Full Cover & another Indigo promotion

July

Posted in Elantra, covers, Mira, Kathleen Oudit, promotions.

I have the full cover for the new novel, Shards of Glass. I assume most people see the front cover at various retailers, so, as usual, post the cover when I have the full version.

The cover design was done by Kathleen Oudit, who I adore. I’ve stopped calling this the Magic School book because it turned left almost immediately. I don’t usually have to start the CAST novels multiple times; I sit down, I start. Maybe I’ll start a second time if the first attempt doesn’t hit the right tone, but the CAST novels have a tone.

This book had to be started many times, and the eventual beginning of the book was not the one I’d envisioned on any of the prior attempts.

It’s not necessary to have read the CAST novels — in theory. My editor hadn’t. (This makes perfect sense. It does not upset me. There are seventeen and a half CAST novels, plus the one I’m working on now, and editors are always hideously overworked. Asking someone to read all of the previous canon before she edits is… it’s a huge ask). Part of working with the new editor (Leah Mol) was figuring out what won’t work for new readers because it relies too much on the knowledge gained from previous books.)

***

If you missed the previous Indigo promotion, you are not – where my book is concerned – out of luck. Indigo has started a “Most anticipated Science Fiction & Fantasy” preorder promotion (as of yesterday, but I’m a tiny bit behind). It runs until the 12th, so I’m sorry to be a day late in mentioning it.

Shards of Glass is here, if you don’t want to scroll down :)

16 Responses to Full Cover & another Indigo promotion

Juanita Barbro says:

July 11, 2023 at 1:48 pm

I have already pre-ordered the book. Looking forward to it. I have all the other books and am re-reading the previous ones to be ready for this one. I love this serious. Always looking forward to all the different ideas you have. Thank you so much for your hard work
Sharon says:

July 11, 2023 at 2:37 pm

Well said, Juanita. The same from me too, and I hope we can look forward to many more Elantra books. Thanks again for many years of enjoyable reading and re-reading.
michelle says:

July 11, 2023 at 3:00 pm

@Sharon, Juanita: Thank you both so much <3
Julie M Wilson says:

July 11, 2023 at 7:33 pm

I legit try not to look at upcoming stuff because I love a surprise. THIS IS SO COOL! Can’t wait to read it. Thank you!
Starr perry says:

July 11, 2023 at 10:19 pm

When the new Cast novels come out, like so many of us waiting with anticipation — the continuation of a powerful saga with all the vibrant characters and their families and connections is pure delight!

(Is there annny chance Kaylin and Severn get together as a couple? Every book release I hope so! I may be the only one, but I’m rooting for them — those two deserve happiness with each other!)

I even wish Nightshade was part of a couple — just sooo NOT with Kaylin.

Thank you for beautiful stories. those in the creative arts follow
the Muse wherever she leads, and you write such dynamic and compelling tales brimming with action and emotion, a reread of earlier books is a precious with beloved friends and sweet soul companions.
Mary says:

July 14, 2023 at 2:50 pm

I so wish Shards of Glass was available now. I have had it pre-ordered on Barnes and Noble since it became available to pre-order. As we near November I will reread Cast in Wisdom to get back to the Academia. I am looking forward to learning more about the Academia and Robin. I am hoping after Shards of Glass that we don’t have to wait a whole year for the next Cast book. I know you did your job and finished Shards but the Publisher pushed it out in the schedule. I hope the rest of 2023 finds you healthy relaxed and rested.
michelle says:

July 15, 2023 at 10:09 am

@Mary: the current pub date for CAST IN ATONEMENT is August 2024, so not a full year :).
michelle says:

July 15, 2023 at 10:16 am

@Starr: Thank you so much <3. I admit the past month has been trying =/, but I’m writing CAST IN ATONEMENT now :)
Aquilegia says:

July 16, 2023 at 1:29 am

@Michelle: Huzzah, we have a title now, and I am so excited and happy that you seem to be feeling somewhat better. So grateful for all that you do.

