Intisar Khanani's Blog, page 9
May 18, 2016
Two Weeks Away: A Reflection on Indie Publishing in GIFs
Memories of Ash’s release is less than two weeks away. In this moment of complete chaos, I am taking a few breaths to wonder what two weeks away feels like for traditionally published authors…
They’re probably a bit nervous if they’re early on in their career. I feel that. I mean, what will readers think? Is it good enough? Is it at least as good as the last book?
They’re probably working with their publisher to seek out early reviewers, and trying to get on Twitter and Facebook parties, and learning all they can about book marketing. Yep. We all get to do that, no matter how introverted we are!
But I strongly suspect they aren’t frantically reading through the final proof, catching those lingering awkward phrases and accidental repetitions that seem to multiply like bunnies every time you glance away. This part of the process is just a bit crazy-making for an indie author…
But I am so very grateful that I don’t, in fact, have to publish completely alone. Sure I have to get my cover designed, but I work with the amazing Jenny of Seedlings Design. I can say something like, “I’m thinking purple, and hey, look at the colors in this picture of a star nebula. Aren’t they gorgeous? Can you make a phoenix or something? I have no idea what I want it to look like.” And she comes back with this:
And then I go to my amazing copyeditor, Laurel Garver, and she takes my prose and kicks it up a couple notches with her kung-fu line editing skills. And then, I have another amazing friend who gives the first seven chapters an extra shine because she’s just cool like that (and has also been trained as a poet). And then, I have the thing proofread by professionals twice because I’m crazy like that. And then (are you all tired yet?), I format everything, get a proof, and sit down to read it with a pencil, and realize I have two or three days till the final files have to be uploaded. Which I will need to completely reformat. Again.
Meanwhile, I imagine all those traditionally published authors out there who have their publishers to do all these things looking something like this…
(Reading someone else’s book, clearly.)
Okay, I’m probably COMPLETELY wrong. One day, I’m going to have to try out traditional publishing to find out. Until then, I’ll just be here in my bedroom at my desk, panicking. 
May 16, 2016
A Sneak Peek at Memories of Ash: The First Few Pages!
I hate buying a book when I can’t preview the sample. It’s nerve-wracking even when I know and love the author. I mean, what if it’s not what I expect? I’m totally cool with it being better, but what if it’s just different, and I didn’t have time to prepare myself, and now I’m already reading the whole thing, and… well, I don’t have panic attacks around reading unknown books, but I have been known to get grumpy and snap at innocent bystanders. It’s a stress reaction. Really.
Also, I LOVE getting a taste of a story before it hits my Kindle. It just makes the anticipation that much sweeter. I’m hoping y’all fall into this camp, but if you’re a stress-reaction-snapper, I feel your pain there too. By next week, Amazon and the other pre-order platforms should have the first two or three chapters available for preview for Memories of Ash. Till then, here’s something to whet your appetite…
Chapter 1: The Ties That Bind
CRACK.
I glance up, holding tight to the thread of my spell as the mountains throw a thunderous echo back to us. My skin tingles with the brush of magic, as if unseen creatures skitter up my arms, over my back. Across the valley, forest birds take to the air, calling out as they wheel over the lake. I catch the pale white flutter of snow pigeons, the midnight silhouette of ravens, and high up the snow-dusted peaks, the great dark wingspans of a pair of griffon vultures.
Seated cross-legged beside me on the banks of the lake, Brigit Stormwind murmurs, “That was the first ward.”
I nod. It has been some time since a traveler came our way, but the sound of our farthest ward triggering is not easily forgotten. Without knowing who approaches our valley, finishing my casting would be reckless. I could easily leave a trace behind that a mage might notice … But I promised myself that this time I would finish.
Before me the water lies smooth, no ripple disturbing its crystalline surface. Upon that polished expanse gleams the spell-cast image of my mother. Dressed in a pale pink kimono embroidered in shades of rose, she kneels before a tea tray, hands on her lap and face raised toward me. I have her eyes, though my skin has the desert tint of my father’s people. Her lips, neither too full nor too thin, grace her face in harmony with the gentle roundness of her cheeks, while my own features remain hollowed by the fire that once consumed me from the inside out. By her very stillness I know she has detected some trace of my spell, the ties of blood and kinship that I have used to seek her out through the shields that surround her.
