Hello everybody, welcome once again to my newsletter. This month we have an exciting development. The ARC Team sign-up sheet is live. That's right. If you want to receive a free copy of Clipped before anyone else, just fill out this form.
Filling out the form does not guarantee you a spot on the ARC list but it does give you a shot.
ARCs are expected to be sent out in early April. They are for ebook copies only. No paperbacks will be available at this time.
This week on BlueSky, I took part in #SFFChat, hosted by Steve Hugh Westenra. It was a series of four questions, and, for the most part, I answered with Clipped in mind. I figure I'll share them with you all now. If you also are on BSky, and write, I encourage you all to play along!
Q1: Share something about a trickster, fake, or fraud in your world/work (feel free to talk about them, share an excerpt, or both!).
A: That's just a whole mess of spoilers! Let's see, let's see... Well, here's a safe one. Zak, like all Exalted, believe The Heavens provide a utopia to humans on earth. Once his wings are clipped & he falls, he very quickly learns all he's been told is a lie & humans live in squalor.
Q2: And now for something completely different! What role does clothing play in your world? Maybe there's a unique item people where, a need for a specific kind of functional clothing, or something that's culturally significant! Clothing can denote status, or act as a form of expression.
A: In Clipped, Zak's wardrobe grows. He arrives on earth in his Exalted robes but they are turned into a backpack for him. He carries a baby sock in his pocket as a reminder of his son. He's given a grunge style outfit by people who take him in, & finer clothes as he journeys.
Q3: What's a book you would give to someone who's never read your chosen* genre before? *Could be a genre you write, but maybe it's just a genre you like to read a lot! Could be a major genre (e.g. "science fiction") or a subgenre (e.g. "space opera," "urban fantasy," "epic," etc).
A: (The answer to this question does not involve Clipped but you can read it here if you want.)
Q4: Share a paragraph from your work that you've edited to death!
A: A big problem in earlier drafts of Clipped was that Zak was way too passive. Things were just happening, he was wandering aimlessly & people kept giving him stuff. I worked hard to make him more proactive. Him cutting his hands free? It never used to exist.
Wasn't that fun! I'm not sure when #SFFChat is, if it's an every other week thing, or not so follow Steve on Bsky to be notified for the next one and join in!
A devastating genetic disease has caused a drastic decrease in male populations. Although their numbers are declining, the powerful still cling to their authority while ignoring the impending peril, while the female population strives to carry on the continuity of humanity. Princess Malak fled her homeland after her father agreed to an arranged marriage. Her engagement to a cruel and tyrannical man, who shares the same values as her controlling and oppressive family and society, is a formidable barrier to her contentment. Malak courageously ran away from her country, with the fear of imprisonment or death looming over her, to gain her freedom. To achieve her goals, the princess must cross borders to a country where women have a voice and power.
