Embers of Fate by Michele Quirke was such a sweet continuation of The Fires of Treason. This sequel follows Gregory and Elizabeth as they continue to search for safety after their exile from their royal exile. The same elements I enjoyed from book one are here in force with Elizabeth and Greg’s loyal sibling dynamic as well as the vivid depictions of a medieval life.
But this book also delves into more of a magical bent with the introduction of the Pagans and their prophecy, which was an intriguing addition. The relationship between Elizabeth and Matt was super cute and I loved watching them grow together. Greg too, also undergoes important development as well, though his story definitely seems to take a backseat to Elizabeth’s here. Overall this was a very satisfying read, and ends on a tense note that definitely promises more action in the next installment! Definitely recommended for fans of book 1!
After non-figurative years of submitting to BookBub, my YA fantasy, Odriel’s Heirs got selected for a $0.99 US-only BookBub Deal in their YA category! Huzzah! 🥳 So for any other prospective BookBubbers out there, here’s the skinny on how it went.
First of All: What is a BookBuB Deal?
Basically you pay a fee (the amount differs depending on your genre), and BookBub will feature your book in their newsletter and on their website when it’s on sale. You can only apply once a month for the chance, and it’s not super easy to get accepted.
However, a cursory google search will tell you that BookBub is essentially the most successful/effective/biggest promotional newsletter used by both traditionally published and indie authors. So yeah, as an indie author floundering around on how to market my books, this was definitely something I wanted to check out. I’d gotten an international deal before and the results are here.
My strategy
Get the BookBub deal and run (i.e. I had no strategy.)
Some people try to buy a bunch of other newsletter promos at the same time to get their book higher in amazon’s rankings or on one of the bestseller lists. I did not do this. I’d done a lot of newsletter promos in the past, so I wasn’t sure it’d be worth the investment for me… also, I kind of wanted to see how BookBub did on its own.
The deal was run on 1 September, and since I did essentially no other promotions during September, the month’s results you see are basically due to BookBub. Yay for less variables!
I will add that I kept my books $0.99 all month on Amazon, and on the other retailers I track through Draft-to-Digital, all my books other than Odriel’s Heirs were free (and now they’re all free.) Likewise, my paperbacks are all $8.01 or less. I do this because my main goal in self-publishing is exposure, not profit, but your goals and strategy may be different!
Also, just as a head’s up. Odriel’s Heirs is the first of a series with three sequels available and one up for preorder. My other book, The Gatekeeper of Pericael, (a middle-grade fantasy) is not related.
GIVE me the numbers!
Cost: $202
Draft to Digital September Earnings: $31.28 54 x Odriel’s Heirs (0.99) 12 x Burning Shadows (free) 13 x Idriel’s Children (free) 3 x The Gatekeeper of Pericael (free)
Amazon September Earnings: $143.67 286 x Odriel’s Heirs (0.99) 2 x Burning Shadows (0.99) 84 x Idriel’s Children (0.99) 6 x Night of Ash (0.99)
Amazon Preorder Increase: $30.80 11 x Time’s Orphan (3.99)
Audible September Earnings: ~$10.00 2 x Odriel’s Heirs 2 x Idriel’s Children 1 x The Gatekeeper of Pericael
Units sold in September: 476 Total Earned in September: $215.75 Profit: $13.75
(For reference, I sold 12 books in August on Amazon, so yeah, this was a 40x increase for this small potatoes writer.)
Ratings Increase: 3-4ish on both Goodreads and Amazon. (Hoping these will trickle in longterm)
BookBub Followers: +30 (ish)
Highest Amazon Rank Hit: I actually don’t know because I was mostly out of cell service for this day, and I didn’t even screenshot what I saw. So on brand. 😅
Goodreads Difference:
So, was it worth it?
For me, it was obviously worth it. I only made a few bucks, but I gained hundreds of potential readers, and absolutely achieved my goal of increased exposure.
However, it was pretty close, so if I hadn’t had sequels and multiple books, I wouldn’t have broken even. Also, please keep in mind, BookBub results will definitely be different for every book in every genre, so this is just my experience.