“Let it go, Hitomi,” Stormwind says gently.
I release the tenuous thread of my casting with unexpected relief. I have attempted this spell half a dozen times now, but not once have I taken it to completion. I could have done it today had I not paused to observe her. The bitterness on my tongue has the singular taste of cowardice to it.
My mother’s image breaks apart, replaced by the faint reflection of trees overhead. I watch the water’s movement over the multi-hued stones covering the lake bottom. In the early morning light, they’re every color of the earth: the burnished yellow of evening sunlight, a dreamlike lavender, grays dark as storm clouds and light as hope, reds both as bright as blood and as dark as death. The colors of life lie beneath the water, calling to me as if I might reach out and recover the memories I lost in ash nearly a year ago.
“These things take time,” Stormwind says into the quiet.
“I started the spell with enough time to speak with her. I should have gone through with it.”
“You did not know anyone was coming.” She glances down to the water, her eyes more gray than blue in the tree-thrown shadows. “And when you seek truth, you must be ready for it.”
“You don’t think I am.”
“You must be ready to understand, and accept, whatever you find.”
I make no answer. I don’t know what to say, how I would accept it if my mother truly intended to abandon me all those years ago.
Stormwind rises, readjusting her cloak against an autumn chill I don’t feel. On the far, shore the deep green of the pines and cedars are interrupted here and there by the fiery orange and red mantles still worn by the other trees. When I first came here, Stormwind admitted she had studied together with my father, which should mean many more years of health and strength for her. But she lost a part of her youth to a breather. Her silver-white hair, the deep creases around her eyes and mouth, the way the cold touches her, all these bespeak an age she should not yet feel.
“Let’s see what we can of our visitor,” she says. With a sweep of her hand, the surface of the lake stills. The water before us now reflects the forested path near the great deodar cedar that stands as our farthest ward.
“Closer,” she murmurs, beckoning the image. The path reels out as if we were looking over our shoulders while riding at speed toward the valley. The cedar recedes, then disappears behind a curve.
“There,” she says as a dark shadow obstructs the image. She raises her fingers and the image slows. But the shadow at its center persists, murky and unclear. For a long moment, Stormwind remains still. The shadow moves along the trail, growing larger in our view, but no clearer. Then she releases the image, her hand falling to her side. The waters of the lake ripple, lapping at the banks once more.
“They’ve used a shield,” Stormwind says. “Without breaking the shield, we can’t know who comes, or how large their party.”
“We know there’s a mage involved.”
“That we do,” she agrees. “Which means we know we need to hide you. Come.” She starts along the path toward the cottage.
I follow after her. “Are you sure it’s safe to meet them? I mean, why would they shield themselves?”
“Two reasons,” she says, her voice sliding into the detached tone she uses when teaching. “To protect against attack and to keep from being traced.”
“We found them easily enough.”
“Because we looked at the path, not them. Had we known who they were and attempted to trace them, we would have had a hard time finding them unless without a focus for our trace.”
Like a hair, or a well-worn bit of cloth.
But I don’t like the idea of an unknown mage coming to Stormwind’s valley. She rarely has visitors. When she does, they are locals seeking cures. Never mages. “Are you sure you want to wait here for them?”
Stormwind smiles, shaking her head as if my question is sweet, endearing, and very naive. “I’m not running. First, a mage would easily trace us using any one of a number of items from the cottage. Second, if they are coming for me, I would not lead them to you. And third, I am a high mage in my own right. I have done no wrong and can easily defend myself. The only thing I need to hide is you.”
“You’re sending me away.” It isn’t a question, but a flat-voiced statement.
“No. There isn’t enough time for that.”
I glance up at the high ridge that divides our valley from the next. The only passable path to our cottage cuts through it. On horseback, moving at a brisk walk, a traveler might easily cover the distance from the deodar cedar to the ridge in an hour and a half. It would take us half that time to get to the path ourselves on foot. But our tracks would be fresh, and anyhow, Stormwind isn’t running … and I’m not leaving without her.
