Release countdown: 1 day

Tomorrow is the big day we've been waiting for: release day! I cannot tell you how thrilled I am about the release. I remember the times I struggled with Alaire's book, worrying I would never finish writing it, trying to finish the seemingly never-ending edits, etc. It's great to look back at that and be able to tell myself "you did it." Looking at past posts, I realized I never shared what the paperback version of the book looks like. (How did that slip my mind?)
 
The cover has easily won me over (and may be my favorite out of all three books so far). When you purchase the book please make sure to send in pictures and I'll share them. I love seeing the book makes its way into other people's hands.
As I probably mentioned before, this week has been really crazy for me. I've been doing everything I can to prepare the book for release day. Meanwhile my cats have been running around in the background like hyper kids. (Crazy cats...) It's a really great feeling to know everything is done and ready. I will be updating my sites today with my new author biography, which you will also see tomorrow on the release post. My bio changed slightly, especially with the addition of my third book.
What am I going to do now that it's finished? Well oddly enough I have to say goodbye to Alaire and move on. In a way his story is over and I need to move onto the next. I'm not going to give away any details just yet about the fourth book. Keep in mind, though, while you're reading Alaire's story I am writing the next. Since I'll soon be returning to work at the school life will be busy, but any spare time is writing time. I have learned that as soon as you finish one book you need to move onto the next. While I've only just begin a few paragraphs into the fourth book my brain is scattered. I've even been asking myself "what's next? What will you write after the series?" The answer is unknown to me for now. I want to get started on the next journey with a new character; other stories will have to wait. Hopefully by the time I do talk more about the fourth book I will have sunken into the story more and have my bearings.
Now if you're as excited as I am for Alaire's story, remember these are the places where you can purchase the book:

• Createspace
• Amazon
• Amazon UK
• Barnes and Noble

And don't forget both paperback and ebook formats will be available for purchase. I chose expanded distribution for this book, which is why this one will be on B&N. Shadows and Embers was not, though I can go back and add it. My plan is to see how expanded distribution goes with TTB and then decide, so I'll let you know at a later time.

See you all tomorrow for the big day!

Lindsey R. Sablowski

Release countdown: 3 days

Quote directly from Thicker Than Blood

In only three days Alaire will be returning to narrate his story, and along with him we can expect new and familiar faces.

This has been a crazy and busy week for me. Release day is literally right around the corner, and I am still preparing for the big day. I'll be sending out an email today to everyone who participated in the cover reveal and said they wanted to be a part of the release party. If you haven't already make sure you sign up to join in on the release party. I want you to be a part of this too!
I have started working on the custom bookmarks for Thicker Than Blood, though I might not order them for a while. Nonetheless, I do intend to order them soon to add to my collection.
Now that the book is ready and I am preparing it for publication it's a strange feeling. I remember worrying I would never finish this book. I had several obstacles, most of which related to writer's block. Alaire was not necessarily a difficult character to work with, but his story did require a lot of back tracking. Each book ties in with the last, and thus more often I've found myself going back and double-checking facts and so forth.
For the first time ever in this book I am revealing the next installment to the series. At the end of the book you'll see "next in the series," in which I reveal the title for the fourth book. I will also be revealing the title and a few more details later on the blog once TTB releases. For now I don't want to take away Alaire's spotlight, but I hope it's exciting for when readers reach the end.
In the meantime let's focus back on the story. I thought a fun and different idea to share for the countdown would be some fun facts about TTB in general.
Favorite new character: Rostland -while he's not exactly "new" I was glad to spend more time working with Rostland this time around. In Shadows and Embers we mostly experienced how Leal felt toward him, but this time around matters have changed. We see both Alaire and Leal's new feelings about him, and we also learn more about his immortality.
Total chapters: 31 -if memory serves me correctly, I believe Shadows and Embers had a few more chapters. Even so, I think TTB originally only had 28 chapters and it increased over time during revisions and so forth.
Favorite chapter: 13 -this is one of my favorite chapters in the book because I spent a lot of time on it. I added a lot of material to it, and it held some parallel with a few scenes in the previous books. I won't go into great detail about it, since I don't want to ruin the surprise for anyone yet.
Least favorite chapter: 1 -surprisingly, this was a difficult chapter because I jumped into the story exactly where it left off at the end of Shadows and Embers. Not only did the narration change, but Alaire's view and feelings about the events in this chapter were much different than Leal's.

So what are you most excited about? Do you think we ever knew Alaire, or was he an entirely different man before meeting Celestria? In three days we'll soon find out. In the meantime stay up to date with events through Facebook and checking in daily on the blog. Don't forget the countdown timer is running on the sidebar.
Lindsey R. Sablowski

Shadows and Embers 1 year!