But basically if you want to invest in exposure, I’d definitely give a shot! (And I will definitely be applying again for my future books.)
Bonus round: How to increase your chances of getting a bookbub deal
This is tough, because they don’t tell you why they select your book, but here is the list of criteria that they officially publish. Everything else is just my speculation.
Reviews: Both on Amazon & Goodreads that will reassure readers that people have enjoyed your book. I had over 100 on Amazon and 150+ on Goodreads. (How do you get reviews… well that’d need a different post, but I’d start with the ARC reading sites here.)
An Awesome Cover: My new covers are by Fay Lane, and they look sharp. But I also have another post here on some other cover artists I’ve been impressed with that might not break the bank completely.
Awards: Odriel’s Heir was the winner of the 2020 Florida Indie Author Project (which is free to enter and I highly recommend) and a finalist in the 2021 Book Blogger Novel of the Year Award (which is $20 to enter and I also highly recommend). That’s stated both on my the book page itself, and I put it in the comments of my BookBub application.
Heavy Discounts: For exposure purposes, I usually try to keep my books as cheap as possible… but for BookBub, I kept Odriel’s Heirs at 2.99 so I could discount it significantly for the deal. When I go for my next deal, I will probably make it 3.99 to increase my chances further.
Going Wide: I’ve heard this significantly increases your chances, so this is actually why I went wide with my books. Draft-to-Digital made the process seamless, but also has some drawbacks. That’ll need another post though.
Perseverance: I got rejected many, many, many times before finally getting accepted. It totally depends on who else is applying at the same time as well as the other factors. And it doesn’t cost anything to apply every month, so definitely give it a shot, and keep trying!
That’s all I can think of for now, but if you have more questions, definitely let me know!
We interrupt this bookish content for our annual adventure report! For our getaway this year, my husband (AC) and I hit Iceland for 10 days! As always, thanks to my parents for watching the kids while we went exploring! 😘 Since I heavily depend on travel blogs for tips, ideas, and itineraries, I wanted to put out my recommendations in case it’s helpful for anyone. I’ll describe our itinerary and then give some general thoughts/suggestions.
Itinerary
Day 1, Sat, 27 Aug: Flew through Chicago to Keflavík on United.
Day 2, Sun 28 Aug:
Arrived at 9am (4am central time)
OMG It was windy and cold. But mostly windy. Did I mention it was WINDY??! Something like 35mph winds on the 28th and 50+mph on the 29th.
Picked up 4×4 from Ice Rental – recommend.
Quick & no issues. So glad we got the 4×4 because the roads in Iceland can definitely be dicey.
Got groceries at the Kronán
Good location next to the airport & you *will* need the groceries. We basically lived on protein bars (that we packed), apples, nutella, & bread.
Drove 20 min to Blue Lagoon for noon reservation – highly recommend
Loved this. Such a clutch move to go right after you get in and are jetlagged out of your mind.
Drove 50 min to Reykjavik: walked to Hallsgrimkirja Church, Harpa concert hall, Laugavegur Street, and the Sun Voyager Sculpture
This was nice especially since we were too jetlagged to do anything else.
Ate at Reykjavik street food.
Simple but fast & filling. CA had Fish Stew (read: mashed potatoes with fish) and I had Meat Soup (read: chicken noodle plus mystery meat and minus noodles)
Stayed at Blue House B&B
Good location. Essentially we were in a two bedroom house, sharing a bathroom with the other guests. But since we went to bed at like 5pm and left at 5am we actually never even saw them.
Day 3, Mon, 29 Aug:
Drove 1 hr to Thingvellir & snorkeled Silfra with Troll Expeditions
Very interesting to snorkel in dry suit. Allegedly you’re snorkeling through the tectonic plates, but actually “between the plates” is broadly used here. You’re basically looking into crystal clear water in a crevasse. It was interesting but probably not a must do.
Hiked Öxarárfoss (2.6 mi)
Nice easy hike to be very overshadowed by future hikes.
Great hike! Loved the views, though be warned there is a wide river crossing to be prepared for and well… I may have gotten us a little lost on the way down because there are false cairns everywhere and the actual trail isn’t well marked. 😅 Just remember to stick close to the falls, and you’ll avoid some serious bushwhacking.
