Rachel Rener's Blog, page 3
April 2, 2025
Um...
April 1, 2025
*shrill screech* IT'S TIIII-IIII-IIIIME! ⏰
March 20, 2025
Prank-calling a random reader
March 12, 2025
BISSKISS Sneak Peek!!!! ✨
March 5, 2025
Silver Blood cover reveal and GIGUNDO half-off sale!!!
(Don't miss the HUGE upcoming 50% off special edition sale at the bottom of this email!)
Well, faster than I EVER could have imagined, we have hit 500 followers on the Silver Blood Special Edition Pre-Launch page. Which means it's time for.....
THE SILVER BLOOD (AND GILDED BLOOD) SPECIAL EDITION COVER REVEAL(S)!!!
And because I know you guys so well, I've already answered what I anticipate will be your top 10 FAQs
1. The Kickstarter (KS) launches on or around April 1st (no, that's not a joke) and will last 25 days.
2. The black-out editions are ULTRA-LIMITED and will not be permanent.
3. I will have a few extras on-hand after the KS (assuming we fund), but the only guaranteed way to get a black-out copy is via KS. We are only doing one printing of this collector's edition.
4. You do not have to buy the black-out version of the Gilded Blood omnibus. You can either get SB & GB together or a la carte :)
5. Yes, the original pink omnibus will fit in the new 2-book slipcase.
6. Yes, the original artist (Uwe) is returning. There will be at least 3 brand-new illustrations in SB!
7. Yes, there will be amazing add-ons (including a certain plushie!!!!)
8. NO, you won't have to wait until 2026 to get your book(s) - we are already well underway with production, assuming the project funds! ()
9. Yes, there will be an awesome early bird tier, limited to the first 15 people who select it. (More info on that later!)
10. I will probably add a special early-bird reward for everyone who pledges within the first 24 hours. Gift TBD, suggestions welcome in the meantime!
For those of you unfamiliar with Kickstarter:
KS is a crowdfunding website that is safe, secure, and used by millions.
You can sign up for free and it takes about 10 seconds.
Following a project does not equal pledging. Following just means you'll be notified when the project goes live.
A pledge is not a charge to your credit card. A pledge is a commitment, and you will be only be charged at the end of the project. (Unless you cancel your pledge beforehand.)
If the project does not fund, you will not be charged.
There are no hidden fees.
No one on my team has access to your private financial data or CC info.
Sharing is caring - the more people who follow and pledge, the higher the likelihood that this dream becomes a reality!!
As promised, we have a few sales happening this week to commemorate the upcoming Kickstarter (as well as help those of you who have not yet read the series get your hands on this epic, funny, steamy 5-book series!
From now through Friday, you can get Inked for free and read the rest of the series at a steep discount!
Please help us spread the word!♥️
Gigundo 50% off sale!!!
Even more exciting, we are running a 48-hour ONLY 50%-off sale on special edition Gilded Blood omnibuses with extremely minor damage.
You can get up to $65 off for tiny imperfections like small scratches, minor foil flaking, etc. While the sale won't be open to the public until the 7th, newsletter subscribers (a.k.a. YOU!) can start shopping now! Just enter coupon code SECRET50 in the promo field at checkout and the 50% savings will automatically be applied!
Cheers and happy reading!!❤️
Come follow me! Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | Twitter | Goodreads | Bookbub | Amazon
Itching for MORE snark, shenanigans, and signed bananas? Come join my brand-new reader group, Rachel's Renergades!
If you're reading this on Goodreads or on my blog, be sure to sign up for my newsletter to get the most exciting updates sent directly to your inbox!
February 28, 2025
The rumors are true. I'm having Jim Butcher's love child
*
*
*
Er, wait, did that subject line say "love child"? I meant to say, Jim Butcher and I will both be attending guests at Dragon Con and Once Upon a Con!! Stupid autocorrect!!!
Well, I suppose while I have you, I may as well take a moment to confirm the other spicy rumor swirling around re: me and my books....
(And let me tell you, it's 100000x spicier than me and Jim Butcher making a beautiful urban fantasy baby ) It's...
A SILVER BLOOD ULTRA-DELUXE SPECIAL EDITION!!!