“Take the books up to the loft and pack them back into the trunk,” Stormwind says as we reach the cottage. The single open room serves as kitchen and workroom and sitting room and bedroom, while the small loft above provides a cozy space for my own pallet.
I make a round of the room, gathering the books I’ve been studying under Stormwind’s tutelage along with the charms I’m working on. Stormwind checks the charms we keep about the house, her fingers passing over them, gauging if they are hers or mine: the stone beside the hearth, used to keep the bread from burning; the glowstones in a pile over the mantle, for when we need light without the heat or flicker of flames; the seeker charm by the door, to help find wandering goats.
I climb the ladder to stow what I’ve collected in one of the trunks against the back wall of the loft. Stormwind joins me as I finish tucking the books in, adding the bag of charms I made to the trunk.
She shuts the lid, places her hand on top. “We’ll ward it and bind it.”
She really is worried. I kneel beside her worldlessly. She presses my palm against the trunk’s lid and quickly traces a series of sigils on the wood with her other hand. They glimmer and send out tendrils of magic that trace the shape of my palm, flare around her fingertips, and then fade. With the trunk bound so, only Stormwind or I will be able to open it.
She rises and takes a quick inventory of the little room. There’s a small collection of bags and boxes lining the wall beside the trunks. To my right lies my pallet with its nest of blankets. A small wooden statuette of a crow stands on a brick-sized stone beside my bed, its head bent, beak pressing a key to its breast. She focuses on it for a moment, then looks away.
“That’s all, right?” I say, keeping my tone casual. I have no cause to hide the crow. Only she knows that it was carved by a breather, not a human. Right now the sight of Val’s parting gift is oddly comforting.
She nods, moving back toward the ladder. “Everything else should be fine.” She pauses with her feet on the first rung. “Hitomi? You remember that you’re to act as my servant?”
“I remember.” We’ve discussed this a few times, and I’ve played the part of serving girl during the few visits from locals we’ve had. It provides a simple explanation for all the rest of my belongings. “I am Hikaru, girl of all work, loyal unto death.”
Stormwind chuckles. “Don’t overdo it. Since we don’t know what this is about, I want you to stay outside as much as possible today.”
I hesitate. I could offer to collect deadwood from the forest — we need to stockpile more for the winter — but I want to stay close to the cottage just in case.
“I’ll keep working on the roof,” I say. It’s perfect, really. We’ve spent the last two afternoons on the roof together, Stormwind teaching me what I need to know. I can easily work on my own. Best of all, I can keep an eye on our visitors. And I’ll be near enough to help Stormwind if she should need me.
“It will keep me close but out of sight,” I press when she doesn’t answer.
“Very well.”
Her easy agreement worries me further. As a mage, she could easily call for a far-off servant to return. Without charms to anchor it, magic may not reliably deliver messages across mountain ranges, but a summons sent across a valley would hardly go astray. Only if she fears she won’t have the time or the leeway to do so would she need me nearby.
I really hope you enjoyed this little taste. Tell me in the comments what you think! *tries not to bite nails*
And… If you’re excited about reading Memories of Ash, I would love your help spreading the word about it. I have a Thunderclap campaign set up for Release Day on May 30th, and am ten people shy of it going live. Can you help me? Thunderclap is a way you can schedule a post / tweet among a group of people so that everyone posts together. You can see the message beforehand, and it won’t post without your approval. If you’re game, you can sign on here.
Thank you all so much, for reading, for sharing your thoughts, and for all your support through this long road of writing and publishing. You all are the best!
May 5, 2016
An Apology in Gifs
I’ve been super busy this last month doing things like editing and formatting and panicking (not necessarily in that order). Oh, and being a mom. But… not being a very good blogger. The experts would say I’m shooting myself in the foot, because the two months before a release are OBVIOUSLY the best time to be “engaging your audience” through your blog and “building your readership” and I don’t know what other Very Important Marketing Phrases.