Drove 1.5 hrs to stay at Galleri Laugarvatin – recommend
Really liked this place! A solid base camp for Golden Circle adventures with a private bathroom
Day 4, Tue, 30 Aug:
Drove 20 min to hike Bruarfoss (3.9 mi) – recommend
Lovely easy hike. The water was very blue.
Drove 15 min to hike around Geysir
Pretty crowded here, but can be a quick stop just to watch the geysir and walk around the springs
Drove 30 min to the Secret Lagoon hot spring
A very relaxed hot spring turned pool. Supposedly the oldest hot spring pool in Iceland. Not as schmancy as the Blue lagoon, but it was still nice to get our pool noodles and just relax for a bit
Drove 35 min to Kerid Crater
Interesting spot to stop at because the crater is rather impressive.
Drove 25 min to return to galleri laugarvatn
Ate at the Barnloft – highlyrecommend
Excellent burgers & ice cream with a relaxing atmosphere. However… the cow-viewing seats seem kind of weird when you’re eating a burger. Vegetarians beware.
Day 5, Wed, Aug 31
Drove 2.5 hrs to Landmannlauger
Felt like we were driving to the moon, and we really realized the need for the 4×4. The roads are *rough* and this place was remote. Fingers were definitely crossed we didn’t get a flat tire.
Blue Peak hike (3.8 mi) – recommend
We were originally supposed to do Brennisteinsalda as well… but the weather was way rough. The CAT 1 winds at the top were so crazy it knocked me on my butt a few times, which was a little dicey on the narrow ridges (that triggered AC’s acrophobia). So after blue peak we called it. Still, despite the elements, it was a beautiful hike!
Sigoldugljufur canyon of waterfalls viewpoint – recommend
You kind of have to park and walk to get here, because it’s unmarked (but it’s on google maps), but the beautiful view is totally worth it.
Haifoss – recommend
Another beautiful waterfall viewpoint
Ate at the Barnloft again.
Day 6, Thu, Sep 1
Drove 40 min to Gulfoss – recommend
Definitely cool if you get here early. This is a big waterfall, but later on the crowds are crazy
Drove 2 hrs to Kerlingarfjoll and hiked Hveradalir geothermal area – recommend
So it was freezing and sleeting on us, but we still spent several hours here and it was really cool. Some of the hiking areas are quite steep though, and can get super slick and muddy (like shoe stealing muddy) on narrow ridges. Definitely triggered AC’s acrophobia
Drove 3 hrs to stay at Loa’s Nest – highly recommend
Our favorite place we stayed! Private bathroom and cozy room in the horse pastures of Iceland. Also the owners are super personable and had some great recommendations on what to do in the area.
Eat at Hekla street food – highly recommend
Delicious fish and chips. Hot, fresh, filling & perfect after a long day.
Day 7, Fri, Sep 2
Waterfall Way (first 4.2 mi of Fimmvorduhals) – highly recommend
We were originally planning on doing the whole 15.5 mi point-to-point hike and taking the trex bus back, but AC had injured his leg, so we just did waterfall way. But probably my favorite hike from the whole trip.
Ate at Hekla street food again
Day 8, Sat, Sep 3
Big driving day with lots of stops! Hit:
Nauthasagil – highly recommend
Really liked this hike! Just wish we had some Wellies to go a little further down the river to the waterfall instead of only rock-hopping part way.
Baby Yoda Cave
Right off the main road and worth visiting for the lol factor. It totally looks like baby yoda.
Dyrholaey arch – highlyrecommend
Beautiful views
Reynisfjara black sand beach –highlyrecommend
Very scenic
Ate at Black Crust Pizzeria in Vik – highlyrecommend
Yum! Great pizza, free wifi and chill atmosphere. Definitely recommend, and we hit this place twice.
Fjadrargljufur Canyon
Like a shorter, more condensed version of waterfall way, but still beautiful
Svartifoss – recommend
After a short hike, a nice waterfall with cool black hexagonal rock formations around it.
Fjallsarlon glacier lagoon
A little underwhelming, but right of the main road.