Today is a very special day. Not only am I celebrating 22 months with my boyfriend, but I'm also celebrating a year anniversary with Shadows and Embers. I cannot believe this book has been out for entire year already. Where did the time go?

This year has already been very exciting and hectic for me. I am so pleased to be celebrating a year of publication for my second book. Leal's story was a very interesting one to write. He allowed me the first chance to take a deeper dive into Destin and the organization's history. Without him I would have missed out on a lot.
I remember last year when I first released this book how exciting it was. This was an important part to my career as an author. I had two published books, both in a series. I've taken a lot of pictures with Cursed With Power and Shadows and Embers together. I love how Celestria and Leal's story are very different but also relate with one another. The sequel also gave me a taste at what it's like to split a book up into two parts.
SandE has already made its physical appearance at several book events, including BookFestPA and Baltimore Book Festival. I have loved sharing this book, whether it be virtually or in person at book events.
Perhaps what makes this anniversary even more exciting is knowing that the third installment in the series is releasing in a couple days. I cannot wait to see all three books together, side by side. This series is very close to my heart, and I can already see it'll be difficult to move past it when I reach the end. I love the characters I work with and the world they live in. This book, along with the other in the series, means a lot to me. It means even more that I've had people to share it with. At the end of the day I couldn't do it without my readers, so I'm always thankful for you.
Hope everyone enjoys their weekend. I just returned from the beach so I'm glad to be home and relaxing. Happy 1 year to Leal's story. Don't forget to read it before the release of book 3.
Lindsey R. Sablowski

Release Date Announcement(s)

I have been working on this book since the release of Shadows and Embers, and I'm really proud to be announcing a solid release date. Today I finished the formatting for the ebook and the paperback proof is either in my mailbox or will arrive tomorrow. Needless to say, I did not waste any time. The release is actually a lot closer than you might have imagined.

August 1st, ladies and gentlemen, is when Thicker Than Blood will be available on purchase. You will be able to purchase via Amazon, Createspace, Amazon UK, Amazon Kindle, Kindle Unlimited, etc. Can't wait and don't want to miss out? Add the book on Goodreads to find all purchase links and more.

The release party will also be hosted on August 1st and be an all day event. If you're interested in participating, sign up. We want to spread the word about Alaire's story as much as we can, and you've all been amazingly supportive. 

I realize August 1st is right around the corner. I'll admit it was a tough decision to make, especially when that date is closely approaching. However, everyone has waited long enough for the release of this book. I have everything ready, and I don't want to hold it back any longer than necessary. Please sign up for the release party before it's too late, and you earn a chance to win a FREE copy of Thicker Than Blood. Winners will be chosen randomly from those who participate in the release party.

What about a preorder?

I am considering the option to offer pre-order here on the blog, and if this happens I will be sharing that information with you as soon as possible. I would love to offer pre-order to people who can't wait to get their hands on the book. If this does become available you'll be able to pay via Paypal. Your order would be placed on August 1st as soon as the book goes live for purchase. I'll have more details tomorrow as I favor this idea. 

Time is ticking, but everything is done and ready. I'll be updating all of my information wherever I talked about the book and add in the release date. I can't wait to be sharing Alaire's story with you, and I hope you're excited as well. Feel free to share the news or tweet about it using #ThickerThanBloodRelease

More details as well as several "countdown" posts will go live over the next couple days. In the meantime leave a comment and share what you're most excited about for the upcoming adventure. Who was Alaire before he met Celestria, and how will that affect his future?

Lindsey R. Sablowski

Publication date approaching

Lots of news to share, and I'm happy to say the paperback formatting is finished. I ran into several problems while formatting, but finally I worked it out. Unfortunately there were some extras steps I had to do manually (i.e. entering in tabs due to switching from Pages to Word and etc). Nonetheless, I am glad that part is over with.

After finalizing format and sending it in, along with the cover, to Createspace everything was approved. Just moments ago I ordered my physical proof for the paperback. I ordered the proof before with Shadows and Embers, and I'm doing it again as is suggested by Createspace. Though it does requite a bit more waiting time, it's worth it in the end to know for certain everything looks exactly as it should before releasing to the public.

So wait, what about a publication date?

While I can't say I'm done with all my work yet, I will be able to decide on an accurate publication date very soon. My proof should be arriving this week, and in the mean time I can read over the digital proof. I need to work on ebook formatting, which hopefully should not cause as many problems as the paperback did. Once I get started on the ebook formatting, though, I'm going to be able to see what date will be possible. Ideally I still envision the first week of August. Keep in mind, though, I do want to get enough notice so that we can have participants for the release party. I would love for even more participants to spread the word on release day.