According to such experts, my blog should work something like this…
But you know, I’d rather be a writer than a zombie. And that was pretty much the choice: Functional Me, or amazing blog and this…
(Just pretend she’s of South Asian heritage and wearing a headscarf. It’s totally me.)
So this is just me saying,
And also, I’m coming out of my cave soon, so you can expect a little more to happen here as I take a closer look at the blog…
Coming soon! Excerpts! Reviews of awesome books I’ve almost forgotten I read! Contests! Happiness! Well, okay, I can’t promise that last one.
But thank you all so much for putting up with me. Until next time,
(Hey look! He’s got a headscarf! Oh wait… still not a good match.)
April 5, 2016
Release Day: A Familiar Darkness by Heather Sutherlin
Archer is a magician with a few more tricks up his sleeve than even the savviest street performer could imagine. Devilishly handsome and full of dark secrets, his devil-may-care attitude came at a price and unfortunately for him, the devil may care after all.
When he meets Hannah, a runaway whose art is more than it seems, he’s determined to keep her and her drama at arm’s length. But their souls are tied together with bonds that won’t be ignored and it’s going to take all his skill to keep her safe from the horde that follows her every move.
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1pM3reD
iBooks: http://apple.co/1M1RsEl
BN: http://bit.ly/1Rz9M4h
Kobo: http://bit.ly/22QrMC1
About the Author
Heather Sutherlin lives in Arkansas with her husband and three children. She is the author of fantasy adventures for young adults. She loves all things creative and enjoys the worlds she dreams up, longing to live the adventure alongside her characters. When she’s not at her writing desk, she is busy exploring and learning with her children or cooking big, elaborate meals in the kitchen with her husband.
You can see more of Heather at her
website, HeatherSutherlin.com
WEBSITE / FACEBOOK / TWITTER / PINTEREST
March 26, 2016
Lesser Known Editing Symbols
I have an amazing copyeditor. I’m just finishing up working through all the (many, many) edits she had for me. All I can say is she may have used some of these symbols for me … especially the third one. 
Oh, and not the adverb one. Never the adverb one.
March 16, 2016
Cover Reveal + Pre-order Extravaganza: Memories of Ash
I am so excited to share the cover of Memories of Ash with everyone today–because it’s not just a cover reveal, it’s also a 99 cent pre-order extravaganza! There’s a Kindle Fire (and book swag) giveaway, plus pre-order links, and anyone who pre-orders can get a free digital art print of Hitomi. But that’s not all! Just for kicks, I’ve included a short interview with myself. We’re going to pretend that someone else is asking me these questions, because otherwise it’s just odd. Here we go!
Describe Memories of Ash in 3 words.
Walk with courage.
What compelled you to write your first book?
I always wanted to write a novel, so my senior year of university I decided I’d better buckle down and try. I chose a fairy tale (The Goose Girl) to give me an over-arching plot and narrative structure, and then went to town with it. I really wrote it as an exercise to test myself, not intending to do anything with it when I finished. But, by the time I finished, I loved my characters so much that I ended up working through over a dozen revisions to take it from “writing exercise” to my debut novel, Thorn.
If you could live in one of your books, which one would you choose?
Definitely the world of the Sunbolt Chronicles. Sunbolt follows Hitomi, a street thief with a propensity to play hero when people need saving, and her nemesis, the dark mage who killed her father. Although there is a lot of darkness in Sunbolt, there’s also a lot of light. It’s a real world, in its way, and I love the diversity and vibrancy of the cultures and creatures that populate it. I’d have my choice of living in a tropical island sultanate reminiscent of historic Zanzibar, or among the nomadic desert tribes that eke out an existence alongside the cursed Burnt Lands, to name my two favorite options. Then again, in Memories of Ash, there’s the decaying grandeur of the capitol of a fallen empire that feels a lot like an Istanbul of old, right at the heart of the Eleven Kingdoms. Plus, I wouldn’t mind having shape-shifting friends and charms to keep my bread from burning.
What authors, or books, have influenced you?
As a young duckling, I imprinted on Tamora Pierce and Robin McKinley’s earlier works. I read pretty widely, but those are the authors I kept coming back to, especially McKinley’s Damar books. I am also an incorrigible Jane Austen fan, but my books don’t reflect that very much!
