A breath between books
And how I immediately filled it with more books.
hi, hello šš»
Revelle updates š”
The mysteries of publishingāØ
other project updates š
what iām liking these days ā„ļø
Hi, hello!šš»
Hello, readers. My name is Lyssa and Iām a newsletter avoider. It has been three months since my last (ok, first) newsletter.
I donāt avoid all newsletters; in fact, I love crafting writing advice over at
. But having an entire newsletter dedicated to *my* books makes me want to hide in a corner. Still, the results of my inaugural newsletterās survey are in, and the overwhelming majority of yāall like to hear from authors monthly. Soā¦ three months later, here I am.Revelle updates š”
Last month, I attended Apollycon in Washington D.C. with these gorgeous ombrƩ sprayed edge editions of Revelle. Meeting readers in person is my absolute (second) favorite thing about writing (my first is the serotonin rush that is drafting something no one else has read yet and basking in the fantasy of it being the best book to ever book). Readers familiar to Revelle brought their OwlCrate editions or their well-loved hardcovers from home, while new readers picked up one of these beauties. I cannot tell you how hard I smile when I see someone approaching with a copy already in hand.
It was also the first time Iāve ever hand-sold books, and it was quite the learning experience! Given that Apollycon leans adult romantasy, and Revelle is upper YA romantasy, it was interesting to witness readersā live reactions to the cover. At least a dozen people asked if it was āRhā (the reverse harem trope, in which one girl is involved with several boys). Sadly, it is not. Fans of Moulin Rouge were far more likely to grab a copy. Regardless, there was something so moving about watching thousands of people hunger for gorgeous, romantic, fantastical stories. I found my people, and Iāll be back.
Side note: Using the term āromantasyā still makes me feel like a bit of a fraud. The term was coined after Revelle was already finished, and there are about a dozen definitions floating around, so if Iām mis-using it, tell me!
I kept three copies of the ombrƩ edge edition for giveaways, one of which went live this week over on Instagram with Allison Saft, NYT bestselling author of A Fragile Enchantment and several other gorgeous fantasies with historical inspiration. I plan to do a subscriber-only giveaway with my last copy, so stay tuned!
The mysteries of publishing āØ
In publishing, we often discover information about our books in roundabout ways. Editors tend to be the source of information from publishers at large, and editors are very, very busy (and often times, editors arenāt necessarily in the loop about book things, either). Basically, publishers like to keep us on our toes so that we authors never get bored.
All of this to say: a fellow author recently noticed that Revelleās paperback edition is listed for release this summer on bookseller websites. Welcome to Schrƶdingerās paperback! Itās possible that itās true! Itās also possible that itās not! Both realities exist until I receive confirmation from my editor. Ah, the mysteries of publishing.
If it is indeed true, Iāll be in touch about a preorder campaign in coming weeks in case youād like to pick up a soft beauty.
Other project updates š
Secret Book 2 is finished! (Okay, fine, the 3rd rewrite is finished and Iām still in revisions). I still canāt say much more about this book other than what Iāve shared in the last newsletter. But it now has a publication season! Fall 2025. That may sound like a long while away, but that means I have about 4 months to do a few more rounds of edits with my editor before itās considered done. Then Iāll be able to talk about it. Soā¦ four more months!
Oh! And since Revelleās imprint, Balzer+Bray, is no longer at HarperCollins, Book 2 has been moved to HarperTeen. Fortunately, I still have the same team that I had for Revelle, including my brilliant editor and her assistant. Other than a new imprint name on the bookās spine, Iām not sure what else will be different, but we shall see!
In the mean time, hereās the playlist Iāve been listening to while working on it. This doesnāt count as talking about it, right? ā„ļø
With the help of my agent, I am cooking up a new story while Book 2 is with my editor. This is the first time in two years Iām drafting something brand new, and itās SO FUN, yāall. Iāve pitched it to about a dozen people to make sure the concept is as hooky as possible, and they have each chuckled darkly when I gave them my one-sentence summary. I outlined for 6 weeks and begin drafting this week. I canāt wait until itās book shaped.
What Iām liking these days š
I havenāt been on a strict deadline in the past five weeks, so Iāve had more free time than usual. Hereās what Iāve been enjoying:
What Iām reading: While at Apollycon, I absolutely devoured Clare Osongcoās Midnights With You. Itās a contemporary YA about an introverted Filipino girl with a strict and cruel mother. In an unusual act of rebellion, she learns to drive after midnight with her hot neighbor, and slowly begins to discover her self worth as they fall in love. Itās SUCH an immersive, soulful read, and I canāt recommend it highly enough (I have 5-starred it all over the internet). Currently available for request on Netgalley and for preorder.
What Iām watching: Literally everything TimothĆ©e Chalamet. Confession: for years, I have not understood his appeal. He seemed cute but far too young and delicate? DONāT CANCEL ME; I have learned the error of my ways. After watching Dune, Dune 2, and Little Women within a few weeks of each other, I GET IT NOW. Heās amazing! Heās beautiful! There are two powerful scenesāone in Dune 2 and the other in Little Women (this scene, but be warned of spoilers if you donāt know Little Women), that are so emotional and perfectly delivered, I have been replaying them for days in my head. I stand corrected, TimothĆ©e stans.
What Iām listening to: Taylor Swiftās THE TORTURED POETāS DEPARTMENT, of course! Also, I caught Fall Out Boy at Madison Square Garden at the end of March, which sent me down an early 2000s pop punk spiral, and I have no regrets. In fact, I was listening to this classic banger when I came up with the idea for my adult project.
What Iām buying: So this is a large purchase in every sense of the word, but I am obsessed with my new mattress. Whenever I stay in hotels, I miss my bed at home because of my Layla Sleep Mattress. Itās part spring mattress and part memory foam, and it is the best decision I ever made (sorry, husband. sorry, children). Imagine sleeping on a cloud. Now imagine that cloud IN YOUR BEDROOM.
Adios!
Thanks for making it all the way to the bottom. I appreciate you!
