Hello, happy end of summer.
I went in for a planned surgery this past June, and though the procedure went as expected, later that night my husband had to call 911 due to complications. I was taken to the ER by ambulance—a first for me—and didn’t walk out until the following day (on bare feet, since the paramedics don’t bother with things like shoes when they’re wheeling you away on a stretcher). My mom flew in from across the country. Two nights later I developed a 103 fever, which is apparently alarming to those who know about that sort of thing, so my doctor sent me back to the ER. I was in a lot of pain. Internal bleeding, basically. That time, Mom drove. I was wearing shoes.
I’m doing better now, feeling surprisingly normal compared to how I was. I mostly want to gloss over the whole episode, but it was the hardest week of my life, so it probably deserves at least a footnote. I took some time off from writing, from the internet, really from anything that didn’t involve chugging electrolytes (doctor’s orders) and trying not to laugh (too painful). And slowly, I recovered. And slowly, I put it behind me. But I think as my life chugs along and I get back to sharing the ups, it feels important to mention the downs, too. Sometimes you’re busy penning away the next book, and sometimes you’re struggling to stay awake through the morphine in a windowless hospital room. That’s how it goes.
Now. I’m never one to shy away from sober subjects, and I am not going to insert a cheerful transition here (call it a pet peeve). I am instead going to insert an absolutely neutral transition where I tell you that between my spring newsletter and this one, a lot has happened. I got my revision letter back from my agent for my current YA fantasy manuscript, dove headfirst into an enormous rewrite, spent 10 days exploring the national parks of the western US, rekindled (and documented) my love of the outdoors, reached out to you for a Q&A (below!), and widely expanded my reading horizons. I also got some exciting book news, which I can’t share yet (sorry, I know), but has changed my outlook in some really inspiring ways.
So, suffice to say we have a lot to cover. Let’s get into it.
What I’m working on + teasing some exciting book news.
Sometimes, you have exciting book news. And sometimes, you’re not allowed to share it yet. As I understand, it could be months before I’m able to say more. Months! Am I patient? No. But can I learn patience? Also no.
So while we’re all gnashing our teeth over that teaser, I’ll move on to the things I can talk about. Namely, my current project, which is a YA fantasy I’ve been calling Thieves. Since we last spoke, I finished that manuscript and turned it in to my agent, took a break for all the hospital stuff explained above, then finally opened the document in late June to see what revision notes were waiting for me.
It’s always a bit of a nailbiter opening a revision letter, because on the one hand you hope for literally no notes (“you’ve written a masterpiece, this book is perfect”) but on the other hand you know that’s not possible (“this book is garbage and so are you”) and you need feedback to make the book better (“I like where it’s going, but here’s what could change”).
I’m now working on my second draft of the book and doing some pretty hefty revisions. It’s actually been pretty fun, aside from the whole I-wish-I’d-just-gotten-this-right-the-first-time bit. But books are never perfect on the first go, half the time you don’t even know where you’re aiming until you get that initial, messy, imperfect draft down, so we’re here and we’re rolling along. My goal is to have this manuscript completed by the end of the year.
Answering your questions!
I recently reached out on Instagram with an AMA. I opened this up to anything: books, life, process, etc. You all responded with such good questions! You asked about my writing schedule, where I get my inspiration, plotting, and more, and I’ve done my best to answer in depth.
Will there be a sequel to To Poison a King? When can we expect it?
Yes! It’s a companion novel called To Save a Kingdom that follows the story of Selene’s great-granddaughter, along with an entirely new cast of characters. Now for a bit of honesty: if I could go back in time, I would not have announced this sequel just yet. I self-published To Poison a King, and I assumed I’d be doing the same for To Save a Kingdom. Only then I landed my agent and have been making the switch to traditional publishing, which means suddenly I’m no longer in control of my own release schedule. To further complicate things, I was picked up for a completely unrelated YA sci-fi, which has had to take precedence over everything else. It’s painful, because I know how much you all are looking forward to To Save a Kingdom, and I know how badly I’d like to get it released. While I can assure you the book is coming, it’s still going to be a while, and I really hope you understand <3
What does your regular writing day look like? (Morning vs. night, word count, etc.)
I love this question, especially since my approach is different from most. I track hours worked rather than words written, and my goal is to write for three hours a day. (Yep, that’s it!) The caveat is that I stop the timer when I’m not literally writing, meaning if I check my phone, check my email, get up for a snack, etc. the timer stops. It usually takes at least four hours (sometimes five if I’m distracted) to get three solid hours of real work in. Of course, if I’m on a roll I’ll write more, but I find that three hours a day is about how much I can consistently handle, and consistency is the trick to getting books written.
Then sometimes, I throw all that away, fall into a writing hole, and write for literally hours and hours day after day. These periods are hectic, consumed, and followed by a crash. A little manic, perhaps, I really don’t know.
What does plotting out a story look like for you? What are some tips when you get stuck in the plotting stage?
