Happy New Year to you all! I hope you all had a safe and fun journey into 2024.
We were fortunate enough to be in Pittsburgh for the new year, so we got to watch the Three Sisters bridges light up for the first time and see the ball rise. It's one of our favorite new traditions.
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Speaking of new things, let's talk about what's in store for Stevie Jo and the AOD series for 2024. We have some HUGE announcements!
First, and foremost, book six. I am pleased to announce that For I Have Sinned will be available for release on June 14, 2024!
Now, you might be asking yourself why I chose to wait an entire year before publishing the next book in the series. The answer is simple: I need time. Plotting takes time; outlines take time; writing takes time; re-writing, editing, getting overwhelmed, and then finalizing it all takes time. Not to mention the incredible hard work my cover artist does in the background.
I know you all know writing a book takes time. It's particularly challenging in a series. I don't feel comfortable publishing when I'm not ahead of myself. So I needed to give myself a buffer because, let's face it, life happens!
That said, I will be, permanently, moving to one (1) novel publication a year, most likely always in the summer. There will be other publications or AOD-related things happening throughout the year, though, so that waiting for the next entry to the series doesn't feel so long. What do we have in store for you? Well, here's a short list:
AOD-specific book club
Fan-influenced novel re-writes (non-canon)
A Fan Club
A loyalty rewards system
Bi-weekly Stevie Jo Journals
New merch
Exclusive/discounted merch for Fan Club and book club members
AOD featured videos on the TCOI YouTube channel
More consistent and engaging social media
New collectible freebies, exclusively, at in-person appearances
A brand-new way to tell the AOD tale
TCOI and collaborations
If that doesn't explain why I've been away from social media and this blog, then I don't know what will. Clearly, I've taken on a lot for 2024. Many of these things are works-in-progress and they will be perfected as we go. There's a learning curve, here, since we're new to some of these things. Now, I'm not going to get into the details of each of those items just yet (there will be separate blogs or notes on my website detailing them), but I did want to touch on a few:
Full disclosure: the AOD book club (called the Book Guardian Club) does have a monthly fee of $35, but you get a goody box every other month. On the months in between, we will have our book club meeting. So your monthly fee always goes toward something that you receive back. The cool part is you get to have a frank discussion with the author (me!) and ask all kinds of questions that I may or may not answer.
It's worth noting here that one of my Book Guardians has received a "promotion" of sorts. If you've met me at any cons or watched any of the TCOI YouTube Season 1 videos, you might remember Jason aka "Superman." This guy:
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If you don't know him, you will. He's a huge fan of the AOD series, and a close, personal friend of mine. He's been very supportive right from the get-go, and I never once expected him to be. So I've asked him to collaborate with me. He's going to be the lead moderator for the Book Guardian Club. I'll still be there, of course, but I'm not taking control of this. I'm there for backup, support, and to answer any questions he can't. Trust me, you'll love being able to talk to a fellow fan...one who hasn't written the books!
Superman's role as collaborator is not specific to writing the AOD books; he's the collaborator of my new indie publishing house: The Composition of Imagination. You can check out the website after reading this journal entry. The first TCOI welcome blog was posted last week, so be sure you go and check it out to get a feel for what we do at TCOI and if we're accepting submissions (or when, if we aren't). So Superman is, actually, a collaborator for TCOI, which means he can take on projects like the book club! I'm so excited to have him elevated to this role. It's allowing my brand to expand while allowing me to focus on the important things...You know...Like writing a damn book!
In addition to that, Superman's name also appears on my website under the "AuDrama Cast" tab. What is that, you ask? Well, those are the amazing folks who are bringing your favorite (and least favorite) AOD characters to life with their voices! Superman is helping write, produce, edit, and voice the Angel of Death Audio Drama. More affectionately known as the AOD AuDrama. Nishi Studios is drawing up some landscapes for the YouTube version so you have something nice to look at. We're also going to stream it as a podcast. But this is going to be seasonal, running from July-December each year, starting in 2024.
The AOD fan-influenced re-write is also a fee-based subscription, but it's only $25/month and it's a limited seasonal run each year from January-June/July, starting in 2024. Basically, every three weeks, subscribers will choose how a chapter should be re-written, if at all, and I'll post it. At the end of the season, every current paying subscriber will receive a copy of the revised AOD novella with their names in the acknowledgment.
I'm also going to be at LexCon in March! We've got a really nice booth space with some new Book Guardians coming to help out, so be sure and stop by our booth to see us. I'll post more about it on my socials and my website as it gets closer.
I'll also go into more detail about the other things I listed in future journal entries and/or on my social media/website. So be sure you follow me because there are some great things coming. AOD is gaining traction and I want to involve you in as many fun ways as possible. So follow this journal; follow my socials; go check out the TCOI website; and join the Fan Club and one of the other AOD clubs so you can stay involved and up to date with all things AOD.
Until next time, remember to "do good" by reading more books and supporting indie creatives like myself! It means the world so we can keep creating.
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