No, your lovely eyeballs do not deceive you - the Silver Blood deluxe edition is already in the works, mostly because the SECOND I announced a white-hot Gilded Blood prequel was coming, you all immediately rushed to my DMs/inbox to forcefully demand I make a special edition Silver Blood hardcover to match the Gilded Blood omnibus.
What you didn't know is that I was already wayyyyyyyyyy ahead of you, as I know what my readers hunger for! Because of that, we are already *almost* ready to go live. I just need to hold off until we get one more piece of artwork (and like 1000 pre-launch followers so the KS algorithm gods will bless our project with favor!!!).
So please go show that follow button some love, because the second this project goes live, likely on or around April 1st, you will NOT want to miss a certain ultra-limited and SUPER exciting early bird reward tier.
And that is all I will be saying about that. (For now!!)
Now, does this mean you should hold off on reading Silver Blood until the deluxe edition comes out? DEFINITELY not. While the project will likely be going live in 4 weeks' time, you won't have the book in your hands until summer/fall (you know, assuming we fund ).
And in case you haven't heard, a huge number of reviewers are calling this the best Gilded Blood installment to date. So if you haven't yet started Silver Blood, or worse, haven't picked up the series at all, NOW IS THE TIME to grab it!!
Ooh, which makes this the perfect time to tell you that the entire series will be on sale next week!!! Starting Tuesday, and running allllll the way through Friday, Inked will be free, and the sequels will be steeply discounted.
So tell a friend, a lover, a seggsy swamp monster - anyone and everyone who you think will enjoy the Gilded Blood series! Because the more new readers we have ahead of April 1st, the higher chance we have of funding!!!
AND I FOR ONE CANNOT WAIT!!!!!!!
Have an amazing, splendiferous, stupendous, and restful weekend ahead!
Cheers!❤️
Come follow me! Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | Twitter | Goodreads | Bookbub | Amazon
Itching for MORE snark, shenanigans, and signed bananas? Come join my brand-new reader group, Rachel's Renergades!
If you're reading this on Goodreads or on my blog, be sure to sign up for my newsletter to get the most exciting updates sent directly to your inbox!
✨ A Note From Our Marketing Mistress ✨
In case you don't know, audiobooks are my jam (okay, that's a grape, but close enough). So I groveled and begged* Rachel to let me tell you this AMAZING NEWS!
*minor exaggeration, but still- I'm very excited about this.
LOOK WHO WON THE SULTRY LISTENERS AWARDS OF 2024
FOR FAVORITE FANTASY ROMANCE!!!!
That's right! Amethysts & Alchemy WON! Thank you SO MUCH for everyone who took the time to vote! I don't know if you all have listened to it yet, but this award was WELL EARNED! This book is so much fun, and Lia Langola absolutely CRUSHED it. I guess Rachel is going to have to get back to writing book 2 now...
Courtney, A.K.A. Marketing Mistress
February 18, 2025
Calling all Gilded BIood fans: BISSKISS is BACK!!!
Many of you have asked me if I still get nervous on release days, and the answer is OH HELL FORKING YES. But today, I'm not nervous about Amazon rankings or negative reviews or anything like that.
What I'm most nervous about is my original Gilded Blood fans having no idea there's a new sequel out - or, worse - not wanting to dive into the prequel because they believe they know all there is to know about Zayn and Talia (and Biscuit!).
Please believe me when I say, if you are a Gilded Blood fan, you do not want to miss this sequel. And it would mean the world to me if you would help me spread the word:
SILVER BLOOD: A GILDED BLOOD PREQUEL IS AVAILABLE NOW!
My heart is so full of joy to finally be able to share Zayn's story with you! This is the darkest, most smoldering, and steamiest of the five Gilded Blood books, and has been hailed by many of my ARC readers as the best installment of the series. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll find inside its 400+ pages:
❤️ A detailed look at the first 2 years of Zayn and Talia’s burgeoning relationship, including that night (in steeeaaaamy detail!)
The truth about where Zayn was the day Talia brought Roy’s infamous “butt cobra” to life
Biscuit’s—er, Hibiscus’s—precipitating role in the subsequent events of INKED (hint: the bird’s pretty much the mastermind!)
