It has been one week since the release of Faithful Traitor, and I am happy to report that Margaret is doing quite well for herself. In Amazon's Biographical Fiction category,Faithful Traitor has been in the Top 10 since its release in the UK and has bounced around the Top 50 in the US.Amazon US also posts a Hot New Releases list, which Margaret has proudly been a part of in the Top 5.

So, thank you to all of you who have made this possible!

Being an independent writer has some great advantages, such as the fact that I completed my book release while on a family vacation in another country. I don't believe there are many jobs that allow you that kind of freedom on major projects! So, again, thank you for supporting me and my writing.

If you are reading Faithful Traitor right now, I can't wait to hear what you think of it. Here are a few amazing reviews have already come in:
Rebecca Hill on Goodreads
Troy's Blog on Booklikes
First Amazon UK Review
First Amazon US Review

My next author event is in just a few days! If you are in the Jackson, Michigan area, come and visit me at the Book Cottage between 3-5pm on Friday, June 24th. Pick up a shiny new signed copy of any of my books while you're there.

Out of the area but want signed copies? You can always contact me to receive paperbacks directly from me (I invoice through PayPal). All orders include my fancy new bookmarks as well. :-D

Again, thanks to all who read my blog, buy my books, and write reviews. I couldn't do it without you, so you deserve a little bit of input. What topic would you like for me to blog about in upcoming posts?

My local bookstore hosted Mary Kubica and I picked up these books. She was lovely and I'm loving Don't You Cry so far!

I'm so far behind on my posts!  The weather out here has been so warm for the first time in forever.  So I was terrible and sat on my patio on my days off and soaked up some sun while I read.  Which was a wonderful thing and relaxing!  If only it hadn't put me behind on February posts.  However it looks like I might manage to get caught up before March 1st gets here.  Can't believe that is here on Tuesday either...

Anyway, luck was on my side this month for many things.  One of which was being able to make to the second book and author event I wanted to attend this month.  The Queen of the Night isn't typically a book that I would pick up, but the cover was hard to look away from.  So I clicked the link to see what it was about and I was hooked.  There is something about this book that I me intrigued.

Lilliet Berne is a sensation of the Paris Opera, a legendary soprano with every accolade except an original role, every singer’s chance at immortality. When one is finally offered to her, she realizes with alarm that the libretto is based on a hidden piece of her past. Only four could have betrayed her: one is dead, one loves her, one wants to own her. And one, she hopes, never thinks of her at all.  As she mines her memories for clues, she recalls her life as an orphan who left the American frontier for Europe and was swept up into the glitzy, gritty world of Second Empire Paris. In order to survive, she transformed herself from hippodrome rider to courtesan, from empress’s maid to debut singer, all the while weaving a complicated web of romance, obligation, and political intrigue.

So there's all I know about the book.  I haven't read any reviews that have been popping up since it's released, or anyone lucky enough to have gotten an early copy.  Well, I know it's gotten some pretty awesome reviews.  Which it great!  I just didn't read farther into it.  I want to go into this fresh and unaware of too much or with any kind of spoilers.

Alexander Chee read the first few pages of the book, and I have moved the book up to the must read pile.  Just those few pages were beautifully done.  The world that Alexander Chee is writing is one I don't know so well.  It's not the setting or the time period that I read often.  Though I have no doubt that I will enjoy this book.  In fact it might be one of the ones I bring with my on vacation that is now just a few short weeks away.

This will be my first book by Alexander Chee and after meeting him I really do have high hopes for the Queen of the Night.  It was a nice evening getting to see the time and research that went into the making of the book.  All of the little things that sort of came together for it to happen, and the road that was taken.  I love getting those little windows at events like this.

As for the author himself, Alexander Chee was so sweet and it was a pleasure to meet him.  I cannot wait to make it to his book and I might to add a few his other pieces to my TBR.

I love that he drew us little crowns in our books!

