Sarah Piper's Blog

My gargoyle friend knows where to find all the best books!

Change is rarely easy (says the girl who moves clear across the country every few years just for funsies), but I love mixing it up now and then! So I'm super excited to tell you about a big change coming soon for me and my books.

Currently, my e-books and paperbacks are only available on Amazon, but over the next few months, I'll be making them available on all bookstore retailers, including libraries.

This means readers who read on the Apple Books app, Kobo, Nook, GooglePlay, Overdrive, and other apps/devices will finally have access to my books, and my stories will make their way to even more readers across the globe.

It also means that while the books will still be for sale on Amazon, they'll be leaving the Kindle Unlimited program (this is an Amazon requirement for authors who wish to sell books on non-Amazon stores).

Leaving KU wasn't an easy decision, as I know many of you are KU readers (I was, too). But ultimately, I know this is the right call. Not only will it allow me to connect with more readers, but it will also help alleviate some of the stress associated with having all my author business eggs in the Amazon basket—something that's become a major concern lately, given ongoing issues with Amazon.

Amazon Issues

I rarely talk about the business side of things here (I'd much rather talk about vampires being naughty and witches getting their hot happily ever afters!), but this is an important topic I feel readers should know about.

If you're active on BookTok or in some of the romance reader groups on Facebook, you may have seen posts about Amazon shutting down author accounts (like mega-bestselling romance author Ruby Dixon) without notice and withholding past royalty payments due to "misleading content" or other alleged violations. I say “alleged” because in many cases, it's not an author violation but an Amazon glitch misidentifying issues or a pirate stealing the author's ebooks and posting them for sale on other channels. In the case of piracy, because of the KU exclusivity requirement preventing authors from selling our KU books outside of Amazon, Amazon treats this as a violation even if it's not the author's fault.

Once an account is shut down—again, often without notice—an author has very little recourse for getting it back. Closed accounts have no access to customer service, and the team that handles alleged content violations has no phone number. Email responses are often just repeated form letters stating that the account is closed and no further information is available. It's truly a black hole.

Unfortunately, a lot of innocent authors are getting caught up in this net. Amazon literally has the power to destroy an author’s career overnight—and that’s not hyperbole. Ruby was thankfully able to get her books reinstated quickly with the help of her Amazon representative, but most authors (myself included!) don’t have access to reps.

There are a number of other issues that have made selling books on Amazon more difficult over the years, including but not limited to:

Amazon discriminates against polyamorous romance and refuses to allow authors to use their internal Amazon advertising service to promote books that include “Reverse Harem” in the title or book description. This means RH authors have to choose between not advertising our books on Amazon or not providing an appropriate description, which causes confusion and frustration for readers who are either looking for RH and can’t find it or who don’t want to read RH and end up buying or borrowing an RH book by mistake.

Amazon often miscategorizes romance books as erotica and hides them from search results, bestseller charts, and advertising opportunities.

Amazon determines how much to pay authors for books borrowed in KU based on the percentage of the book someone reads, but authors have no way of knowing if Amazon is accurately counting these page reads. Amazon has also flagged certain books for “suspicious activity” in Kindle Unlimited and has refused to pay KU royalties earned on those books. At the same time, they refuse to share any details about how they made this determination, claiming it’s proprietary security information. This means authors have no way of trying to prevent this in the future, even if we’re being targeted by scammers.

Amazon’s return policy allows for “serial returners,” where readers can buy and read an entire series of books and then return them, causing the author to lose money. There are legitimate reasons for customers to return ebooks, but if a person doesn’t enjoy book one of a series, they should not be allowed to buy and keep returning the subsequent books in that series, especially if they are doing this to multiple authors.

Amazon is the only ebook vendor that charges authors an additional “delivery fee” deducted from author royalties for every ebook sold.

These are just some of the ongoing frustrations authors continue to experience with Amazon. The company has a poor track record when it comes to supporting their author business partners, and the Kindle Unlimited program continues to be rife with scammers while legitimate, hard-working authors are shut down and shut out.

Unless Amazon can figure out how to deal with the problem of piracy and their own internal system issues, I am no longer comfortable relying on them as my sole bookseller or—on the reader side—as my sole book provider.

But with every challenge comes a new opportunity, right?

