Going for the Faux Leather Upgrade!
7 months ago
– Thu, Apr 25, 2024 at 12:15:05 PM
Did you know that The Last Descendant is an award-winning book?
It might be my debut novel, but it wasn't my first completed novel.
Like a lot of writers, I spent years trying out different ideas, starting (and not finishing) multiple stories, and then writing complete novels that will forever remain buried in the depths of my computer's hard drive because they didn't meet my standards.
Like any craft, writing takes practice. Lots and lots of practice.
Even once I came up with the idea for The Sanyare Chronicles, I spent years crafting The Last Descendant.
So when I finally published, I was confident that the story was good.
I do everything in my power to make my books as beautiful and high quality as I can. When I first started publishing, being an indie author was looked down on as "vanity publishing." That's not so true anymore, but back then, my goal was to create a book that would be indistinguishable from its traditionally published counterparts.
I succeeded.
I submitted The Last Descendant for a few different awards that were open to indie authors, and the results were conclusive.
It's a fabulous story.
The Last Descendant won a Readers' Favorite Bronze Award in Adventure Fiction, was an IAN Book of the Year Award Finalist, and was named a Book Readers Appreciation Group (B.R.A.G.) Medallion Honoree.
And nine years later, the book still maintains a 4.4 star rating with over 1,200 reviews on Amazon.
I'm really proud of it.
Which is why I wanted to make a special edition. It deserves the special treatment!
But behind the scenes, I haven't been entirely happy. I desperately wanted to be able to produce a faux leather edition, but it seemed out of budget.
So while the campaign has been running, I've been negotiating with the printer, and guess what . . .
We can make Faux Leather happen!
We came to an agreement on cost, and if we can just fund the campaign, I can now afford to upgrade to the faux leather option instead of the matte laminate.
Want to see a sample of what that will look like? Check out this video!
We're coming down to the wire. The campaign is 61% funded as I write this, so it's going to be a push to make it through the finish line.
I believe we can do it. I believe we can bring this book into the world. But I need your help to get there.
If you haven't yet backed the campaign, now's your chance to get in and support this Kick-Ass Heroine and her Carnivorous Pixies.
All Tiers now receive:
-
The Last Descendant Ebook
- 2 Short Stories: Pixie Tamer & Broken Honor
- A digital wallpaper of the cover illustration
- A downloadable coloring page
Hardcover Tiers Now Receive:
- An invite to a group "Ask Me Anything" Zoom call, appropriate for your time zone
- The Special Edition Hardcover in a Faux Leather case with metallic foil, color sprayed edges, custom chapter headers, and custom end pages
- A foil stamped bookmark
- Everything else listed above
If you've already backed, please consider sharing the campaign with a friend who might enjoy the book.
Better yet, consider upgrading to the "Friendly Benefits" tier or "Book Club" tier so you and your friends can read and enjoy the story together.
And at the Book Club tier, I'll even make an appearance at your online meeting so you can personally "Ask me Anything."
4 Days Left!
7 months ago
– Mon, Apr 22, 2024 at 01:16:11 PM
Readers Make the Author Life Meaningful
I spent this past weekend selling and signing books at the LA Times Festival of Books at the University of Southern California.
Oh my gosh, what a great event! It was beautiful weather, and the love of books is almost palpable. Fans came to the booth just to see me, or to buy the next book in the series. They talked about their favorite books and tropes, looking for that magical place of complete immersion in a fictional world.
I love talking with readers and fans, seeing their eyes light up when I touch on a subject they're passionate about, or an idea that resonates.
Like the carnivorous pixies. I can't tell you how many new readers came to the booth, all ho-hum and slightly bored, until I said those magic words.
The right kind of reader with the right book in their hands is transformative!
But while I was there, I was posed a surprisingly challenging question:
"What makes this book—this story—special?"
I'm going to be honest, I had a hard time answering that question!
I know why it's special to me...it was my debut novel!
Rie came to me almost fully formed, shortly after I gave birth to my first daughter. I could see her in my mind's eye. I asked her questions and essentially wrote down her story as she told it to me.
I wrote in fits and spurts around taking care of a newborn, then a toddler. I found the time during naps, while bouncing and rocking her cuddled against my chest in her baby sling, and later at coffee shops during the hour or two when she was in half-day preschool.
I first published The Last Descendant just weeks before my second daughter was born.
And almost immediately started working on The Heir Apparent, once again between diaper changes and preschool pickups.
This book—and series— is personal to me because it's inextricably tied to those early days of motherhood, and represents so much of the kind of kick-ass heroine I wanted to be, and wanted my daughters to become.
