narrative forever because Livi told him to go away and declaring with your whole chest that I’m the devil incarnate for it. It’s one thing when friends reassure me “no, Skyla, you did fine, these women just don’t know how to read” but it’s a whole other to see it with my own eyes after all this time and distance. Pity folks got their panties in a wad rather than trust me to tell the goddamn story as intended.

** Threads of what to come, obviously, but I think folks can do 1-3 and feel satisfied.

*** We miss Libby here and it’s hard, but I’ve been spending as much time with my other cats as possible, so I’m doing okay.