As far as distribution and the price of the paperback and ebook, all of this has been settled. I've decided on a price for both formats and deciding on distribution through all channels available. More details will arrive upon release.

This is a very exciting time, and as Alaire's story approaches closer to release it feels surreal. Yet here we are at book three, and this is happening. 

Before you go, one last thing...

So this is an image you might see again if I decide to add any text to it. Regardless, I collided the two images together; one of the female from Thicker Than Blood's cover, and the other from Shadows and Embers. Interestingly enough, I do have news to announce about SandE.

First off, Shadows and Embers is available via Kindle Unlimited if you are a member of that program. I realize this is new to Amazon and customers, but if you try out the trial or decide to be a full-time member this is a great way to start reading the Magicians series. If you're interested, simply go to the Kindle page and find out more. As always if you're not interested in Kindle Unlimited the ebook format is still available for $3.99. A discounted price of $0.99 is available if you purchased the paperback version.

Ever wondered what Leal's voice would sound like?

I've mentioned on Twitter that SandE is up on ACX, a place where narrators and authors find projects their interested in. Nothing is official yet, but I am speaking with a narrator in hopes of producing an audiobook. This would be extremely exciting, and once something becomes official I will let you know the full details. I'm doing everything I can to let the stories be told and heard.

Alright, that was a lot of information. Hopefully it made sense, seeing as it's past midnight. I'll be updating the blog again very soon with more news. In the meantime enjoy that summer weather, and I will be back later on with more.

Lindsey R. Sablowski

Revisions complete. Formatting time!

I finished revisions for Thicker Than Blood on Sunday night. And what a relief it is to be done! For the remainder of this month I will be working solely on formatting for both paperback and ebook versions of the book. Here we are already in the middle of July, and I'm trying to remain calm while realizing release is not too far away.
So what does this mean for the book release? I still see it very possible to release the book in early August with the way everything is going. Today with my day off of work I managed to fix up the paperback formatting, save for a few minor things. The ebook will probably be the biggest area that needs the most attention. With SandE I had not known what needed to be done for the ebook, but this time I'm prepared and ready. I'm glad I won't need to be rushing through ebook formatting at the last minute.
In terms of formatting for the paperback all that's left to do is:

• Headers (including author name and book title)
• Footers (including page numbers)

In terms of formatting for ebook, there's a bit more:

• All font must be Times New Roman
• No symbols that can't be recognized via ebook devices
• Goodbye to indents
• Insert "page breaks"
• Possibly insert active table of contents (never done it before in my ebooks, but if I'm able to do it I will)

I might have left out some of the steps, but that's the major items I'm looking at. (Everything else has already been worked out.) Keep in mind I'm doing all of this by myself, so this is why I need the rest of this month to make sure everything is in order and ready. I have a MacbookAir, which is why I'm having some difficulty with manually working on headers and footers in Pages. However, my boyfriend might be able to shed some light on it for me. I'm used to working on Word, but since I don't have installed on my laptop Pages was much easier to work with. Once headers and footers are worked out in the paperback format I do plan to submit it to Createspace.

Preparing for Publication:

Since I'm aware not everyone is familiar with Createspace's steps for publication I wanted to brief touch on the subject. I have started a "new project" on Createspace, which is this page in the picture above. This is where I include the information about the book. Right now you can see I've only just started, but on the left side is a list of different steps in the process.
The interior step is especially vital. I want to make sure everything turns out correctly. Last time with SandE I had some issues with text that went out of the margins and fonts that did not appear correctly. This is why I'm turning this material in before release.
The cover submission is also important, thought I suspect I should run into no problems here. All I need to do is upload the book jacket for Thicker Than Blood and make sure it is accepted. If there is a sizing issue or pixel problem Createspace will let me know. (And fortunately I have friends who can help me fix this.)
The review step is also very essential because this is where I review all the material and order the proof. Fortunately with Createspace I only need to pay for shipping in regards to the proof, and I'll want that to arrive as soon as possible. It needs to arrive soon enough for me to re-read the entire book again, check formatting, check the cover appearance and meet my approval. Once again I do not want to feel rushed on this important part of the process, so I plan to order it within the next couple of days. This version of the book is very different from the one in my "mock" proof. I've added and deleted a lot of material and also fixed the formatting issues. Fingers crossed that it will all turn out as expected.
As for distribute and sales & marketing, those are the least of my concerns. I can easily work on that and have it ready to go. That's all part of deciding where the book is distributed and the pricing for paperback and ebook.
Every step in the process is important and takes some time, though this time I know what to expect. If all goes well with the proof I will be deciding on a release date and gathering together participants for the release party. Thank you to everyone from the cover reveal who already expressed their interest; I'll be contacting you soon.
All in all, I have my work cut out for me. I plan to be posting advice on formatting in more details at a later time for an self-published authors in need of advice. In the meantime, I have more formatting to do and housework as well.
Lindsey R. Sablowski