Confident. Determined. Finding her place in the world. Not letting the hard times and bad people knock her down.
Those were the lessons I was working through when I was writing the entire Sanyare Chronicles series.
Writing is a very personal experience. We put our hearts and souls on the page.
Reading is also a very personal experience. Your impressions and perceptions shape the story just as much as the author's imagination.
What makes a book special to you? What are you looking for in a reading experience?
I'd love an answer in the comments, but even more, I want to talk about it. Which is why I'm adding an extra reward to the tiers.
If you back the campaign at any of the hardcover tiers, I will host a group chat so we can all nerd out over books together. I want to know what makes this book—or any book—special to you.
But it all only happens if the campaign successfully funds. I hope you'll help me bring this beautiful book to life!
See you behind the backer wall!
Best,
Megan
Back the campaign or update your pledge here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/meganhaskell/lastdescendant?ref=9jluq9
Flash Backer Bonus!
7 months ago
– Thu, Apr 18, 2024 at 10:24:11 AM
2 Days Only!
Back The Last Descendant Special Edition Hardcover at Tier 3 and above by Friday 4/19 at midnight Pacific time, and get a FREE ebook copy of Forged in Shadow, Book 1 of the epic fantasy prequel to The Sanyare Chronicles!
In the chaos of war, not all heroes shine. Some must rise from shadows to claim the light.
As the youngest son of the greatest smith of the fae, Curuthannor should be aspiring to the forge. Instead, he would rather wield a blade than craft one. When the high elf king commissions a powerful enchanted sword requiring iron found only in the subterranean goblin mines of the Shadow Realm, Curuthannor seizes the opportunity to earn a place in the smithy that doesn't require a hammer. But when dark elf treachery interferes, the lives of his entire family could be at risk...for the high elf king is unmerciful and will not suffer disobedience.
Especially from his own daughter.
As the most trusted handmaiden to the high elf princess, Lhéwen is honored to attend her mistress on what she believes is a diplomatic delegation to the dark elf king. She doesn't realize it could be a one-way trip. While the princess forges an escape from her father's ruthless will, Lhéwen is trapped in a foreign land. Betrayed and alone, Lhéwen discovers it is her own quiet power that may free--or doom--them all.
For when the pen fails, the sword will take its place.
***
There are only 8 days left to back the Kickstarter
Support the campaign and help me bring this beautiful book to life.
See you behind the backer wall!
Best,
Megan
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Two Sanyare Short Stories, Now Included in All Tiers!
7 months ago
– Wed, Apr 17, 2024 at 12:17:22 PM
Over the years, I've had lots of ideas for short stories, spin-offs, and sneak peeks into The Sanyare Chronicles. A few of them actually got written. The best of them are Pixie Tamer and Broken Honor.
Pixie Tamer tells the story of how Rie earned the loyalty of her minuscule but deadly companions.
Rie is challenged to defeat a swarm of starving carnivorous pixies—not as easy as it sounds. They may be tiny, but pixies can strip the meat from a brerhopper in under 30 seconds. Can she prove her skill, or will she be forever disgraced?
***
Broken Honor is one of the early adventures of Lord Garamaen Sanyaro, Truthseeker and Mediator of the Nine Faerie Realms...and Rie's mentor in The Sanyare Chronicles.
Protector, Champion…Oathbreaker.
Garamaen prides himself on being a man of honor, an elf who defends his people and stands as a shield between the innocent and the wicked. He upholds his oaths and finds courage in the face of fear.
When the man-killing wolf Fenrir emerges from the mountains on the hunt, Garamaen is summoned to stop him by any means necessary. It seems like an easy enough solution.
But when Fenrir turns out to be more than expected, Garamaen finds himself torn. Can he destroy the wolf who has become a friend, or will he sacrifice himself to save them all?
***
These two short stories are now included in ALL TIERS!
STAY TUNED!
Tomorrow I'll be announcing a flash bonus reward for all book backers (Tier 3 or higher) who back before midnight Friday!
(All previous backers will ALSO get the reward, so if you're on the fence, don't wait.)
See you tomorrow!
Megan
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A steampunk fantasy romance of a soul guiding druis, a cursed mage desperate for salvation, and an ancient soul seeking vengeance.
What do you think of the Hardcover Designs?
7 months ago
– Tue, Apr 16, 2024 at 12:26:02 PM
I've been working with my designer to craft a unified theme across all elements of the hardcover design.
It's taken some time, and a few different iterations, but we're ready for your feedback!
What do you think? Leave a comment and let me know!
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