An inside look at Sol’s seedy empire (plus several jaw-dropping bombshells!)
The familiar faces of Talia, Hibiscus, Dee Dee, Korinne, Sol, Salen, plus some brand-new faces to both loathe and love!
♀️ Dragons, Mermaids, Boggarts, Vampires, Incubi (duh), squirrels with antlers, and this really weird creature you have to properly tickle for magic beans⁉️
✨ A REALLY FORKING COOL series announcement at the back of Silver Blood that you do NOT want to miss!!!
I know POV shifts can sometimes be jarring in ongoing series, but believe me when I say this might just be your favorite Gilded Blood installment yet!
"I have always HATED prequels! But this one? This masterpiece of smoldering-hot intensity and heart-wrenching angst and belly-aching humor? THIS prequel is going down as one of my favorite books of all time. I am officially a prequel convert!" ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Zayn’s POV adds a whole new dimension to an already incredible series. It’s the prequel I didn’t know my heart needed." ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"If you thought you knew Gilded Blood, thought you knew all there was to know about Zayn and Talia, you were dead wrong. I'm utterly speechless. 1000/10 stars!" ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (x200)
"Not only is Silver Blood my favorite book of the entire Gilded Blood series, but it might just be my favorite Renerverse book of all time!" ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Zayn and Talia at their absolute hottest!" ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"This book, like all of Rachel’s books, came with twists, adventure, and WTF moments. Add in the bonus of a lot of spice and I easily call this her best book ever!" ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Typically, I have found that sequels and prequels do not hold up to the predecessors. But not Silver Blood - this book came in like the Koolaid Man breaking through a freshly painted wall ready to party!"⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Silver Blood is available in ebook, signed paperback, and signed deluxe color paperback, with the audiobook expected to release this spring! The brilliant and smoldering Tim Campbell will be voicing Zayn, with our beloved Tara Novie returning as Talia!
There will also be one more VERY COOL Silver Blood-related surprise coming this spring, a sneak peek of which can be found in the back of the ebook and paperback!
PARTY TIME!!!
To herald in the much anticipated release of Silver Blood, Rachel's Renergades will be hosting an all-day party with TONS of prizes, including signed special edition books! It's running from 8am to 9pm February 18th! Come join the fun!
We've also got a brand-new, expanded street team over on Discord, and will be keeping the invite link open for just a bit longer before closing the server to the general public. I'd love to have you on my team!
Cheers!❤️
Come follow me! Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | Twitter | Goodreads | Bookbub | Amazon
Itching for MORE snark, shenanigans, and signed bananas? Come join my brand-new reader group, Rachel's Renergades!
If you're reading this on Goodreads or on my blog, be sure to sign up for my newsletter to get the most exciting updates sent directly to your inbox!
February 11, 2025
Upcoming Silver BIood PARTAAYYY and PhaIIic-shaped fruit!
Hello Renergades!
SOUND THE ALARMS!!!
*WEEEE-yoooooo-WEEEEEEE-yoooooo-WEEEEEEE-yoooo!!!*
We are officially ONE WEEK AWAY from the release of Silver Blood, and I have so many fun things to tell you!
First off, I should start by letting you know that Silver Blood: A Gilded Blood Prequel, is the darkest, most smoldering, and steamiest️ of the five books. This book has MORE of everything- More feels, more laughs, more Biscuit, and most importantly, substantially more ccks!!
No, not that kind of cck
To regale you with a feisty sneak peek, Courtney - my Mistress of Marketing- has hand-selected some context free quotes she thought you might enjoy:
❤️“I know what it’s like to have all your hopes and plans torn from under your feet... To feel like there’s no one in the world who believes in you... So, this is me telling you I see your potential, and I believe in you.” (dawwww )
“'This woman is going to be the de@th of me....'
If only I had known just how true those words were about to become.” (yeppp pretty much)
“Not to mention loud; at one point Talia's voice had grown so shrill I’d feared for the shop’s windows.” (#foreshadowing)
“She bit her lower lip, filling me with the overwhelming urge to lean forward and bite it myself.” (spoiler alert: he does.)