I use this general outline from Derek Murphy, who I’ve been following forever and who taught me a lot about how to write and market a book. I mix that with a similar outline I got from my editor years ago for Elvish. Books are fluid and they’ll evolve as you start writing, but it’s definitely good to go into the story with a foundation. (Something I’ve had to learn.)
As for what to do if you get stuck, I’d say it’s a good time to look at how you want the book to end. Go ahead and write the last chapter if you can, then work backward from there. What needs to happen to get from where you are to where you’re going? What plot points need to be developed, what characters introduced (or hurt, or killed, or betrayed)? List out the major events, turn each of those events into a chapter, and see if it gets you going.
What are three books that heavily influenced your writing?
I can’t name three books, but I can name three authors: Amy Harmon, Leigh Bardugo, and Marie Rutkoski. I can name three more: Madeline Miller, Katherine Arden, and Patrick Rothfuss. Hey, here are three more: K.J. Charles, V.E. Schwab, and Juliet Marillier.
I try to read widely. I wasn’t formally trained in book writing (few authors are). I’ve learned most of what I know from reading, and these are just a few of the authors I admire.
Do you have any pets? Can we see them if you do :)
I thought you’d never ask. This is Bungles. He’s 10 years old. He likes to eat sticks, chug water, and play tag (but only if you’re it). His best trick is “go to the mat” which is how I send him out of the kitchen when I’m cooking and don’t want him under my feet. His worst trick is that one time he ate a kitchen towel and we had to take him to the vet for emergency surgery. He can also sit, stay, and play fetch. Sometimes he even brings the ball back.
What’s been going on in my non-book world lately.
Summer is camping season here in the Prince household, and we’ve been doing a lot of it. We saw the giant sequoias in King’s Canyon, swam in Lake Tahoe, checked the Tetons and Yellowstone off our bucket list, and took the dog to wine country (pictures below). It poured on us the first night, but after that the skies cleared and we ended up having a really memorable time.
Here at home, we’ve been preparing for the end of summer. Mentally, I mean. Every year, I go into autumn thinking, this winter won’t be so bad. And every year, it kicks my butt. I am one of those people who need a lot of sun to function. It’s a curse, frankly. Granted, these past two years have been unusually cold and unusually wet here in California (did you hear about our atmospheric rivers?), so I will hold onto my hope for better days ahead.
Aside from that, I also do still have some health stuff going on, which is still taking up quite a bit of my attention. I would like to be more candid about this but plan to wait to say more until it’s behind me.
My recent book recommendations.
I’ve gotten back into the swing of reading lately and have been leaving my five star recommendations on Goodreads and Bookbub. I encourage you to follow me there if you want to stay up to date with book recs! A few that have stood out to me recently:
If you want a stunning true story about a girl who dressed as a man to fight in the American Revolutionary War (with a hefty dose of romance), read A Girl Called Samson by Amy Harmon.
If you want to see what happens when a major contemporary romance author tries her hand at paranormal werewolf romance with deeply entertaining results, read Bride by Ali Hazelwood.
If you want yet another recommendation for an m/m regency-era book from K.J. Charles (I’m working my way through all her novels okay I can’t help it if they’re all perfect) read The Duke at Hazard.
If you want an audiobook about a brother and sister who lose their fortune due to an evil stepmother, I’d listen to The Dutch House by Ann Patchett, narrated superbly by Tom Hanks.
Links to my book freebies.
I like to give things away!
Free fantasy books from fellow authors!
Every quarter, I partner with fellow authors who are offering free and discounted books. It’s a great way to discover new favorites, so follow the links below to check out the full giveaways.
Romantasy with Forbidden Love - 53 books
General Fantasy & Sci-Fi - 118 books
Low or No Spice Romantasy - 43 books
Epic Fantasy - 47 books
More Romantic Fantasy - 65 books
Free SFF - 54 books
So Much Romantasy Wow - 63 books
Books in New Realms - 43 books
Discounted Fantasy Books - 82 books
Fantasy with Rivals and Enemies - 30 books
Free Book Friday - 30 books
The River of Reversal (free short story)
The River of Reversal is a short story that takes place six years before the start of my full length novel To Poison a King and introduces Selene as she was in early childhood, before she makes the mistake that changes her life. The story (specifically, the legend of the River) plays a major role in the plot of the full length book, so if you’re interested in the series, it’s a great way to dip your toes into some of the lore.
You can download the story for free onto your preferred e-reader through BookFunnel, or you can quickly access a web version on my site.
A few final housekeeping things.
Find me on social media.
I’m mostly on Instagram and you can follow me there. You can also find me on Goodreads and BookBub. I have a Twitter (X, whatever) but I don’t really use it.
Leaving your review for To Poison a King.
The more reviews a book has, the more attention it tends to attract. To everyone who has taken the time to leave a review for To Poison a King, thank you, thank you, thank you. Your support has directly impact my success as an author.
If you'd like to support me, leaving a review is the easiest way to do that!
Final thoughts.
Thank you for sticking around, reading what I have to say and encouraging me on this journey. And as always, happy reading.
- s.g.