What I’m doing to support authors, Small Businesses, & readers

As a reader, here’s what I’m doing to support my favorite authors:

Breaking my reliance on Amazon and buying my favorite authors’ books on other storefronts, especially from their own websites (if available)

Ordering print copies from local independent bookstores

Requesting e-books and audiobooks from my library via Overdrive

Joining author Patreons! Not every authors offers this, but they’re becoming more popular and can be a great way to get bonus content and connect more closely with our favorite authors.

As a writer, I'm embracing new bookstores and libraries, as I mentioned. I’m also working on some other fun plans this year—plans a lot of you have been asking me about! Such as:

Offering special edition paperback covers for the most popular series

Making more box sets so readers can buy in bulk and save

Making merchandise like mugs, T-shirts, stickers, and other goodies

Selling books directly from my website, including signed paperbacks (I’m already selling audiobooks directly!)

Setting up a Patreon for superfans to get early access to all book editions, bonus short stories, a private Discord server, and more!

I’m so grateful to you!

Despite the challenges, I'm beyond excited about what's ahead and I hope you'll continue to be part of this incredible journey with me. It truly means the world to me that I get to wake up each day and craft these stories for you—to be part of your lives, even in this small way—and I look forward to what the future holds for us! (And just wait until you hear about the new books I’ve got planned for you this year…)

I've included the schedule of when the books will leave KU and answered some common questions below, but feel free to get in touch if you have any other questions. You can also sign up for my reader’s club newsletter to keep up to date on new releases, sales, and any other news!

In the meantime, I'm wishing you and your families many blessings and all the best for a peaceful and joyful 2022 and beyond!

FAQs

Why do you have to leave KU to sell your books on other channels?

Amazon has what's called an exclusivity requirement for KU books. This means when e-books are enrolled in Kindle Unlimited, authors aren't allowed to sell or distribute those e-books anywhere else, including on our own websites, or even to make them available to libraries or as rewards on sites like Patreon. Doing so is a violation of Amazon's legally binding terms and can result in account closure (paperbacks and audio are not part of the exclusivity rule—just ebooks).

How much longer will I have to read your books in KU?

As long as you keep the books in your KU library, you will continue to have access to them until you return them, even if they're no longer available in KU. So if there are any books you don't want to miss, be sure to borrow them and download them into your KU library before they leave KU.

When are they leaving KU?

Because each book has a different enrollment period, their KU expiration dates are all different. It's a little confusing because in some cases, later books in a series may expire before earlier ones, but there isn't really a way around this. Here is the approximate schedule:

Vampire Royals of New York

Dark Deception: March 1

Dark Seduction: March 1

Dark Obsession: February 25

Heart of Thorns: January 31

Heart of Fury: March 5

Heart of Flames: March 1

Snowed In with the Wolf: March 19

The Witch's Rebels

Individual books begin expiring February 4, but the box sets will be available in KU until March 13.

Tarot Academy

Spells of Iron & Bone: March 1

Spells of Breath & Blade: March 1

Spells of Flame & Fury: January 27

Spells of Blood & Sorrow: February 9

Spells of Mist & Spirit: March 11

The Witch's Monsters

Blood & Midnight: March 28

Blood & Malice: May 14

Blood & Madness: April 5

Blood & Magick: May 24

I only read on my Kindle/Kindle app. Will I still be able to get your books?

Of course! Kindle readers will still be able to buy my books on Amazon. They just won't be able to borrow them in KU. Readers can also request the books from their local libraries through apps like Overdrive, which will allow you to read library books right on your Kindle or Kindle app.

Will you launch new books into KU before putting them on other platforms?

No. At this time, I plan to make all new series available on all platforms at the same time so that all readers can get the books on release day. The only exception to this is Blood & Magick, the final book in the Witch's Monsters series. That book will launch in KU on February 24 and remain there for 90 days to allow readers who started the series in KU to finish it there.

I'm an Audible audiobook listener. Can I still get your books for the Whispersync price?

Yes! If you purchase the ebook edition, you can still purchase the audio for the discounted Whispersync price. If you prefer not to purchase the ebook, you can still use your Audible credits to get the audio, or you can purchase the audio directly from my author shop for a discounted price (this requires the free BookFunnel app).

