With the new year dawning upon us, I can't help but look back at 2014 and what an amazing year it has been. There have been a lot of ups and downs, and I am truly thankful for all the awesome readers out there who have stuck with me, despite the challenges.
Other than the releases, the highlight of my year was definitely this past May, when I had the opportunity to attend BookExpo America in NYC, both as a reader and as an author. If you haven't seen it, here's my booth!
It was three days of nonstop action and book-signing, and I barely had time to breathe, let alone see all the authors I wanted to. But I wouldn't change a second of it. From the librarians, to the bloggers, to the new readers, I met so many awesome people. And one very grumpy cat :-) The experience was eye-opening, both from an author's point of view and a reader's. Which is why I'll be going again in 2015. If you were one of the people I was lucky enough to meet last year, and are planning on returning for round two (or three, or four), please put me on your list of booths to stop by! AND if you need a little incentive...Vacant Voices, the third and final book in the Blind Barriers mystery/thriller Trilogy, is scheduled to be available at BookCon! Paperback copies will be available BEFORE the book releases to the rest of the world. PLUS, for the first time ever, we'll have Inescapable paperbacks, too! So much excitement for one huge event. And, of course, ALL of my books will be available during our signings. There will also be a ton of special, BEA/BookCon-only swag up for grabs. As the date comes closer, I'll have more details for you guys :-)
Going back to 2014: As some of you know, Exiled: Kenly's Story, was released in September. Originally I'd planned on it being a novella, told from Kenly's POV. But it turned into something so much more. During the lengthy revision process, I realized that I had a lot to say about Kenly--or maybe, more accurately, Kenly had a lot to say. If you've read Exiled, then you know the novella turned into a full-length novel, with a word count that surpasses every one of the Talented books. And, even before I finished writing Exiled, I knew Kenly's story wasn't over. Which is why Exiled is actually the first of three novels in the Kenly Chronicles. Fingers crossed, the next book is on the schedule for 2015, but I'll keep y'all posted as the year progresses.
Of course, Exiled turning into a full-length (super long!) book meant that Inescapable was pushed off. As much as I know it sucked for a lot of you to have to wait for that one, I hope you understand the reason why, and that you enjoyed Exiled! Truthfully, I'm so proud of that book...I really think it's my best work so far. And not to worry- Inescapable is first up to bat for 2015, so it's coming!! The most thrilling part of releasing Inescapable is that not only will it mark the end of my flagship series, The Talented Saga, but it will also be (at long last) the first series of mine that will be 100% complete- woohoo! Though the stories in the world will continue in Kenly's stories, the actual Talented Saga will be concluded.
While I'm on the subject, there's something I want to share with you real quick. When I started out writing, with Talented, I honestly had no idea about the whole indie publishing process and the climate of the industry. As such, I wrote and released the books I was feeling at the time, i.e. Pawn and Blind Barriers, even though I was in the midst of releasing another series (The Talented Saga). Though I thought doing it this way would be a great way to introduce current readers to other series of mine, I didn't consider a major negative ramification of doing it this way: That I would have three series in-process, with a great length of time between releases within a series. Not to worry, I've learned from this mistake. Once I wrap up all of these series I have in process (and I'm planning to do so for two of the three in 2015!), I'll be focusing on one series at a time. Hopefully, that way, an entire trilogy can come out within a year! That'd be pretty sweet, right? Because I know that I, as a reader (at least, back when I had time to read!) absolutely hate waiting between books in a series- I want them now, now, now! So that's something I'm working on--just thought you might like to know ;)
Okay, moving on from that diatribe, once again- back to 2014! The year started with the release of Courting Chaos, the second volume in what, at the time, was the Blind Barriers serial series. After a lot of deliberation, the decision was made to change the format for the Blind Barriers series from nine serials to three full-length novels. And I am so pleased to be ending the year with the second installment, Platinum Prey! (If you didn't know, you can get it NOW!)
