Welcome to the Pub Dates newsletter! We’re so glad you’re here.
This newsletter is released as a companion to each podcast episode, and we use it to share the visual elements of our discussion — from mood boards to design sketches, from photos to secret giveaways just for subscribers.
In episode nineteen, we played holiday games, because honestly, who’s good for anything more at the end of the year?
If you want to hear us read our favourite pieces of setting, hear Kate figure out how to make any challenge into a kissing challenge, or hear about the most awkward moments in our books, or if you want to know what kind of tail our characters would have (and believe us, a lot of you do!) then you’ll have to tune in to the episode.
Because you’ve opened the newsletter, we’re going to reward you straight away with this glorious picture of a golden pheasant, aka the bird whose tail Prince Leander would be fine owning. Really he’d deck himself out in all the plumage.

And this one, because one is clearly not enough.
More? Oh, all right. Let’s get a really good look at that glorious tail in this sketch from 22 Species of Birds from the Boston Public Library, published in the 1860s — people have been admiring this bird for a long time.
You’re welcome. Now, enough birds — we have one more holiday offering!

We haven’t forgotten we promised you the recipe for Kate’s favourite ginger molasses cookies — you can find it right here. We wish you all the cookies you could want, these holidays, and the milk of your choice to dunk them in.
That’s it from us for 2022! We’ll close by saying one more time how grateful we are that you’re all joining us on this countdown — we only get to tell our stories because you’re there to read them. We’re so thankful for your support.
We’ll be back in 2023 to count down to publication — we have some fantastic episodes and some fantastic guests coming up, and some more behind the scenes glimpses we can’t wait to share. If there’s an aspect of the publishing journey you’d like to know about, please leave us a comment and let us know!
Finally, we’ll shamelessly remind you that preorders make wonderful holiday gifts — you can grab The Isles of the Gods or Nightbirds wherever you get your books.
See you next year!
This podcast makes my day every time I listen to it! I love that Aime, in her effort to be original, chose a pheasant tail for Leander. Like, who else would want an equivalent to a peacock and be like 'ah, yes, I know. Pheasant!' I love it! Can't wait for more episodes!!
Oh my gods you guys!! I was jumping around my kitchen in celebration of my question being chosen and furthermore... Won something!!! The cats were looking at me strangely, you can imagine the rest 🤣🤣
Happy Holidays to you & your families!!