“If a beak could curl into a smirk, that’s exactly what Hibiscus’ did. I frowned. ‘Why are you giving me that look?’ Pointedly ignoring the question, she began casually inspecting one of her claws. I half-expected her to pull an emery board from underneath her wing and start filing her nails.” (Hibiscus: the TRUE MC of the Gilded Blood series)
Oh, and PS, on February 18th, you might want to take a quick peek at the end of Silver Blood for a certain UNOFFICIAL and YET-TO-BE-DISCLOSED (but 100% happening very soon) special announcement about a certain pretty special edition of a certain upcoming release
Oh, and something, something dragons.
TIME TO PARTY!
To help celebrate Silver Blood's release, my reader group (Rachel's Renergades) will be hosting an awesome all-day party full of fun games, trivia, and a crap-ton of prizes on February 18th!
(Seriously, my accountant is giving me the side-eye with all the free goodies I'm planning on handing out!)
So if you like the sound of signed books, swag, and ph@llic-shaped fruit, BE THERE OR BE.... well, somewhere else.
But it won't be nearly as cool.
LAST CALL for Street Team Sign-Ups!
The Street Team application will be closing TODAY, so be sure to sign up if you have not done so already. If you have signed up, be sure to keep an eye on your emails (and add rachel@rachelrener.com to your address book) for more info. We will be launching the group chat sometime THIS WEEK!
On a non-Gilded-Blood note, Amethysts & Alchemy made it all the way to the semi-finals and has been nominated to take home the gold in the Fantasy Romance category for The 10th Annual Sultry Listeners Awards
If you would like to vote (and Lia and I would be so grateful if you did!) you can do so every day up until February 16th by clicking here!
✈️ Now, I'm off to pack my bags for my first event of the season, Wild & Windy West! If you're curious where else I'll be flying off to this convention season, be sure to check out my list of events here!
Cheers and hope to see you very soon!❤️
Come follow me! Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | Twitter | Goodreads | Bookbub | Amazon
Itching for MORE snark, shenanigans, and signed bananas? Come join my brand-new reader group, Rachel's Renergades!
If you're reading this on Goodreads or on my blog, be sure to sign up for my newsletter to get the most exciting updates sent directly to your inbox!
February 3, 2025
And the (ultra-famous!!!!) voice of Zayn is going to be.......
This message is for all of my audio(book)philes out there. If you are not an audiobookphile, and/or do not want any behind-the-scenes publishing drama / tea / gossip, then keep scrolling. (There will be cool stuff waiting for you at the bottom of this email, like my upcoming street team expansion!!)
As some of you may know, the Gilded Blood audiobook series is traditionally published, which means I have far less control over the process than I do with the Gilded Blood digital, print, and special edition books. I have a say in casting, but little else. Such is the way of traditional publishing.
When it came time to discuss the audiobook for Silver Blood, which would be narrated in Zayn's POV, I knew I wanted to bring the voice of Talia (and Dee Dee, Biscuit, Korinne, etc) back for the female dialogue.
That's called Duet Narration, btw - where the male and female narrators read their own character's lines throughout the book.
This is a VERY expensive and production-heavy way to make an audiobook; therefore, it should be to no one's surprise that my publishing company heard this request and immediately said "No F*CKING Way!!" - but, you know, in polite corporate speak.
(I don't blame them, truly.)
Cue the many ensuing weeks of me b!tching, moaning, bribing, and begging them to have Tara Novie to reprise the voice of Talia.
Suffice it to say, they were not happy with me.
(Again, who could blame them?)
Anyway, long story short: The rights to the Silver Blood audiobook have been reverted back to me, which is a BIG deal and doesn't normally happen in the trad pub industry.
(Hooray for being stubborn/annoying AF, I guess?)
This is 99% good news, with the only downside being the upfront cost is out of my pocket, since I've hired a fancy-schmancy, reputable production company to create the audiobook for me. And yes, it'll be a duet narration (yay!!!!!), which makes it SO MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE to produce but so much fun to listen to.
Will I ever make this money back? That remains to be seen. But my audiobook listeners deserve the best possible product, and by golly I'm going to give it to them, smart business choices be damned!
