Episode 47: Writing Sequels (the sequel!)

Plus all our preorder and tour(!) news 📚🌎

Welcome to the Pub Dates newsletter! We’re so glad you’re here. Apologies that we are here a little late — we’re so busy we plain forgot to hit send. 👀

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 forty-seven we gave you the sequel (see what we did there?) to episode thirty-seven. In that earlier episode, we talked all about the experience of writing sequels — how to know when you’re writing a duology, how to deal with Second Book Syndrome (and what it is) and why we love two-parters.

In this episode, we talked about craft — we got into character arcs, how we zoom out and expand a world, and how you make a plot feel bigger. We had lots of examples for readers of The Isles of the Gods and Nightbirds, and even a few sneaky peeks at our second books.

In this newsletter:

• Sequel inspiration pics

• Preorder links

• Nightbirds paperback preorder offer

• Fyrebirds preorder offer

• The Heart of the World preorder offer

• Amie on tour

Sequel inspiration!

One of the things we talked about was the ways we zoomed out to show more of our worlds in book two, so in this issue we’re sharing some inspiration pics we used to build those new parts of our worlds.

For Amie, it’s all library pics. Here she is is in Ireland, at one of her favourite libraries in the world — the Long Room at Trinity College, Dublin. Happy as a clam! (Why is that a saying?)

And here’s a favourite shot she took at the Morgan Library in New York, a couple of years ago. A big part of The Heart of the World is set at the Bibliotek, a great university library, and Amie got to use years of library visits as inspiration.

Meanwhile, Kate talked about walking the coastline here in Victoria — this is the kind of glorious scenery she had in mind as she dreamed up the Illish Isles.

She based the Three Sisters in Illan on a real cluster of rocky islands off the coast of the Dingle Peninsula in Ireland — here’s a picture she took back in 2012. So often we go places or learn things that we store up for years, before we find the right story for them.

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Preorder links:

Every time you preorder a book, an author spares the life of a character you love. Will you be a hero?

Here are all the US preorder links for The Heart of the World.

Here are all the UK preorder links for The Heart of the World.

And here in Australia we don’t have a one-stop shop, so here’s links to Dymocks, Readings, Amazon, QBD, and your local independent bookshop for The Heart of the World.

Here are all the US preorder links for Fyrebirds.

Here are Aussie links for Fyrebirds at Dymocks, Readings, Amazon, QBD and your local independent bookshop.

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Nightbirds preorder offer:

Pick up a copy of the US paperback of Nightbirds by August 27th, and you can claim this gorgeous flamemoth art print. Hit the button to register your purchase:

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Fyrebirds preorder offer:

Or, if you want the flamemoth print PLUS two more character cards, and a signed bookplate, then make sure you register your Fyrebirds preorder or purchase via the button below.

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The Heart of the World preorder offer:

Preorder a copy of The Heart of the World, or pick one up by September 21st, and you can lodge your receipt to claim this set of two prints, featuring the gorgeous cover art. This offer is available if you have (or can borrow) a mailing address in the US, UK or Australia.

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Amie on tour!

Amie’s heading to the US on tour for The Heart of the World. All the info on her tour stops can be found here. Let us know in the comments if she’ll see you there!

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And that’s it for this episode!

We’ll see you next time for an episode all about going on writing retreats. Until then, happy reading!