Some idiot promised to have an essay up last week and didn’t deliver, so while I self-flagellate you can rest easy in the knowledge that I am, at this point in time, living my life on a weekly basis rather than a daily basis–and by that I mean, I am so busy and so constantly ‘going’ (and so prone to restless, naplike sleep as it is) that my whole timescale has changed from a normal daily cycle to a weekly perspective.
Or perhaps this is just what getting close to thirty feels like. Oh boy, can’t wait for the crippling depression which accompanies living life in yearly cycles! Haha, just kidding. I don’t have time to be depressed anymore! Workaholism is great.
What am I workaholing on, dear reader? Why, nothing less than getting THE HIEROPHANT’S DAUGHTER into your local independent bookshop. For the past three weeks we’ve been calling 300+ bookstores across the United Front United States, and I’ve still got at least a hundred more. We’ve also designed an elaborate media campaign, which you’re free to check out at https://paintedblindpublishing.com/media-kit/, where interested parties can also find an old, chubbier picture of yours truly before the physical prowess of Dominia di Mephitoli finally shamed me into going to the gym. Apologies in advance for that, but feel free to enjoy a glimpse at the Book Club Guide, which we’ve tried to keep as spoiler-free as possible.
And if you really want to see the book in your local bookstore, print out a copy of our sell sheet and tell them you want them to order it from Ingram. But, to be honest, there’s a good chance they’ll be receiving a copy via digital or physical channels. I’m hounding as many bookbuyers as politely as I can because I want as many people to see this book as I can–and readers agree with me. Still over 3 months before the May 19th release, and the book is closing in on 20 reviews available on Goodreads–fewer on NetGalley, which allows for the flagging of useless or homophobic reviews still available for your MST3K-esque pleasure at the Goodreads page. A sprinkling of unpleasantness aside, initial reception has been phenomenal, with just this past week yielding two 5 star reviews and one very wonderful 4 star. The most recent one, from NetGalley reviewer Daniel Casey, kindly said, “This is probably one of the most creative, literary, and bonkers novels of the year. Sullivan is quickly becoming a master of speculative fiction.” Well shucks, Daniel. I’ve always wanted to hear somebody say that without my asking them to say it, first. Thanks for making my week–and a big thanks to our 5 star reviewers, Mark and Nightwing, for their generous time and reviews. Paperbacks of The General’s Bride will be out to them around the same time booksellers are finally allowed to sell The Hierophant’s Daughter to the public. Don’t you wish you were as cool as them?
Well, you can be. On May 20th, 2019, at 6PM PST/9PM EST, Painted Blind Publishing’s twitch.tv will be livestreaming a book reading of The Hierophant’s Daughter, where I’ll not only be reading the first chapter of the book, but also your tarot cards–if you’re one of the first ten in the room to claim dibs on the reading, anyway. After the readings are done and we’ve read a chapter of the book together, there will be a raffle for a package including a copy of The Hierophant’s Daughter, a copy of The General’s Bride, the official Painted Blind Publishing/Holy Martyr Church t-shirt, and a to-be-delivered copy of The Lady’s Champion when its ARCs are prepared. Mark your calendar, reader, that’s a pretty sweet prize package and you don’t want to miss your shot.
That’s all for this week, folks. Thanks for your patience as I get to a point where I can fully attend to these essays–I want to make sure I’m able to give them my all, and provide you with as much useful information as I can. And keep an eye out–starting in April, you can expect to see a number of smaller essays and interviews with me scattered across the Internet. We’re lining up a blog tour of about 60-80 blogs, so get excited, and get your copy of THE HIEROPHANT’S DAUGHTER pre-ordered before May 19th!
