COVER DEBUT: Roar of Sky
This is it! The cover of the third and final volume in my Blood of Earth trilogy from Harper Voyager. Roar of Sky comes out on October 23rd and it’s already available to preorder at places like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and awesome indies like Poisoned Pen! Also… the back cover copy is now online, too! Scroll down to read.
BEHOLD!
In this stunning conclusion to the acclaimed Blood of Earth trilogy—a thrilling alternate history laced with earth magic, fantastic creatures, and steampunk elements—the young geomancer Ingrid must find a way to use her extraordinary abilities to save her world from the woman hell-bent on engineering a war that would rip it to pieces.
Thanks to her geomantic magic, Ingrid has successfully eluded Ambassador Blum, the evil genius behind the plan to achieve world domination for the United Pacific. But using her powers has taken its toll: Ingrid’s body has been left severely weakened, and once again she is on the run with her friends Cy and Fenris.
Hoping to learn more about her magical roots and the strength her bloodline carries, Ingrid makes her way across the Pacific to Hawaii, home to the ancient earth goddess Madame Pele. What she discovers in this paradise is not at all what she expects—but perhaps exactly what she needs to find the strength to face Blum.
But Ambassador Blum comes from the same world of old magic. She is a kitsune with near-mythic power. And if Ingrid cannot defeat her once and for all, she knows Blum will use that power to take the lives of everyone she holds dear before igniting a war that will bring the entire world to its knees.
Release date: October 23rd, 2018
Catching Up on New Publications
I hate it when I fall behind on website updates, but sometimes it just can’t be helped. January brought a barrage of small projects, and then my edits for Roar of Sky dropped on me at the end of the month. February was alllll about book edits. I finally have those done–the first stage, anyway–and now I’m trying to catch up on the stuff I fell behind on during February. Whee! The grand circle of life, for a writer.
All that said, my bibliography page is now up-to-date with the latest fiction, poetry, and podcasts! Here are the newest additions:
Short story:
“The Library is Open,” Daily Science Fiction
Poetry:
“After Her Brother Ripped the Heads from Her Paper Dolls,” Mythic Delirium issue 4.3
“This Body Made,” Mythic Delirium issue 4.3
“Call Me Home Again, Child,” Spirit’s Tincture Issue 5
“Porom,” Special Feature for Skiffy and Fanty’s Month of Joy
“The Stars Sing,” Star*line 41.1
“So Old” and “Border Cowboy at the Border,” Grievous Angel
Podcasts:
Read for Pixels 2018 (IWD Edition): Beth Cato Reading+Q&A Session
O&F Podcast, Ep. 177: Beth Cato
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Read MoreGoals for 2018
Huzzah, it is 2018! The apocalypse hadn’t happened (yet) and the electricity has stayed on, so let’s keep on writing! I did pretty well with my 2017 goals, though it was awfully stressful through the last quarter of the year. I’m determined for 2018 to be better.
On that note, we went out on January 3rd and adopted three new cats. Only two are home right now, as one had dental surgery scheduled at the shelter, but we look forward to having the full gang soon. Luke (see picture below) and Kylo have already latched onto me and decided my office desk is the Place to Be. It feels good to have companionship as I work again. It was really hard to write with Porom gone.
2018 Goals
1) Write a new novel.
2) Complete all three edit stages for Roar of Sky (edits, copy-edits, and first pass pages).
3) Prepare comprehensive marketing plan for release of Roar of Sky in October. This includes regular updates on my personal blog, scheduling interviews and blog posts for other blogs and sites, and seizing other viable opportunities.
a) Don’t have a mental breakdown.
4) Release Roar of Sky in October.
a) Don’t have a mental breakdown.
5) Write a new story (fiction or nonfiction) every month, if balanced with novel obligations.
6) Participate in the Poem a Day Challenge in April and November, and keep at least 10 poems on submission at all times.
7) Read at least 100 books during 2018 and post reviews for each.
8) Attend several conventions and book festivals throughout the year (see current list on right side of page).
9) Be honest with myself about my stress and personal limits. Don’t hold it all inside. Reach out to writer friends. Let my agent know what is going on. Take time out for my husband, son, cats, and family. Read. Bake. Go thrift store shopping.
10) Don’t give up. I’ve come a long way in the past year and there’s plenty of mountain left to climb. If tired of climbing, use dynamite.
Read MoreWords of Wisdom on NaNoWriMo and Star Wars
Are you preparing to take part in NaNoWriMo in November? Striving for 50,000 words in a month is a major undertaking. At the Once and Future Podcast blog, I offer 4 tips to reduce stress during NaNo.
(I’m not taking part in NaNo this year; I wrote a rough draft for Roar of Sky in March and April this year, and I’ll be working on the edits for it this November. I will, however, be doing the Poem-A-Day Challenge.)
In other geeky news, a whole bunch of authors contributed posts to Unbound Worlds on what Star Wars personally means to them. As “Da Wars” was among my first words spoken as a baby, I have very deep thoughts on the subject.
Recent Poetry Publications & More
I’ve been drowning in my new book for almost three months. With Roar of Sky now in the possession of first readers (and causing me to stare at my email an awful lot as I wait for verdicts), my head is (briefly) above water and I’m catching up on other writerly things, such as poetry submissions, promotional work, and my website. I need to get these things done now, as I expect more work to drop on me in June!
My Bibliography page is now up-to-date. Here are my poems that were published over the past two months:
- “East of the Caldera,” Devilfish Review
- “Note on the Teachers’ Lounge Fridge at the Witches’ Academy,” Star*line 40.2
- “Mother’s Return,” Eye to the Telescope: Alternate Realities
- “No Upgrade Required” and “Final Portion of Elixir Recipe,” Grievous Angel
I also have three poems nominated for the Rhysling Award this year (!!!) and they can be read online as well. The full anthology is available on Amazon.
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Read MoreAnnouncing my new book deal: ROAR OF SKY
Yesterday, I finished writing the rough draft I began on March 1st.
94,555 words written in little over a month.
Today, I get to announce the details of that book: it’s the final volume in my Blood of Earth trilogy, Roar of Sky.
That means the full trilogy is:
Breath of Earth (out now)
Call of Fire (out on August 15th)
Roar of Sky (2018)
YAAAAAAAAAAYYYY!
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