What are you reading now?
I just finished “Kingdom of Ruses” by Kate Stradling. In a kingdom where the eternal prince who rules is just a ruse kept up by the prime minister’s family (and most recently, Viola, our heroine), keeping the peace is a delicate thing. Enter a stranger who manages to take the place of the doppelganger the family uses, and Viola has her hands full.
Your first reaction to the cover in GIF format.
You were pretty blown away by the cover, weren’t you?
Yes, yes, I was.
This gorgeous cover was designed by Jenny of Seedlings Design Studio, who also designed the covers for Sunbolt and Thorn. Isn’t she amazing?
In the year since she cast her sunbolt, Hitomi has recovered only a handful of memories. But the truths of the past have a tendency to come calling, and an isolated mountain fastness can offer only so much shelter. When the High Council of Mages summons Brigit Stormwind to stand trial for treason, Hitomi knows her mentor won’t return—not with Arch Mage Blackflame behind the charges.
Armed only with her magic and her wits, Hitomi vows to free her mentor from unjust imprisonment. She must traverse spell-cursed lands and barren deserts, facing powerful ancient enchantments and navigating bitter enmities, as she races to reach the High Council. There, she reunites with old friends, planning a rescue equal parts magic and trickery.
If she succeeds, Hitomi will be hunted the rest of her life. If she fails, she’ll face the ultimate punishment: enslavement to the High Council, her magic slowly drained until she dies.
Pre-order Memoris of Ash for only 99 cents!
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Apple | Kobo
A Special Treat For Those Who Pre-order…
Not only is the pre-order of Memories of Ash on sale for only 99 cents, but anyone who buys the pre-order will receive a free digital art print of Hitomi by artist Grace Fong. Just email your proof of purchase to moapreorder@gmail.com!
Haven’t read Sunbolt (Book 1) yet?
It’s been knocked down to just 99 cents to celebrate the release and is available at most major e-retailers.
Nab your copy of Sunbolt from Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Apple
And finally, a Kindle Fire + Swag Giveaway…
a Rafflecopter giveaway
March 11, 2016
Cover Reveal: Masque by W.R. Gingell
I recently discovered W.R. Gingell’s writings and I absolutely love them. You’ve probably heard me wax eloquent about Twelve Days of Faerie, which was fantastic. And Masque was absolutely grand as well–hopefully I’ll get a review of it up soon.
For all you fairy tale lovers, this is an original and humorous retelling of Beauty and the Beast, with regency flair and a mystery to solve. For anyone who likes their books with a dash of magic and a clever heroine, this story is for you! It’s only 99 cents on Amazon. And FREE everywhere else. (Want it free on Amazon? Report the free price on Masque’s book page. If enough readers demand a price match, they’ll do it. Then go ahead and spend that dollar. I guarantee you’ll get more out of it than you would a third of a cup of coffee!)
I’m totally delighted to share Masque’s gorgeous new cover with you! This revelation in gold and blue was designed by Jenny over at Seedlings Design Studio–the very same Jenny who has designed my covers for both Thorn and Sunbolt. Isn’t she amazing?
Beauty met the Beast and there was . . . Bloody murder?
It’s the Annual Ambassadorial Ball in Glause, and Lady Isabella Farrah, the daughter of New Civet’s Ambassador, is feeling pleasantly scintillated.
In the library is Lord Pecus, a charming gentleman whose double mask hides a beastly face, and who has decided that Isabella is the very person to break the Pecus curse.
In the ball-room is young Lord Topher, who is rapidly falling in love with an older woman.
And in the card-room, lying in a pool of his own blood, is the body of one of Isabella’s oldest friends: Raoul, Civet’s Head Guardsman. The papers sewn into his sash seem to suggest espionage gone wrong, but Isabella is not so certain.
Lord Pecus, as Commander of the Watch, is of the opinion that Isabella should keep out of the investigation and out of danger. Isabella is of the opinion that it is her murder to investigate, and that what a certain Beast-Lord doesn’t know won’t hurt him . . .