Diamond Beach – recommend
Very cool! Apparently if you go out early in the morning you have a good chance seeing seals or whales
Jokulsarlon Glacier lagoon – recommend
A bigger, better version of Fjallsarlon
Ate at Hali Country Hotel
Can’t recommend this place. We had essentially the same thing we had at Reykjavik Street Food on day 1, but it was like twice the price, and I swear I’d rather have had campbell’s soup out of a can.
Stayed at Skyrhusid Guest House
Simple hostel-like accommodation.
Day 9, Sun, Sep 4
Drive 1 hr to Vatnajokull Glacier Tour with Arctic Adventure – recommend
They outfit you with gear and take you up the glacier. We did the 4 hour tour, and it was a cool experience.
Ate pizza in Vik again
Drove 2.5 hrs to Seljalandsfoss & Gljufrabui – recommend
This is right off the main road, so it’s kind of crowded, but you can walk behind Seljanlandsfoss & Gljufrabui is in a cool cave, so even though we’d seen ~1 million waterfalls at this point, they were still unique.
Drive 2 hr back to Blue House B&B
Day 10, Mon, Sep 5
50 min drive back to airport. Return car & fly out. Return home late on 5 Sep.
general thoughts and tips
Weather & what to bring:
Come prepared. It drizzled *a lot.* In fact, I’m not sure we had one day when it didn’t rain. We had temperatures from like 29-58 F which wasn’t so bad, but the wind was BRUTAL. I mean you *need* waterproof overpants, a waterproof jacket, a thermal base layer (read: long underwear), waterproof gloves (we brought non-waterproof and regretted it) and I also highly recommend waterproof socks.
Weird tip
If you’re doing an outdoor heavy itinerary like this, don’t bother acclimating to the time change. Because the sun is up most of the time, and almost none of these places had an opening time. So for almost the whole trip we were waking up at like 4-5 am, and we had these places nearly all to ourself for the early hours.
Food
Omg. Bring as many protein bars as you can because the restaurant choices are extremely limited. Even if you see restaurants on google maps, there’s no guarantee they will be open. You see a lot of tourists eating groceries out of their trunks, and there is a reason for that. The lack of eating options was tough on my foodie husband, and I vowed that our next vacation will definitely have a bigger food element because this was definitely not one of Iceland’s strong points. (Also, food is quite expensive here so there’s that too.
Language Barrier (or lack there of)
Everyone we spoke to knew English, but man, there are a lot of long place name words to remember!
Travel
Speaking of expensive, gas is SO expensive in Iceland. You have to have a debit card with a pin to buy at the pump, and gas stations aren’t exactly everywhere, so to avoid the nightmare of being stranded in the middle of nowhere in a foreign country, definitely fuel up early and often!
Also, be sure to download google maps on your phone for offline use and navigating should be fairly simple.
Things we would do next time.
There was an active volcano while we were there, and I wish we had been able to hike to it… but it was an 8 mile hike that was kind of out of our way… so we weren’t too choked up about missing it this time.
I also wish we’d been able to do the whole Fimmvorduhals hike, but if I were to do it next time, I would do that *first* so we’re not hiked out by the time we get there.
It would’ve been cool to make more of an effort to see the northern lights. But the darkness window in September is super narrow, and it was cloudy almost every day, so there wasn’t really a chance this trip.
Also, bring waterproof gloves.
Things I’m glad we didn’t do
Ring road. Our trip already had a ton of driving in it, and while Iceland is beautiful, we were more happy to get out into it, rather than spend the hours in the car. Especially when I didn’t see a whole lot of more diverse experiences on the north coast. But that was just us!
Should you go to Iceland?
If you are a fan of natural beauty and hiking, come prepared for the weather, and don’t mind surviving on proteins bars and Nutella for a few days, I think you will *LOVE* Iceland.
How much time do you need in Iceland?
So with 2 travel days, we had 8 days of Iceland fun. But honestly, I think you could have a fantastic trip in half that. You could easily cut out the glaciers to the far east and do half the hikes/waterfalls. But you definitely don’t need more than 8 days unless you are an *avid* hiker or running away from your problems on a remote volcanic island. But just my 2 cents.
