Chapter Two

The one where I catch you up on book news and offer lots of new romance recs!

Hello! I wanted to swing by your inbox to update you on where I am with Ghosted and and give you some new Aussie romance recs I’ve been lucky enough to read!

I’ve just had my marketing and publicity meeting for the release of Ghosted, which makes everything feel very, very real. I’m so excited to start talking events and fun things surrounding this book. Think fun Halloween things! (Do I already have ghost lollipops? Maybe.) It’s just under 100 days until launch, and I always find that once you hit 100 days to anything you’re counting down to, times whizzes past. I’m starting to get that nervous excited feeling. I’m joking. I’ve had that feeling for months! I already have some radio locked in, a few podcasts and the team at Simon & Schuster AU/Atria Books Australia have some super cool marketing ideas that I hope everyone will love.

I also sent through my proofread edit last week (insert dramatic music sting!) So it’s very nearly at the point where I can’t touch it anymore. Gulp! That’s the most terrifying stage, when you know it’s done, it’s final pages, it’s going to the printers and there’s no fixing that one last word/sentence/thing you’re suddenly desperate to fix.

One of the exciting things with this edit was that we had a US editor go over it to catch any lingering Aussieisms, as Ghosted is set in the US (Long Island, NY and NYC.) I thought I did pretty well, but I did miss a couple. I had no idea that Americans don’t say ‘fluro,’ rather neon or the full fluorescent, and that ‘bailed-up’ is Australian slang that harks back to the bushrangers. So I learnt a thing or two!

And the ARCs are starting to turn up in the wild now. It’s almost unfathomable to see photos of this book in readers hands. It’s been such journey.

So it’s all happening!

In between all the editing, I’ve been reading quite a few ARCs, so I though I’d share them with you. There are some fab Aussie romances coming out over the next few months!

First up - I read this as an ARC, but it’s just come out - if you haven’t got your hands on Jodi McAlister’s latest An Academic Affair, you need to sort that out immediately! I’ll wait … Jodi is a masterful romance writer, and this story is full of slow burn feels, siblings dramas, and rivals to lovers who have to fake a marriage to secure academic roles. Set in Hobart, it’s a lot of fun, but like everything Jodi writes, has tonnes of heart and emotion to sink your teeth in.

I was also lucky enough to read Amy Barry’s next book in the McBrides of Montana series. I adored Kit McBride Gets a Wife and Marrying off Morgan McBride. I really, really loved Morgan. Instant book boyfriend. So I was thrilled to get my hands on Seven Brides for Beau McBride. It’s another rollicking backwoods romance as Junebug tries to marry off one more of her annoying (and handsome) older brothers. Beau is the pretty one by the way. Like Kit and Morgan aren’t! The problem with Junebug’s plans is that this time around, Beau has marrying ideas of his own, and between the two of them, they bring together a few too many potential Mrs McBrides. Seven to be exact. It’s so funny, very sweet, and a little steamy. I love these books with all my heart. It’s out July 2 - do not miss it!

Another wonderful ARC was the new book from Emma Mugglestone. In the Long Run is a run club romance. With an Aussie setting, fake dating and a slow burn friends to lovers romance at its core, it’s tender and swoony as our loved up pair, Knox and Gen, prepare for a marathon. I’m not a runner - unless there’s a bear chasing me - but I really enjoyed this. It’s out August 12, so pop it on the list.

I’ve just finished Elise Helliwell’s debut, Within the Space of a Second. It’s a time travel fantasy, but it’s anchored in the real world. I blew through this over a weekend. It’s a real page turner. There’s a great mystery at its heart and lots of action mixed in alongside all the aching longing. Star-crossed lovers. A past that doesn’t make sense. A future that shouldn’t be known. I loved this one. Sometimes time travel stories make you feel as if you need a degree to sort through science, but Elise handles it all deftly. It’s not out until November 25, but definitely pop it on your TBR!

And one more! Holly Brunnbauer’s debut What Did I Miss. This is a fabulous Aussie rom-com. Fresh and feisty and genuinely laugh-out-loud funny while not breezing over the deeper emotions that make romance such a satisfying read. What Did I Miss is out July 2.

All of these (except Jodi’s because it’s in store already) are now up for pre-order.

I thought I’d touch on why pre-ordering really helps authors out. Pre-orders in the lead up to a book launch can create buzz and signal to publishers and booksellers that there’s interest in a book, which can equate to bigger print runs and larger orders from bookstores. Pre-orders also go toward first week sales, meaning that first week gets solid sales figures, which could not only push the book up the rankings, but also encourage the book to be more prominently positioned in store and online - because it’s pop-u-lar (sing it with me.) Good pre-release sales, could even encourage a publisher to look at another book from the author, and could potentially lead to a future contract, maybe even another book in the series. This is why authors are always like, ‘hey, hi, you can pre-order my book … pleassssse.’

So if you are considering reading any of the above titles, or Ghosted (out September 30) or any other book on the horizon, if you can, please consider pre-ordering the title - sometimes you might even get a less expensive pre-order guaranteed price!

One last thing! If you’re a Sydney based debut author moving towards publishing (or know anyone who is) I’m running a workshop through Writing NSW on July 5 with tips and tools to best prepare debut authors for the next gigantic, exciting and slightly terrifying step. I’ll cover everything from building your community to pitching your book. For more info check this.

That’s it for now. If you’re still here at the end, you’re my favourite <3. I’ll be back with more news as it drops!

Amy xox

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