It also means Silver Blood will be produced EXACTLY to my standards. Not only will Tara Novie be reprising her role as Talia (and all of the other female characters), but I got to hand-pick my Zayn! Would you like to know who that'll be?
*cue drumroll*
Our favorite smoldering, tortured, husky-voiced, sexy AF incubus will be voiced by none other than TIM CAMPBELL, known for his brilliant narration of several dozen well-known urban fantasy books by Jennifer Armentrout, Elise Kova, J.D. Evans, LJ Andrews, Lola Glass, and so many others!
Tim is a hotty-hotty-hot-hot male narrator in the sordid and exciting world of audiobooks, and I could not be more excited to bring him aboard!
We expect the audiobook to be released in April, and I'll have a link for you the moment it's up!
Speaking of preorders, Silver Blood is officially off to the printers, and I hope to have both color and black and white signed copies on-hand by release day (February 18th)!
As for a certain special-edition (which literally dozens of you emailed me about the SECOND I announced a surprise Gilded Blood prequel), that answer will be revealed at the end of the book. So if you haven't preordered your signed copy or ebook yet, what're you waiting for??
THERE ARE AWESOME SHINY TREASURES TO UNEARTH!!!
(And believe me when I say, you do NOT want to miss that announcement! ♀️
Now for some super exciting Street Team News!
As most of you know, I have gone ahead and started a Street Team to help promote the Renerverse across social media platforms. I have carefully hand-picked a select few who have been helping me with this endeavor, and they've been k!lling it!
HOWEVER, we're looking to build a SECOND Street Team, one that will be larger and more accessible to everyone! You won't be getting any physical freebees (sorry!!), the reason being is that we will not hold you to the same *incredibly strict* posting standards / schedule that our main team is held to. BUT you will receive my undying love and gratitude, special coupons, the opportunity to get free ebooks, first dibs at ARCs, as well as gigundo bragging rights!
This Team is going to be a lot of fun- if you would like to join in on all the chaos that is to come, please sign up HERE! *If you have already filled out the application, no need to apply again- just keep an eye on your emails!
Deadline for filling out this application is February 11th - So hop to it!
That's about it for the moment, my friends!
I'll be here for another week or so and then I'm kicking off my very first convention of the season at Wild & Windy West, where I'll be hanging out with awesome-sauce fantasy authors like Leia Stone, C.N. Crawford, Holly Renee, Lola Glass, K.F. Breene, and hopefully as many of you as possible! Let me know if you'll be at W&W or any of the other conventions I'll be appearing at this summer.
(FYI, my full list of events can be found here!)
Cheers and hope to see you very soon!❤️
Come follow me! Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | Twitter | Goodreads | Bookbub | Amazon
Itching for MORE snark, shenanigans, and signed bananas? Come join my brand-new reader group, Rachel's Renergades!
If you're reading this on Goodreads or on my blog, be sure to sign up for my newsletter to get the most exciting updates sent directly to your inbox!
January 29, 2025
Arctic Duels & Shiny Brand-Spanking-New Books!
I'm going to cut straight to the point (with a few more important announcements at the bottom of this email).
As many of you know, author Annette Marie and I have been FIGHTING TO THE DETH!!!
I mean... having a very reasonable, kindly-worded adult conversation regarding how her STUPID BOOKS (that are actually really, really great) have been TAKING OVER MY DAMN BOOKSHELF!
Apologies, I feel very strongly about this matter. Anyway...
In case you have not been following along with this very public author spat of ours, allow me to regale you.
The day began like any other - on the toilet - but I'll spare you the details and move forward to later that afternoon. I was minding my own business, in my own office, when I realized that the bookshelf that is SUPPOSED to be for my published books, along with my favorite books of all time, are now completely full because Annette Marie's books are taking up all the space. (Rude.)
So, like a reasonable well-adjusted adult, I called her out publicly on social media.
*Cue unhappy author face and angry music.*
After demanding that Annette buy me a new bookshelf, I *very* patiently waited for her to comply with my demands. AND WHAT DOES SHE DO?!
She buys me a new bookshelf...
BUILT FOR ANTS!