I’m on a budget and can't buy books outside of KU. Is there another way I can get your books?

Yes, there are a few possibilities:

Request my books through your local library (there is no guarantee they will carry them, but many libraries honor patron requests)

Subscribe to my newsletter to stay in the loop about any upcoming sales and free promotions

Do you like to review books? You can apply to my advanced review team! ARC team members receive free ebook and/or audiobook copies in advance of the release date. If you're interested in this, contact me and let me know.

Share with a friend! Kindle has a feature that allows readers to loan a book they purchased to another Kindle reader.

Got a question I didn't cover?

Leave a comment for me below or contact me and ask!

Dark Deception: Meet Your Next Vampire Book Boyfriend!

Do you love sexy, commanding, dirty-talking British vampires? Fiery-hot, Kindle-melting romance? Dark family secrets, suspense, and plenty of twists and turns? Then you’re going to fall hard and fast for Dorian Redthorne!

I am so excited to officially announce the new series, Vampire Royals of New York, kicking off with book one - Dark Deception!

It hits the shelves on September 30!

Buy Dark Deception on Amazon US :: Amazon UK :: Amazon CA :: Amazon AUS

The Vampire Royals of New York series will also be available in audio, narrated by the insanely talented Shane East and Mackenzie Cartwright! I can not WAIT to share this story with you!

About Dark Deception

A ruthless vampire king. An alluring crime-family heiress. A dark desire that won’t be tamed…

After the mysterious death of his father, vampire king Dorian Redthorne has more responsibilities than he can count.

Keep New York City’s supernatural factions in line.

Protect what’s left of his family.

And above all, keep his father’s secrets buried… before his enemies discover the royal family’s greatest weakness.

Charlotte D’Amico is a complication he doesn’t need.

She’s a thief. A con woman. An amateur seductress playing a deadly game she’s got no business entering.

But the scent of her blood is intoxicating, her heartbeat a siren call he can’t resist.

As far as he’s concerned, there are only two ways this can end:

He claims her. Or he bleeds her dry.

Falling for her? Not an option. Love is an indulgence the dark king can no longer afford.

Unfortunately, Dorian’s heart is as treacherous as his enemies.

The question is… which will destroy him first?

Buy Dark Deception on Amazon US :: Amazon UK :: Amazon CA :: Amazon AUS

It’s never a bad time to check in for pineapples, even if they are a bit overzealous with the hyphenation.

In February, Mr. Piper and I had the opportunity to camp out at a friend’s house and do some adventuring on Maui. We’d planned to spend 7 weeks in paradise, finishing up Tarot Academy 3 and researching a new book idea while hanging out in the surf and sunshine, making friends with sea turtles, and eating pineapples. Lots and lots of pineapples, which are basically my favorite.

(Fun fact: you can grow your own pineapple at home, even in a Rubbermaid tote! But it takes about 1-2 years to bear fruit.)

A rare sighting of the author at work. If the main character loves piña coladas, it totally counts as research, right?

When we left Colorado that day, our biggest worry was that the pipes would freeze and burst in our absence, or that we’d somehow screwed up the mail hold forms and all those catalogs of shit we never order and scammy credit card offers would be lost forever. Tragic!

But by the time we landed in Hawaii, I’d forgotten about all that. We reunited with friends we’d missed. We wandered beaches and watched humpback whales from a distance, then saw them up close when mamas and babies alike swarmed our boat. We ate sun-warmed pineapples plucked straight from the field and had our fill of fresh fish—a rare treat for us landlocked Coloradans. I got swallowed up by the ocean and spit back out again, covered in so much sand I looked like a breaded chicken cutlet. One day, our friend dove down to the bottom of the sea and lured an octopus out to play, and when I held it in my hands and felt the otherworldly touch of this strange, incredible creature, I fell in love.

(Fun fact: octopuses have three hearts and blue blood!)

Even when we were working, it was hard not to feel light and happy and care-free. I lost count of the rainbows that graced our skies. I was incredibly grateful for every moment we got to spend in that beautiful place.

Then came the news.

The world was already changing, of course—much faster than we realized. Nestled in our happy little bubble of sunshine and pineapples and friendly creatures from the deep, we hadn’t even heard the word “pandemic” yet. But in a matter of days, our conversations shifted from which beach we’d like to explore next and which locations would show up in the new book to why all the stores were out of hand sanitizer and toilet paper, and what would happen if we got stuck away from home for the foreseeable future.