Parting thoughts on Iceland
Iceland is the land of foss’s (waterfalls), glaciers, horses, and really long words. It is a unique, beautiful place and was quite the memorable adventure. I’m absolutely glad we went… but, real talk here, I don’t think it’s on our list to revisit. 😅 Oh boy, was that too honest?
Anyways, hopefully this was helpful! If you’d like to see more of our pictures, I posted a reel on tiktok and instagram @hayleyreesechow. Now, it’s time to plan next year’s adventure! If you have any questions about the itinerary, definitely let me know! 😊
After loving It Ends with Us, I was super excited to read another by Colleen Hoover, but this one really didn’t work for me.
This story is told from dual POV (with Tate’s in the present and Miles’ in the past) as Tate and Miles start a benefits-only relationship. And, as always, Hoover’s writing drew me in immediately, and kept me flying through the pages, but on the whole, Tate and Miles’ relationship just didn’t work for me. Although Miles was clear up front that he was only in it for sex, Tate knew from the start that she wanted more than that. Not only that, but Miles was, in general, kind of a jerk to her, and she was always making excuses for him.
I feel like we got Miles’ backstory through his POV as also a kind of way of saying “oh but he’s not really a jerk at heart.” But… still, that didn’t really smooth things over for me, and his backstory didn’t hold my interest as much. Overall, if you’re a big Colleen Hoover fan, I might give it a look, but I can’t really say I was rooting for Miles and Tate in this one.
Instructions for Dancing follows Evie, a one-time romance book addict who is struggling with her father’s infidelity/her parents divorce/her parents impending remarriage, and essentially doesn’t believe in love anymore. Then after a chance encounter, she develops the ability to see people’s whole love story from beginning to end when they kiss.
So, it was in this book that I realize I am not a big fan of self-aware books. And Evie is constantly comparing the events of her life to the tropes of a romance novel, which I wasn’t a huge fan of. But, then X and his dance competition entered the scene with the save.
Overall, this was a bittersweet coming of age tale of a young person learning the hard lesson that nothing lasts forever. The banter between X and Evie was cute (LOVED The Cupcakes and Kisses discussion) and in general, Evie’s experiences/attitudes definitely seemed to reflect that of a true young adult’s.
Definitely recommended for anyone looking for a bittersweet coming of age young adult tale. (Especially if you don’t mind the trope-awareness.)
⭐⭐⭐⭐
But I really want to read Cupcakes and Kisses now! 😂
When the Divine are Dead by E.K. Barnes follows Bradley, a fourteen-year-old boy with special Diviner abilities, Type I diabetes, and a string of deadly kind of bad luck.
We follow Bradley as he endures a school-shooting and a death of a family member, and then his family tries to start over in a new city with other Diviner families. We get bits an pieces of the horrible things that have happened to Bradley, his difficulty with his abilities, and the internal survivor’s guilt that plagues him as his family tries to start anew.
I really thought the author nailed Bradley’s authentic lower-YA voice, and I really felt for him as he tried to learn how to cope with his situation. Learning about the Diviners’ ability was super interesting, and in general, the tension and tight writing kept my attention straight through the end.
There were a lot of characters and siblings to keep track of, and I did find myself wishing we got a little more development from some of the other main characters. There were also a few strands I was expecting to get answers to that we didn’t quite get. However, this definitely seems like the first of the series, so they could have been left for future books. I also really enjoyed the audiobook narration, and the I think the narrator did an excellent job of telling this story. Would definitely recommend for all fans of YA urban fantasy. Thanks so much to the publisher for the free audible code!
I picked up The Future Bride by J.G MacLeod as the winner of my little free library contest when it totally hooked me with the tagline, “For adventure. For love. For kilts. (And strong gin)” and I absolutely love when a book is exactly what I think it’s going to be.