Cover Reveal Reaction(s) and Links

To say the least, I am a very happy author. The cover reveal on Saturday turned out amazingly well, and I couldn't have done it without the help. I had a lot of difficult embedding my "thank you" video from Google plus onto here, but hopefully the way I worked it out is still pretty accessible. I've already spent an hour on working on this post... (I really wanted to show you guys a sneak peak at the "mock" proof!)
Back to the point everyone was amazing, and the cover reveal was the most successful out of the other books in the series. I was so thrilled to read people's reactions to the cover, and I can't wait for when we'll do a reveal for book 4. (But let's not get ahead of ourselves.) After going through my emails, tweets, and blogger I tried to find as many links as I could to where participants posted the cover reveal. If I missed your post please let me know, leave me the link, and I will add it in. Let's see how far Alaire has ventured so far...
Watch Her Write -Wordpress

Raven Paramour -Blogger

Delirious Musings of a Writer -Blogger

Mariella Hunt -website

Raven Paramour -Tumblr

S.C. Parris -website

S.C. Parris -Wordpress

Faithful Inspiration Station -Tumblr

oxKristeeauhox -Wordpress

LindseyReneeS -Tumblr

The Magicians series -Tumblr

SuburbanPrincess -Tumblr

Just Playing Dress Up -Blogger

Author Mariella Hunt -Tumblr

Hannah Hunt Writes -website

As I mentioned, there might be some websites I missed. Feel free to comment below if you posted the reveal and was not mentioned above. All of the posts were amazing, and I am slowly making my way around to the websites to leave a comment and thank you to these lovely people. Before I go there is a little bit more I want to share.

 

I had some fun earlier and took pictures of myself with the three books in the series. (It's been a while since I've done that...) Again that's the "mock" proof copy of Thicker Than Blood that I'm holding, but I just love seeing how it will look next to the other books in the series. I can't believe I'm already at the third book; where did the time go?

Lastly, Goodreads added a great new tool on their website to help authors interact with readers. I am open to "Ask the Author" on my profile, so if you go directly to my profile it's very easy to ask a question. All you have to do is type one in, and when I reply you will receive an email notification and the answer will also be posted to my Goodreads profile for others to see. I was so excited to hear about this and turned on my questions this morning. Unless I receive an overwhelming amount of questions, I plan to answer questions when I receive them. Answers could be going up daily, so please don't hesitate to stop by and ask away. Have a question about the third book, the cover, and what lays ahead in the future? Just stop by on Goodreads, ask me, and I'll get back to you. I am really excited about this new interaction, and I hope you are too.

Lindsey R. Sablowski

Cover Reveal: Thicker Than Blood

Cover reveal day is finally here, and I cannot tell you how excited I am to have reached this day. Without further ado, here is the official cover and book jacket for Thicker Than Blood.

Thicker Than Blood is the third installment in the Magicians series. The cover was designed by Alivia Anders (White Rabbit designs & creations). I purchased this cover back in October 2013 and have been waiting for this day when I could reveal it. I was immediately excited about the cover. I had a lot of different ideas about how the design could look, but this turned out better than I imagined. I love the mood of it and the small but important details.

Official summary:

Alaire Sencler is not the man he used to be. He left behind a foul and bloody past to be with the woman he loves, but the memories never allow him to forget what he did.
While the White magicians rise an army, their leader hides his true reasons for going to war. Meanwhile the Dark magicians seek out a new haven, one that might keep them hidden long enough to prepare for the war that is raging on outside their doorstep.
Though Alaire has a unique gift and the woman of his dreams by his side, he has yet to come to terms with Esmour's death and what the future holds for him. New faces and the revealing of the fifth Dark magicians offers hope, but only the strongest will survive in the final battle.
Whoever said "blood runs thicker than water" never knew what it is like to be a part of the current. 
Release date: August 2014 (official date will be released when it is determined.)
Add to Goodreads. Purchase links will be made available in August.