Granted, there are worse places than Maui to get stuck (even without hand sanitizer) (or toilet paper, for that matter).

But we weren’t prepared to work remotely for the long haul, and we didn’t want to be away from home if things got complicated, especially if we needed any medical care. As the news became more dire, so did my fears. Did we have enough toilet paper back home? That seemed to be the question on everyone’s minds, and I just couldn’t remember whether we’d ordered that final case of cottony goodness from Amazon last month before all the craziness began or whether we were down to half a roll and a balled-up sock. What if the shelves were empty by the time we got back to the mainland? What if they started implementing domestic travel restrictions? What about the water supply? What if we had to grow our own food in Rubbermaid totes on the balcony?

If a pineapple takes two years to grow, just imagine how long it would take to grow a cheeseburger!

This is the blessing and the curse of the writer’s brain.

A wild imagination to fuel every story, whether it ends up on the page for your entertainment or just rattling around in my head like a trapped animal looking for weak spots and peeing everywhere.

I will spare you a lengthy recap of my myriad anxieties, but in the end, as the COVID-19 case counts skyrocketed and markets took a nosedive and our family in New York went into quarantine, Mr. Piper and I decided to cut the trip short. From there, it was a scramble of hours-long hold times and website crashes to change our flights, and that was just the beginning of our adventure.

We managed to get back to the mainland on an overnight flight, but once we hit our connecting point of Las Vegas, things got dicey. They’d already shut down the Vegas strip, but the airport was packed. Since we were traveling on two separate airlines, we had to collect our bags from the Hawaii flight, then go back through the check-in process for the Vegas flight. That’s when we learned that a member of the air traffic control staff had tested positive the day before, so they had to shut down the tower. All inbound and outbound flights were being manually sighted, so over 50% of flights had to be cancelled. By some miracle, ours was still scheduled… with a 5-hour delay. But we wanted to get home, so what else could we do?

Mere minutes after sending our bags along the conveyor into the mysterious bowels of the airport, we were told our flight was now delayed 11 hours, with no guarantees it would take off at all.

If I was ill-prepared to work remotely for the foreseeable future, you can imagine how excited I was about the prospect of sleeping on the Vegas airport floor during a freaking pandemic.

Fortunately, a saintly customer service rep took pity on us and was able to get us on another flight going backward across the country into LAX, and then onto Denver from there. We leaped at the offer and hoped by some miracle this woman could continue working her fae-goddess magic, track down our already-checked bags from the doomed flight, and somehow get them on the new flights so they’d pop out in Denver right along with us. But at that point, I didn’t care if I lost my hair dryer and swimsuits and the 3 remaining rolls of toilet paper and seven instant oatmeal packets we hastily stuffed into our suitcase before we left Maui.

I just wanted to get home.

I wanted to brush my teeth too, but alas…

The German air force showed up at security.

This was just the beginning of a line that wrapped around behind us, soldiers numbering well into the hundreds.

We were surrounded. And not getting through that line anytime soon.

I asked the friendly neighborhood TSA agent (who was standing directly below a video monitor that read: Do not make jokes at the security checkpoint. Security is no laughing matter.) whether the Germans had come to save us, and he replied, with a slightly raised eyebrow, “They were stationed nearby. They’re being called home.”

I felt a bit like Sam and Frodo when they realize the elves are leaving Middle Earth, but I didn’t want my sentiments to be mistaken for jokes at the security checkpoint, so instead I just said, “Why?”

“I don’t know.” He shook his head, sighing heavily as he checked my ID and signed my boarding pass. “But deep in my gut, I know something real bad is coming.”

On that ominous note, he left his post. Seriously. Just walked away. Probably to report me for making that joke about the Germans, which wasn’t really a joke in the first place.

Fighting our way through the humorless security checkpoints and the Germans, who were a little bit terrifying but also laughing (in German, of course), we made a mad dash for our new flight, oral hygiene be damned. There were very few people on the plane, some wearing masks, most removing those masks in order to partake in the airline’s complimentary selection of sodas, coffee, and juice, thereby rendering the mask both useless and ridiculous. We made it to LAX for another dash to the Denver-bound flight, observing the same odd lack of commitment regarding masks.