@Starr: I also want to see Nightshade happy and fulfilled, and with somebody other than Kaylin. He is not utterly despicable, he is not evil incarnate, he is a product of the culture he was raised in. He is dong the best he can to survive and stay sane. As long as he tries to improve and become the best version of himself that he can from now on, I am happy and well satisfied. I will say, again, for all the vocal Nightlin shippers out there, that you need more than good chemistry and repressed passion to make a good relationship. You need to actualy have some interests and life goals in common. I keep trying to imagine what they would talk about on a quiet evening at home or over breakfast and all I see is awkward silences, anger, and disdain. Maybe my imagination is inadequate, I am not the author and certainly not the ultimate authority. But I think it would be a horrible way to live, they both deserve better.
kristal says:

July 16, 2023 at 9:33 pm

Starr, I have been wanting Severn and Kaylin together since the beginning. He was so patient and I hate him having to wait forever. I love seeing the Dragons doing things that don’t have to do with a crime like the school, running a fief (can’t wait to see how Belesudo’s differs from Tiamaris’) and the new Arkon running around.
Thomas Hauser says:

July 19, 2023 at 5:26 am

The cover looks beautiful!! My mom and I have really enjoyed discovering and reading your books together as an adult mom-son fantasy book club:).
michelle says:

July 19, 2023 at 8:56 am

@Thomas: One of the things that really tickles me is the parent-child fantasy book club :)
melanie says:

July 23, 2023 at 6:50 pm

I order Shards of Glass, and reread the first Steven novel again, I love everything you write, hope you know we support you, take care
Rhonda says:

July 29, 2023 at 11:55 pm

Firstly love your work. I own all of Kaylin’s adventures so far in different media as well. Can I respectfully disagree with editing out all the need for prior knowledge of the Cast world? You have written a multidimensional world worth the journey, ‘newreadersplainkng” it with every new book takes up valuable space. It takes over a year of your efforts to get a new book out, each page is valuable real estate for those of us that have waited around since after book 1. Again much respect and full of love for all your talent.
Aquilegia says:

August 2, 2023 at 1:21 am

@Rhonda: Lore and keeping track of backstory can be handled in different ways, and there are positives and negatives to each.

The first is how Michelle is choosing to handle it. Trying to make sure that readers can pick up any book in universe and be able to read a mostly self-contained narrative. The positive is that is is easy for all readers, but as you said the negative is that it takes more time and makes the book longer.

The other option is, the author could just dump us all in the deep end and pick up where they left off. There is no filler and can (possibly) be written and edited faster. But, it is quite intimidating for new readers. They get a bit confused while reading the new book, and see that they need to read well over a dozen other books to figure out what is going on. Quite a few would probably just quit reading and move on to something easier.

A compromise between those two is to have an authors note at the beginning telling people to come to the website where there would be a glossary and brief character descriptions and bits of lore. The author still has to write all of that and tweak it with each new release. Which can be quite daunting. But it does mean that the books themselves might be shorter and easier to write.

Personally, I like how Michelle handles it. If it has been a year since I had read the previous book, I really appreciate it when the author helps to jog my memory. I read a lot of fictional universes, and I don’t always keep the details straight. I read for fun, I don’t want it to turn into a homework assignment. (Unless that is where my hyperfocus has taken me today, then I need to try and figure out how many people could live in a square mile of non-industrial city and how much farmland is needed to feed those people. Because I don’t need sleep, I need answers. Those answers are about five to ten thousand people and anywhere from one to eighty square miles depending on what is grown, climate, and how efficient you are.)
Elizabeth G says:

August 2, 2023 at 1:45 pm

@Aquilegia — I love you and that you answered the hyperfocus question before i could hyperfocus on it myself!

i too appreciate how the Michelle handles the recap. There are some things in the early books my hyperfixated brain has latched onto in hopes of getting more knowledge (such as originally she said there were 6 races but the 6th was so reclusive as to not exist and then we didn’t hear about a 6th race though more have been introduced) and throwaway statements like a lost great library have been brought into fruition. Sometimes i mainline the entire audio of the series before release. Right now I’m casually enjoying the Audio of Eternity for the first time (though i did read the print prior, i don’t have that much restraint)

I’m hoping we learn about the vampires from Eternity going forward as well as some of what Severn was up to during that time.

Re: people discussing relationship — I really want the Severn/Kaylin relationship to be revisited. One of my friends, though, is Non-Binary Asexual and they ADORE how absolutely Ace and Oblivious Kaylin is. I also want Kaylin and Nightshade to finally have a tete-a-tete about the mark on her face as well as the “painting of the white haired Barani” in the castle.