Happy March, book friends! Even though Spring is right around the corner, we were hit with snow today in Southern Oregon! The weather is always unpredictable here, but I love the snow, so I’m not complaining. It’s also my puppy Fred’s first snow, and he has been hopping around like a bunny through it!

I never got around to writing a newsletter for February, so I have quite a bit of news to share! I had several editing jobs the last two months that kept me pretty busy, and I also took part in a social media break with my church during the last 2 weeks of January. Because of that, I could focus a lot more on my writing, which I desperately needed. It was a wonderful refresher for me, and it also freed up more time for reading as well.

January & February Wrap-up

In January, I had a wonderful book signing at Barnes & Noble for The Wraiths of Arjun, and I’m lining up more events. I’ve scheduled one already for the summer, which is a Comic-Con event. That one is going to be a blast! And there’s a big event I’ll be part of in September I’m dying to share, but I can’t yet until it’s announced… I’ll be sharing that exciting news probably in the next month or two. So stay tuned!

Also in January was the Cover Reveal for my debut picture book, The Mountain of Gold!

This story is close to my heart and a tribute to my dear friend and writing mentor, Fred J. Fisher, who is no longer with us. I originally did the illustrations for it back in 2010. It’s crazy how fast this book came together after finding its publishing home with Caterpillar Books, a division of Monarch Press. And guess what? It’s releasing this Spring! I can’t wait to share it with everyone! ARC signups are coming soon, and it is currently available for preorder on Hardback & ebook at this time. Paperback preorder coming soon.

All Febuary long, my upcoming YA Steampunk Gothic Horror, HEARTSMITH, has been with my development editor. So, when that wraps up, I’ll be diving back into this Dickens meets Frankenstein world again, and working on getting it ready for line edits. I cannot wait to share this new series with everyone. I have started the sequel, but haven’t worked on it much as I’ve been focusing on finishing Book 3 of The Iron Kingdom Series, which leads me to my next update…

The first draft of The Ghost’s Gambit is Done! YAY! I’ve already begun the revision process, adding in small overlooked details, and making sure I’ve tied up things I missed during the drafting stage. My critique partner and podcast co-host Angela R. Hughes has been reading through it, and the feedback I’ve received from her has been so encouraging. To her, it’s the best book in the series yet! I have just a couple more things I need to work on, and then I’ll be reaching out to a few beta readers.

If you haven’t read The Iron Kingdom Series and are looking to start something new and exciting this Spring, then check out my YA Fantasy series. It has everything you could want in a story: action & adventure, mystery, buried secrets, a hero you can’t help but love, romance, multi-POVs, antihero POV, friends/enemies to lovers, deadly curses and monsters, found family, high stakes, and the importance of community and friendship.

And if you have read The Conjurer’s Curse and The Wraiths of Arjun, please do me a huge favor and leave a review. They help encourage other people to read the books, and increase my ranking on Amazon, which is huge!

Signed Copies:

Also, if you’re interested in getting signed copies of my books, I’ve now made that available through Paypal. Just click on my linktree, and you’ll find the link at the top. I’ll include a bookmark and sticker too (while supplies last!)

Check out The Ink Mages Podcast! Your go-to podcast for Nerdy Fantasy banter and story craft.

It’s a new year of podcasting, and my co-host Angela R. Hughes and I released 3 new episodes last month. Two were author interviews (with Mark Snoad & J.D. Fisher) and one was all about Romantic Chemistry Tips for writing, along with discussing many of our favorite romance stories. If you haven’t watched our episodes, give us a listen and subscribe to our YouTube Channel or listen on Spotify. Check out our latest episodes using the links below:

Thank you, book friends, for supporting me, encouraging me, and for reading my novels. You mean the world to me. I hope you all have a wonderful March and Spring Break!

-Stephanie Cotta

Book Recommendation:

The Heart of Everton Inn by Claire Kohler was my latest read. Here’s my review:

A wonderful follow-up to book 1! I enjoyed this story immensely and I love how it expanded on book 1 by following along the same storyline but from Adaira’s and John’s perspective. I loved seeing their relationship develop amidst all the twists and turns, and goodness, were there some shockers! After the cliffhanger ending, I am so eager to dive in to book 3, and luckily it’s releasing very soon. Can’t wait to continue this series!

For readers who love clean romantasy in a Scottish setting with selkie folklore, you will absolutely love this series!