What does Alaire's story hold in store for us? Well, we can take a closer look at his story now with the revealing of the teaser. I posted a teaser a while back when Shadows and Embers was an available ebook download. This teaser, however, I picked directly out of the book. It's a scene I personally love because it has two of the males character I've grown to love over the years. I spent several days deciding on this teaser and hope you enjoy it. Please note that the following scene is told from Alaire's point of view and does not include spoilers.
Teaser:

We followed the noises and passed by more trees until Léal was in our sight. He performed a spell which hit the tree in front of him. Rostland held me back and gestured he would advance first.
​ Slowly stepping forward, Rostland said, “Léal, you need to stop before you hurt yourself.”

​He turned around and glared, but sweat covered his face and ran past his neck.
​Léal replied, “You knew her for one year; I knew her for five. She kept saying time and time again she was on my side, and I never once believed her until the end.”
​Rostland took another step forward, but Léal raised his hand. I considered moving closer to help if anything spun out of control, but I was confident in Rostland.
​“Do you plan to kill me again? Come now, you’re making a fool out of yourself,” Rostland said in a firm voice.
​Léal whispered a word and cast a spell, causing a ice shard to strike through Rostland’s chest. Every muscle in my body tensed, but Rostland quickly ripped the icicle out and threw it on the ground. The icicle broke apart into pieces, and the two men stared at each other.

Lastly, I wanted to talk about how Thicker Than Blood's cover fits in with the pattern so far with the previous covers. The pattern, by the way, was never intentionally planned until about a year ago (with the release of SandE. With Cursed With Power we had a dark cover, a (main) female character, and a blue glow. The blue glow is probably my favorite part about it; it helps with the magical feeling to it. The female model is meant to represent Celestria, who in the first book struggles with her magic. She views it in a very negative way and it challenges her. The darkness seems to fit well with the mood and themes of the first book. Then in the sequel, Shadows and Embers, we have a major change. The lighting is bright, the female character is clearly visible, and it almost gives off this feeling of hope. The model in this one is meant to represent Nicia, Leal's former partner and best friend. Again I felt like this was appropriate because in Leal's book we learn a lot about how Nicia affected him. She is very lively and important to (his) story. 
Now here we are at the third book, Thicker Than Blood. There is a dark background once again, though this time it looks like it might be night time in the picture. There's flurries and smoke, a female character, and mystery. The woman is holding out her hand, as if you are facing her and she is about to lead the way on the journey. There are numerous ways to view the meaning the cover could offer once you read the book.
Overall, I am happy that the book fit with the pattern. We see darkness and light, and who knows maybe on the fourth book a male character will be present in the cover.

Whew, that was a lot of information! It is almost 2am now when I am posting this. A huge thank you to everyone who is participating in this event today. Please be sure to share the cover so we can spread the word about Alaire's story. I'll be slowly updating my websites with the cover, though it is already up live on Goodreads. I'm excited to hear you responses. Thank you for making this day exciting and fun! Alaire's story is only about a month away. 
Lindsey R. Sablowski

Cover Reveal this Saturday

The cover reveal for Thicker Than Blood will be hosted this Saturday, July 5th. I am so excited about this event, especially since this will be our biggest reveal for the series. I do not remember the exact amount of people who participated in previous cover reveals, but this one definitely outnumbered them. I cannot thank everyone enough for the support they have shown for this book and the series.

If you haven't signed up, today and tomorrow are the last days. Of course if you chose to not sign up you are still able to participate on cover reveal day. Every social media site has easy ways for you to share the information, so pick whatever is convenient for you. These are the sites I will be posting the cover on:

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram
• Blogger (both here and on the Magicians blog)
• Tumblr (my personal and the Magicians one as well)
• Goodreads

As I mentioned before I will be including the links to everywhere else where the cover is shared probably a day or two after Saturday. Be sure to check out the other links to see how other people presented the material.

Speaking of reveals, you know how excited I am around this time. I also am hoping you're exciting, and to share that excitement let's talk about it on Twitter. Talk about the cover reveal using hashtag #TTBCoverReveal and/or #ThickerThanBlood. I will be using both hashtags for the cover reveal, and I've also asked participants to use them as well.

Meanwhile I am left to face the reality of this being my last month to work on the book before sending it off for publication. I said the release will be in August, and I don't want to push back the release. (Especially with how long it has already taken.) I'm working on revisions now with any free chance I have and am staying focused on the work I have cut out for me. It isn't easy, and there's a lot to read through. I'm eager to reach the end and format the book for paperback and ebook.

Remember the cover reveal will start July 5th at 12am and last all day. I hope this will be a fun and exciting event for everyone.

Lindsey R. Sablowski