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Greta Stone's Newsletter: Books and Things #1 |
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Confessions from Greta:
I’m not a talkative person. Seriously. I average anywhere from 500 to 1000 spoken words a day. That means that the same number of sounds that a cat can make is the same number of words that I usually speak. Recently, a reader pointed out to me that she only subscribes to an author’s mailing list when she’s truly invested in an author’s progression.
I think I’m falling into that trap where I feel like an email I send is a disturbance to someone’s inbox. I’ve decided to change my attitude about the whole thing. From this point, members of this list will hear from me more often. Don’t panic. I don’t intend to send more than 1 or 2 emails a month. Any other updates will be included in those emails.
In the spirit of progression, I’d like to talk about why I started writing.
WHY I WRITE: - I’m not fit for anything else, I’ve tried. I’ve tried the regular jobs and inevitably the position warps into another writing gig. I can write and I can dominate people. Those are the things I do best. Buddha tells us that our purpose in this life is to find our work and then to give ourselves to our work. I’ve given myself to my work. So far, I’m having a blast.
- I struggle to verbally communicate. I came from a time and place where children were expected to be quiet, to observe, to learn. My parents were reflections of discipline. Discipline doesn't speak unless it has something to say. As a result, I struggle with any form of vulnerability. And I find that I’m most honest with myself and others when I write.
- It gives me a sense of fulfillment. Any time a reader connects with one of my books, I hope that I’ve made a lasting impression. I don’t care whether my readers agree with me. (Opinions are like assholes and all that.) I need my readers to question everything. To analyze. To discuss. To grow. Every book I write is a cycle of growth for me and I share that cycle as a way of inspiring more change.
- It helps pay the bills. A girl’s gotta eat and crime is stressful. For real.
- It keeps me out of trouble. Seriously. Every brain is a power house, and I gotta do something with all this intellect. Otherwise I spend my time thinking up ways to fuck any system in my reach. I have always been a mischievous person and it’s just barely mitigated by the fact that I look harmless. I write. Better than jail.
I want to end this by saying thank you for supporting my art. All this would be pointless and impossible without readers like you.
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Right? I look harmless. It's so weird.
This is the face of someone who filled the hallways with soap foam for her sophomore prank. I wasn't alone and it wasn't my idea. I was responsible for the huge scale of that prank. You're welcome.
I helped with maple-syrup-in-water guns thing too. That was NOT my idea.
I am the person responsible for the exploding candy lockers.
If we know each other and you opened your locker one morning and caught a wall of stale, Dollar Tree candy in the face, my bad. I thought it was hilarious at the time.
PLEASE DON'T SHARE PICTURES OF GRETA ON THE INTERNET |
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Recommendations from Greta |
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I’m an avid reader. I average about 1 – 2 books a week. To me, a book is anything I’m reading. This includes manga, comic books, poetry, the cereal box, etc. My reading tastes range and I’ll try anything once. I don’t recommend a book unless I have a reason. The authors I mention from this point forward have nothing to do with me. Even if they did, fuck ‘em. I’m a reader for this section.
Based on the fact that you enjoyed Cry Wolf, I recommend: |
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Lord Mouse Mason Thomas Gay MM Fantasy Romance
You read that correctly. Lord Mouse is a tiny, bad ass thief and he’s been sent on the risky mission of rescuing a duke’s son, Lord Garron. The story follows Mouse and Garron through their exploits as they escape the gritty fantasy city the author has masterfully built. My favorite part of this story was the characterization of the glib, sly, and super intelligent Mouse. Lord Garron is a pillar of integrity. I enjoyed their dynamics. I will warn people who like slow-burn romances that at some point this book becomes insta-love. It does nothing to distract from the accomplished writing and unique storytelling devices. Also, very funny.
PS. Lord Mouse is a mouthy asshat. You're gonna love him.
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Announcements, Sneak Peeks, Upcoming Releases!
Cry Wolf is an Amazon bestseller in Mashup Fiction! I’m super...confused. I really didn’t expect this kind of reception. I’m always vaguely surprised anyone bothers to read my books. Shows you what I know. I’ve been lucky enough to secure reviews from some truly wonderful readers and e-zines/blogs.
My favorite review quote so far is displayed on my website as:
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I’ve been lucky enough to secure a new designer for Underwood District in preparation for the first print run of the book. To celebrate the print release, I will “secretly” run a contest. 10 members of this mailing list will receive free “author signed” print copies of Cry Wolf. I don’t sign books as myself very often, this a special occasion. Winners will be announced at the end of May.
Due to Cry Wolf’s success, a lot of my priorities are shifting. This means that Vanishing Isle District’s relaunch/launch has been pushed back until further notice. The next book scheduled for release is Stone Cold Fox. This is a “reader’s pick” from Club Brimstone. Fans voted and decide that the next story they’d like to read is Sebastian’s story.
For those of you who don’t know, Sebastian is Peter’s (Cry Wolf) older brother. Some of my older fans will recognize him as one of Ingrid’s submissives. Readers have asked to see how Sebastian and Ingrid fell in love. |
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Those of you interested in reading ARCs (advanced-reader-copies) of this book, feel free to sign up for my ARC Team.
I look forward to inviting readers to New Gotham soon. |
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| More Goodies
Sign New Gotham’s Guestbook and win prizes!
On the last Friday of every month, I will put that month’s entries in an electronic hat and pick a winner. Winners will be contacted via email and Facebook.
For more information on ongoing contests, please check out Active Contests on my website. |
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