One of items on my bookish to-do list was to attend two book/author events this month.  The first of those events was Pierce Brown's Book Tour for Morning Star, the third, and final, book in the Red Rising Trilogy.  I was really excited for this one because I am a huge of fan of the series.  In fact my Red Rising book is pretty battered because I took it ever where with me while I was reading it.  Even if I knew I would only have time for a single page.  I highlighted passages that meant something to me, things Darrow said that held power, pieces that when I reread I wanted to remember.  I cried toward the end when the Jackal murdered the world's biggest teddy bear, and I've been afraid finish reading Golden Son.  Not because I don't think I'll like it, but because I'm afraid of who I'm going to have say good-bye too.  I'm just not ready to loose some of them.  If I could wrap Mickey up in a blanket and shield him from the mean, mean lady I would!

The bookstore was a packed house for the event, to the point a lot of us were standing because they ran out of chairs for all of us.  It was pretty awesome to see so many people had also fallen in love with Pierce Brown's writing.  Pierce Brown was great and was quick to connect with all of us.  It was a super laid back atmosphere as he read from the prologue of Morning Star.  Apparently it was the only safe part to read since the rest of it was just one big spoiler.

Next up Pierce Brown took fan questions, as is the usual protocol for these things.  It was cool to get a look inside of the making of the series and the characters themselves.  He even gave some advice to all the writer's in the room that I will have to take to heart.  Pierce Brown writes wonderful characters, no matter how cruel.  In fact one of them gives me an actual want to be able to reach through the pages just so I can strangle her.

Oh yeah, I'm talking to you, Harmony.

Pierce Brown didn't just give us a look inside the book, but he also talked about the process he's going through to turn Red Rising in a movie.  Which was kind of cool since it's all in the beginning stages of production at the moment.  We all got a little bit of a look to what Pierce Brown wanted for the movie and the script.

Lastly, of course, we all got queued up to get our book signed.  Sadly I arrived right before the start of the event so I was toward the back of the line.  Which was fine because I able to see Pierce Brown interact with all of us.  He took time to listen to the praise and answer a few more one-on-one questions as he signed books.  Every single one of us got the same treatment which I thought was pretty awesome.  The two of us even nerded out over Star Wars as he signed my beat-up copy of Red Rising thanks to my R2-D2 backpack.

Without a doubt it was a pretty epic evening.  I am super excited to finally finish the series, despite how much I know it's going to hurt.  Plus, I'm really interested to see what Pierce Brown's next series is going to be.  He announced today that the new project will be released in a week when he's down with his tour for Morning Star.

Here is to hoping that Sevro survives whatever's coming.

I have so much happening this month!  Our biggest holiday at the bakery is Valentine's Day, so we're gearing up for that weekend.  I have so many books lined up to read this month.  Plus it's my birthday this month!!  Which means I'll be gone for a weekend on a mini vacation.  On top of all of that I have two author events that I'm super excited to attend.  I'm super excited that both of these managed to work with my schedule!

The Events:

Pierce Brown 

Morning Star is the third, and final, book in the Red Rising Trilogy.  This is really all I know about this book.  I haven't wanted to read to much about it, because I want to go in with a sliver of hope that not everyone is going to die horrid and terrible deaths.

Alexander Chee

Lilliet Berne is a sensation of the Paris Opera, a legendary soprano with every accolade except an original role, every singer’s chance at immortality. When one is finally offered to her, she realizes with alarm that the libretto is based on a hidden piece of her past. Only four could have betrayed her: one is dead, one loves her, one wants to own her. And one, she hopes, never thinks of her at all.  As she mines her memories for clues, she recalls her life as an orphan who left the American frontier for Europe and was swept up into the glitzy, gritty world of Second Empire Paris. In order to survive, she transformed herself from hippodrome rider to courtesan, from empress’s maid to debut singer, all the while weaving a complicated web of romance, obligation, and political intrigue.

Honestly, I'm not sure which one of these events I'm more excited for.  Both books sounds amazing for completely different reasons.  Alexander Chee is a new author for me so I'm super excited to hear him talk about his book.  As for the Pierce Brown event, I'm a complete fangirl!  No matter what both events will be fun and I can't wait!