The Anxiety of Doing Well
It feels really good to write a book people love. That seems to be what’s happened with To Poison a King, and I’m humbled and grateful. It it, however, equally terrifying to write a book people love, because what if you can’t do it again? What if I publish the next book, and it’s not written quite the same, and readers are disappointed? (Spoiler: my next books are really very much not the same). I’ve been struggling with this lately. I have, in some ways, always struggled with this.
Many of you are familiar with author V.E. Schwab. I bring her up because I’ve followed her journey since before I was published and have always been awed and inspired by both her success and her honesty. Online, she’s often vocal about this same anxiety: the fear that you can’t outdo yourself. That you’ll let readers down. In my pre-publish days, I used to sympathize with her. Now (in the strange brain-warping way that comes with passing time and the achievement of old dreams) I can empathize.
Unfortunately, V.E. has been conspicuously quiet on the solutions front. I don’t think she’s found any. I certainly haven’t. Sometimes, I’m able to trick myself into believing it’s okay if I publish a subpar story. I hope to write 30+ books over the course of my career. So what if a few of them are duds? Then my brain clicks on a flashlight and puts it under her chin and says, Because that would mean *you’re* a dud.
I guess the plus side (if there is a plus side) is that my anxieties are a function of my commitment. I really care about this stuff. I don’t just want to write books, I want to write good books, the kind that change people and touch people and stay with them for months or years. Fear of failure is famously part of this process. Maybe it’s something I can work on overcoming. Probably not. That’s how it’s going.
To Poison a King Audiobook
The audiobook rights for To Poison a King were acquired by Tantor Media last year, and their team has since been on the hunt for the perfect voice actor to play Selene. I’m excited to announce they’ve found a match! Actress Lauren Irwin will be reading To Poison a King for the audiobook, and I could not be more excited. Recording is scheduled for August. Audiobook release date TBD.
Deleted Scene from To Poison a King
Scenes are deleted for a lot of reasons. Sometimes, I’ll start to go down a certain path, only to realize the idea would create unnecessary complication, or add too many words to the story, or clash with another piece of the plot. I have an entirely separate document called “Scraps” where I paste all my deleted scenes. It’s 75,000 words long: a full book’s worth of scrapped content. Most of it’s too incoherent to share, but there are a few deleted scenes I think you’d appreciate. Here’s one from when I originally created Ophelia’s character. ■
After I finished tending her brother, Ophelia insisted on walking me back to my rooms. I tried to protest, but she would hear nothing of it. “It would be improper not to. Besides, I want to spend more time with you.”
I was so caught off guard I nearly laughed. “Why?”
“I believe our paths are meant to cross.”
She spoke with such conviction, I could not help but sober. I remembered how I had spotted Ophelia across the great hall—had it only been earlier that day?—and my uncharacteristic wish to join her. Our paths were meant to cross. It was the kind of thing my mother would have scoffed at, and I as well. Yet in that moment, Ophelia’s pronouncement did not sound foolish or whimsical. It sounded prophetic.
“You said you have gifts of your own,” I remarked. “Will you tell me what they are?”
“No.”
My cheeks warmed. “Oh.”
She glanced at me across her shoulder. “I will show you.”
To continue reading the deleted scene, follow this link to my website!
This Year So Far in Books (My Recommendations)
I’ve read 24 books so far this year. Some have been hits, some have been DNFs, and most fall somewhere in the middle. I’m a terribly picky reader. It’s a hazard of the job.
I’ve gone back through and chosen my four favorites from the first half of the year. The top spot goes to Mystic and Rider by Sharon Shinn. What a stunning fantasy with the most badass heroine (and hearthrobby romance!). Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez takes the second spot for having all my favorite themes and smartly written characters. And finally, tied for third is Like Real People Do by E.L. Hassey and The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by K.J. Charles. Each of these stories had me captured and I highly recommend them.
Book Freebies
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. It's about choices and fate and a father's love for his daughter. 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.
The River of Reversal is free. I give book away as a thank you for those who’ve been following me since my early days and to welcome those who are new. You can download The River of Reversal onto your preferred e-reader through BookFunnel, or you can quickly access a web version on my site.
June Freebies (Free Fantasy Books from Other Authors)
Every month, I like to partner with other authors who are offering readers free books. It’s a great way to discover new favorites, so follow the links below to check out the full giveaways.
Fantasy Freebies - 52 books
Science Fiction and Fantasy - 171 books
More Fantasy Freebies - 62 books
Defeating the Dragon - 45 books
Swords, Magic & Mayhem - 82 books
Free Fantasy Reads - 98 books
Free SFF - 160 books
Housekeeping
Find Me on Social Media
I've recently switched all book-related social media things to my author account on Instagram; if you were following my old personal account, you should switch to this one. I’m technically also on Twitter but only tweet rarely. You can also find me on Goodreads and BookBub.
My Affordability Policy
I’ve written a note regarding my book affordability policy. Please read this post if you'd like to learn more.
Book Recommendations & Reviews
I’ve always shared book recommendations with you, but I’m also trying to writing more thoughtful reviews for the books that really wow me. You can find an updated list of those here.
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!
All right. Time to wrap this up. Thank you for sticking around, reading what I have to say and supporting me on this journey. And as always, happy reading.
- s.g.