Our flight arrived in Denver without issue.

By some miracle, that fae goddess back in Vegas made sure our bags arrived too.

There was snow on the ground in Colorado, and I shivered in my thin sweatshirt and slightly sunburned skin as we waited for our ride, wondering just what the next few days would bring. An accident on the highway delayed our drive home by another hour. The sky was bleached of all color. After passing through 5 airports in 24 hours, I didn’t even want to think about how many germs were crawling on us.

But, as we opened the door to our home and stepped inside, I took a deep breath, let it out slow. We made it. Our pipes had not burst. Our toilet paper and pantry were both pretty well stocked. We stripped naked, dropped our clothing into the washer. Began the tedious process of disinfecting everything in our bags. Did one quick shopping trip to fill in some of the gaps, finding mostly everything we needed.

The news continues to terrify.

I can only imagine the army of germs that have invaded our bodies and belongings. Mr. Piper and I are still self-isolating, monitoring for symptoms. I flinch at every sniffle in my nose and scratch in my throat. I worry about our supplies, about the supply chain in general. I worry about needing medical care of any sort. Mostly, I worry about everyone else—our elderly parents in New York and other vulnerable members of our society. Children who aren’t quite sure how to process this and know only that their parents are anxious. Healthcare providers, postal workers, delivery drivers, and food service workers who continue to serve on the front lines of this pandemic. Small business owners, my fellow authors, and all those who don’t even have the luxury of worrying about toilet paper.

Writing continues to save.

Aloha!

Despite the grim headlines and the imagination that often kicks into overdrive, I am endeavoring to acknowledge my fears and make peace with the uncertainty right now. To just be grateful that I have a home and food and Mr. Piper, that our needs are more than met. And to turn, as always, back to my writing. Readers often tell me my books offer them an escape; the message always encourages and humbles me, but here’s a confession: I write for my own escape too. It’s in the lives and complexities of characters and the creation of other worlds that I find solace.

In those worlds, I know how to fix things.

It’s snowing again in Colorado. Three of our neighbors have tested positive for COVID-19.

Last night, I ordered a case of pineapples from Maui.

I miss the octopus and the baby whales. I miss the strange birdsong and the sound of the ocean and the feeling of warmth and security that comes with being on a small island in the middle of the Pacific, however fleeting it was.

I miss the children of our friends, who greeted us daily with giggles and happy chatter and hugs. I don’t know when we’ll be able to visit them again.

But I’m glad to be home.

I’m ready to write again.

Be well and be good to one another, my friends.

GET IT ON AMAZON

Spells of Iron and Bone, book one in my brand new Tarot Academy series, is live!

I’m so excited to share this series with you, especially since it features so many of my favorite things:

Tarot cards (obviously)

Tea

Rock climbing

Saguaros

Seriously hot mages

Girlfriends that always have your back

All the magick

No, but seriously, can we get back to those hot mages for second? Because… *fans self*… ahem. Yes, exactly.

Anyway, if you’re in the mood for a college-aged reverse harem paranormal romance with just the right blend of steam, heart, dark magick, and humor, check it out!

About Spells of Iron and Bone

Magick is real. It’s also highly illegal—not that I’m worried about that.

Sure, I heal faster than most, and I’ve got a sixth sense for brewing tea that can fix just about any problem, but my café isn’t exactly a hotbed of paranormal activity.

At least it wasn’t… until some psycho attacked me and woke up the freaky, forbidden magick inside, earning me a one-way ticket to jail.

Now, a covert magickal university is offering me a deal: my freedom in exchange for help with the Tarot prophecies—cryptic predictions they believe hold the key to stopping a deadly apocalyptic plot.

Predictions only I can decipher.

Because the witch who divined them? She died years ago.

I should know. She was my mother.

Grab your grimoires, girls. Magick school’s officially in session.

All I have to do now is master my crazy powers, decode the doomsday prophecies, outwit a mean-girl coven that puts the psycho in psychic, and survive the temptations of one very naughty professor and three scorching-hot, overprotective mages shadowing my every move.

There's only one problem.

If I’m right about the prophecies?

Survival isn’t in the cards for any of us.

GET IT ON AMAZON

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