I am also super excited to be completing the trilogy right after Inescapable. The final book in the Blind Barriers Series is called Vacant Voices, and it will be available to pre-order beginning Jan 2! (Right now, it's scheduled to hit virtual shelves sometime in June). The release of Vacant Voices is made even more exciting by the fact that it makes the Blind Barriers Trilogy the second series I'll complete in 2015! And if those of you who are waiting for this book are wondering why we moved the release date for VV from February, the reasoning is twofold: 1. To release Inescapable, because so many readers have been waiting so patiently for it; and 2. Because we want to give you all some time to figure out what's going on with Lark & Raven! lol, yep, we love you all so much, we want to give you the gift of suspense. Time to figure out the three big question: 1. What happened to Lark Kingsley when she vanished? 2. Why Raven? and 3. The biggest question of all: Who is Lila? :) I can't wait to hear what you all think after reading Platinum Prey- definitely share your theories with me!
So yes, 2015 is looking like it will be my biggest year yet. Daunting as it seems right now, the number of releases planned for the next 12 months is also incredibly exciting. To recap:
Inescapable (Talented Saga #5), the book you've all been waiting for, for over a year (again, I'm soooo sorry that it all went this way, I never meant to make you wait so long!) will start off the year.
Next up will be the conclusion of the Blind Barriers Trilogy: Vacant Voices.
After that, hopefully the sequel to Exiled AND Sacrifice (Nightmares Trilogy #2)
And, if all goes as planned, 2015 will end with the release of the first book in my brand new series. A series that I am BEYOND thrilled to introduce you all to. The first book will be called Daughter of Time. And this, right here, is the first time I'm announcing what it will be about!! Ready to be excited? Are you getting pumped?? Because I AM! Here is it!:
DAUGHTER OF TIME (The Syndicate, Book One):
In a future where time travel has been outlawed, a black market exists for anyone with the money, connections, and nerve to request items from days past. As a Runner for one of the underground syndicates that now controls the timewaves, Stassi 5623 has seen it all: the fall of Rome, the rise of Hitler, the end of democracy, the establishment of time tourism, and the devastating consequences of it. Stassi’s job is to seamlessly slip through the past, in search of items of value to the syndicate's clientele.
Despite the generous pay and lavish lifestyle that comes with being a Runner, Stassi had her own reasons for joining the syndicate. Like many of the kids raised in work camps, Stassi’s memories of her parents and their warm, happy home are vague, faint at best. For her, traveling through the past is the only way to uncover their identities. With only an ancestral locket to guide her, Stassi chases its origins through centuries and generations, praying it will lead to her parents.
If Stassi does manage to find them, will she have the strength to return to a present in which they don't exist? Or will she risk tearing the fabric of time to time to ensure a future in which they do?
I hope that sounds thoroughly intriguing to you guys, because I'm really looking forward to writing it (I sort of want to drop everything to do it NOW, but that would be in violation of my new policies!). I'll keep you posted throughout the year with the status, sneak peeks, and, of course, a release date!
For now, I hope you guys are taking advantage of my Firsts Free promotion to get started with any of my series you haven't read yet! Talented (Talented Saga #1), Fragile Facade (Blind Barriers Trilogy #1) and Pawn (Nightmares #1) are all FREE on Amazon, iBooks, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, and via many other eBook retailers.
Also, don't forget that Platinum Prey (Blind Barriers Trilogy #2) has JUST been released, and I guarantee you'll want to dive right in to it once you finish Fragile Facade ;)
In conclusion, I do apologize for the rambling nature of this post, but I do think it reflects my mindset as I think of all of these things: I'm both enthralled with everything that's happened in the past year, and just over-the-top excited for what's to come in 2015.
I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season, and are relaxing with a good book now, in the wake of it. Thank you in advance for sticking with me in 2015, which is sure to be the BIGGEST year yet for Sophie Davis Books. My appreciation for your support, loyalty, and patience as I navigate these waters is unending.
Hopefully you have big plans for the coming year, as well (I'd love to hear about them in the comments!). Dream big! Because, if I've learned anything at all these past few years, it's to follow your dreams, no matter what. You never know where you'll end up ;)
Much love!
xoxo, Sophie Davis
PS- Beyond your plans for the New Year, tell me what you think of all of this in the comments! What do you think of the synopsis for Daughter of Time? Are you excited for Inescapable? What do you think the answers are to Blind Barriers' mysteries? Will you be attending BEA and/or BookCon?
So many questions! But only because I love when you guys chime in <3