*Cue simmering rage and a deep-seated need for REVENGE*
So, I set off on a journey of discovery. I scaled the highest mountain, swam across the deepest ocean and followed the rainbow to find my revenge!
Just kidding, I didn't do any of that this close to the Silver Blood release date (...did I take a shower this week? I can't remember... Ah well, maybe next week).
But what I DID do, was drive to the store and buy some markers, sticky notes, 10 empty boxes, 36 yards of clear tape and a package of cck bookmarks! (Ones of the male genitalia variety, not the bird)
*Cue maniacal laughing and ominous music*
Now, all I had to do was sit back, relax and wait for Annette Marie to finally give up and acknowledge me as the supreme ruler of all author spats.
And also buy me a bigger bookshelf.
But APPARENTLY, the moderators of certain social media platforms would have rather me sent Annette Marie bookmarks of the small, winged bird variety, seeing as her account was flagged for ahem something inappropriate (who knew that graphic, phallic-shaped bookmarks were frowned upon?)
In her displeasure at this turn of events, Annette Marie then decided to challenge me to a DUEL. A LITERAL DUEL.
AT HER HOME.
IN THE ARCTIC FORKING TUNDRA. (a.k.a. Alberta, Canada)
*Cue absolute utter disbelief and increased author rage that she hasn't given up yet*
So anyway, I just got home from Canada. If you're curious to see how our EPIC SERIES OF DUELS / FEATS OF STRENGTH / ICE-CREAM EATING turned out, you can check out the full, unedited video below. But fair warning: it is GRAPHIC. (a.k.a. ph*llic-shaped items were involved.)
Well, now that you are all caught up on the epic saga that is your life when you're just a regular ol' fantasy author, I have a couple of quick things before you run off to do whatever it is you were doing before getting distracted by this email:
✨Gilded Blood special edition paperback omnibuses are HERE!✨
Are you jumping up and down yet? I did. And let me tell you, they are even SHINIER in person
If you haven't nabbed yours yet, they are currently $30 off the hardcover price PLUS an extra 15% off with promo code RR15. Happy reading/drooling!
And, in case you haven't heard, Silver Blood officially has a release date of February 18th! That's right, you are getting it EARLY!
You can preorder yours on Amazon or get your signed copy here.
Stay warm and safe!!!❤️
Come follow me! Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | Twitter | Goodreads | Bookbub | Amazon
Itching for MORE snark, shenanigans, and signed bananas? Come join my brand-new reader group, Rachel's Renergades!
If you're reading this on Goodreads or on my blog, be sure to sign up for my newsletter to get the most exciting updates sent directly to your inbox!
✨A Word from our Marketing Mistress✨
Welp, I think you can officially call me a Renergade now!
Not only because Rachel's books have taken over MY bookshelf (along with my office... dining room table... and craft room), but because they have taken up my free time as well. (And I'm not mad about it- I've almost finished reading all of them since she hired me two months ago)
Working for Rachel has been... um... interesting. I've gotten in trouble with my husband for stealing his leaf blower and had to deal with Rachel calling emergency meetings, asking that I stop everything I'm doing to help her count ccks.
Also, in case you aren't aware, when Rachel spells things phonetically (you know: A as in Alpha, Z as in Zebra), she also likes to say "P as in Pens" with a completely straight face. (Not even kidding you, she did this to me today and she had to repeat the word for me like 4 times because I couldn't stop laughing)
Anyway, this has all been a dream come true. I'm a baby indie author myself and I'm so grateful that I have been given this chance to do all the things I enjoy, and to be able to work full time in the industry I already know and love.
It's been so much fun getting to know a bunch of you, but in case you don't know me, my name is Courtney, and I write both ✨romantasy✨ under my pen name Courtney Rosaleen and dark romance under Rosaline Jay!
I am so excited to have my fourth published book, The Heart, coming out on February 6th! And because I am a little competitive, you should know that my new release has more ccks than Rachel's new release... like... by a lot. So, HA! (Although, it is a Reverse Harem... does just adding MORE men count as cheating?)
Anywho, I'll be lurking around Rachel's social media for the foreseeable future, so if you see me in comments, come say hi!
Courtney, Marketing Mistress