Will Isabella find the murderer before Lord Pecus does, or will she end her investigation as a bloody spatter on the parlour floor?
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo
W.R. Gingell is a Tasmanian author who lives in a house with a green door. She spends her time reading, drinking an inordinate amount of tea, and slouching in front of the fire to write. Like Peter Pan, she never really grew up, and is still occasionally to be found climbing trees.
March 9, 2016
Bookwyrms! And the sadness of blogging…
Are you on Pinterest? Are you looking for your next great indie SF&F read? Are you really tired of waiting for me to post something else on my blog?
Come follow Bookwyrms, where fellow indie author Rabia Gale and I pin books we’ve enjoyed along with a mini-review! From hilarious space opera to inventive fantasy-of-manners to lyrical original fairy tales, we’re excited to share these indie and small press books with you. This is still a young board–we just started it last week–so hop on now and watch it grow, and let us know what you think of what we’ve pinned!
Truth be told, I am beginning to embrace the fact that no matter what my intentions, or how I try, blogging is difficult for me to maintain. Writing a blog post is quite the endeavor for me. It can easily eat up a couple hours or more of writing time. As a stay at home mom with very limited writing time, that is not a good thing.
I’ll make a serious effort at blogging every week or so over the next few months, and then I’ll reconsider where I am. In the meantime, follow Bookwyrms! Follow me on Pinterest generally, and chat with me on Twitter and Facebook. Blogging may be tough for me, and I may miss a week (or two) here or there, but I’m still on social media and love connecting with people!
ps. I will definitely be back next week, though, with the cover reveal of Memories of Ash!
March 1, 2016
Come out to see me in Indianapolis this Saturday!
I am so excited to share that I’ll be in Indianapolis this Saturday, March 5, for the CIR Author Fair…
The CIR Author Fair is looking like it will be a LOT of fun. There will be 20-25 authors there, an e-book giveaway / raffle, and did I mention, authors? I mean, we’re like that unseen species that hides behind the baseboards (no, I’m not talking about mice. Something cooler, okay? But equally wary of human encounters…).
Where, you say, is this rare viewing of cool* but introverted “writers?” The Irvington Public Library! We’ll be there from 1-4:30 pm. I’ll have copies of Sunbolt and Thorn to sign, plus random other fun stuff (like magnets made from my proof copy of Sunbolt! And maybe even book-related keychains!). And honestly, I’m just looking forward to meeting readers and chatting. So come out and visit us!
*For the record, I don’t think I’ve ever qualified for the term ‘cool.’ I’m all over introverted, though.
February 26, 2016
What’s in Store for Memories of Ash…
As the last month of silence on this blog may not have alerted you to the fact that I’ve been editing like crazy, I thought I should post–I have exciting news!
On March 16, I’ll be revealing the cover of Memories of Ash! It’s gorgeous (and if you want to help me share it, just fill out the form here!), and even more exciting Memories of Ash will be available for pre-order then. *flails about spastically*
I will still be in the throes of final editing, so I’m afraid the first chapter sample / preview most retailers offer may not be available to taunt you yet, but I’ll work on that. Although, really, I love my readers too much to want to make you suffer any further. In fact, as a thank you to all you lovely people, the pre-order price will be only 99 cents. Actually, that’s not quite enough. So I’ve commissioned artist Grace Fong to create an illustration of Hitomi. And I’ll offer a free digital print of it to Every Single Person who pre-orders Memories of Ash. (More details to come!)
It will go up to full price at release, so order your e-book before May 30. Yes! That’s the release date! Right in time for your summer reading adventures. (Not that I planned it that way, but I’m totally capitalizing on it!)
This could be my motto for the next couple months…
To make sure you don’t miss any of the cool stuff being planned (Kindle Fire giveaways! Multi-author giveaways! Free digital print! And did I mention, Memories of Ash being released?!?!), be sure to subscribe to my author newsletter. In this time of high excitement, it will be going out monthly. I know, crazy, crazy. It usually only goes out every 2-3 months. I take spam and cluttering inboxes up very, very seriously!
And with that, I’m off to edit some more!
