A special launch week update
HEART OF STONE releases tomorrow!
To birth a new story into the world is to experience a whole tangle of emotions: relief, excitement, anxiety, joy. There’s a sense of awe as I hold the physical, bound copies in my hands for the first time—It really happened. It’s really here!—as well as a weird disconnect. This world that has lived inside me for the last few years, that I’ve wrestled around with on my laptop and tossed back and forth to editors, now stands on its own in finalized form, ready to take on a new life in readers’ imaginations. The characters that have become like friends to me are heading off to meet…you!
Heart of Stone—book 2 in the Serpents & Stone series and the sequel to The Carver and the Queen—releases TOMORROW! Reviews from advance readers are already rolling in, and they’ve been such an encouragement. I long to write stories that matter; stories that will nourish, challenge, and delight my readers. It’s a joy to hear that my books are doing exactly that. Here’s a snippet from a recent review on the StoryWarren blog:
You can read the full review here.
Help Wanted!
Despite the blessing of early reviews, it’s a tough world out there for indie authors. I truly need you, my friends and readers, to make Heart of Stone a success—to help it find its way to other readers’ homes, bookshops, and libraries. Here are three simple action steps you can take that will help immensely!
Pre-order! The first 24 hours of a book’s “public life” can be vital to its continued success. Pre-orders send a message to bookstores and online retailers: this is a story worth promoting, a story that people want to read! If you haven’t already pre-ordered your copies of Heart of Stone, you can do so through today, 8/3. My publisher, Owl’s Nest, has a few pre-order copies left (comes with a small pre-order gift!). Amazon pre-orders (hardcover, paperback, ebook) will help Heart of Stone rank high tomorrow—and allow it to reach new readers! You can also order through other online retailers like Barnes & Noble or through Bookshop.org (where your purchase helps support a local bookstore of your choice).
Share the news! If you’re on social media (Instagram, Facebook, etc.), please share this “Available Now” graphic tomorrow (anytime this week is good, but tomorrow 8/4 is especially helpful). Remember to tag @emmafoxbooks and @owlsnestpublishers !
Rate and review! This is a big one, too. It only takes a couple of minutes to leave some stars on Amazon or Goodreads, but this simple action has a huge impact on helping the books you love gain visibility and reach new readers. If you enjoy Heart of Stone (and I sincerely hope that you do), please give it your rating and a sentence or two telling why you loved it.
Thank you, friends, for helping to share the news about this story of courage, love, and hope. I’m so excited to finally get to share Heart of Stone with YOU!
Congratulations, Emma! 🙂
Simply thrilled for this wondrous week this book. Heartily enjoyed!