This is like a lighter, more fun Highlander. Brigid is a spunky, present-day barista (with martial arts skills) thrown into old Scotland, and she does not back down from the rough and tumble highlander life. The story moves really fast and I couldn’t believe I inhaled it in two days! I liked the interactions between
Brigid and Ferghus and found the portrayal of the old Scottish Gaelic language and culture really interesting. My only real critique was that I wish Brigid had been a little smarter/stronger in the final act. Overall though, really enjoyed this fun, romantic read and would totally recommend for anyone looking for a romcom twist on Highlander!
The Controlled by P.J. Willett follows a group of teachers and students in a bleak dystopian school after a human experiment goes terribly wrong. And, boy, is this book bleak. I’m all for dystopian shenanigans but these characters are absolutely a product of their horrible environment, and they are *rough*!
The story unfolds the fateful day from the perspectives of several of the main characters. Each one has their flaws and brutal backstory of surviving in this world in which the education system is now corporately controlled and has completely devolved. This book definitely has a message to convey, and it doesn’t hold any punches as it leans into a, at times, amusingly over-the-top caricature of a school under-siege by its mind-controlled-gone-wrong students. This dark narrative was wholly unique and definitely held my attention, but without anyone to truly root for, I didn’t feel super invested in the characters’ fates. However, if you’re looking for a twisted near-future dystopian that serves as an intense reflection on modern trends, I’d definitely give it a look!
Thanks so much to the publisher for the free ebook!
⭐⭐⭐½
Definitely makes the top 3 schools I do NOT want to go to. 😂
So, I’m not a musically inclined person by nature, but I decided to try to make some playlists for my books, and I absolutely loved it! Listening to the playlists added this whole other dimension and put me right into the book so I could experience the scene play out. So cool! Naturally, since it was so awesome, I had to share. Below, are the playlists for the entire Odriel’s Heirs series, and I’ll be sure to add them to their page on this site. I’ll also release the playlists for Codename: CNDRLA and my 2023 sci-fi closer to publication!
I hope you enjoy them and as always, I’d love to hear your suggestions and recommendations if you have any!
We pause the usual book reviews, for a writing update! It seems like there’s a lot going on lately, so here’s the quick scoop on my upcoming releases and works-in-progress (WIPs)!
The Biggest News:
🥳🥳🥳 I SIGNED MY FIRST BOOK DEAL! 🥳🥳🥳
I’m so thrilled to announce first young adult science fiction is coming to Whimsical Publishing in Summer (ish) 2023! If you’re interested in updates, definitely keep an eye on my Instagram and Twitter for more developments!
Writing Contest News:
In the NYC Microfiction Challenge, I made it to the final round! 🥳 Winners will be announced in September, and I’ll be sure to post my final entry and feedback here!
I submitted Odriel’s Heirs in the Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off! This contest is still in the early stages, but I’m excited to see the review of Odriel’s Heirs from Booknest.
I submitted The Gatekeeper of Pericael in the Book Blogger Novel of the Year Contest, and it made it into the semifinals! 🥳 Finalists are announced in September, but the competition is crazy steep this year, so my fingers are crossed tight!
What’s going on with Codename: CNDRLA?
I know this WIP is a favorite of many of my Betas and CPs, and it probably seems like it’s been in the query trenches forever! And yes, reader, it does feel that way sometimes! But, seriously it’s a good thing! I still have a handful of full requests I’m waiting to hear back on from agents and publishers. The process just takes a really long time! I’m hoping I’ll have an update by the end of the year, but we’ll just have to wait and see. 😊
When’s the last book of the Odriel’s Heirs series coming out?
Time’s Orphan (Odriel’s Heirs #3) is with my Critique Partners for revision this month, and I’m hoping to release ARCs this Fall for a February release. If that seems too far away, you can check out Night of Ash (Odriel’s Heirs #2.5) in the meantime! Night of Ash is the follow-on sequel novella to Idriel’s Children, and ARCs are available now before the 27 Sep release. If you’d like one, just give a shout.
Also, I’m in the process of creating paperback versions of Burning Shadows and Night of Ash, so if you’re interested in having the whole series on your shelf, you can! I’m hoping the paperback versions should be ready in time for Night of Ash’s release.
That’s all I’ve got for now, but if you have any questions, please feel free to comment below! As always, thanks for reading!
Hayley Reese Chow 