Alexander Thomas's Blog: Alexander Thomas - Blog
July 12, 2025
July/August 2025 Newsletter
Hello readers!
Important question: do you fear nuns?
Most people I ask fear nuns. This was a surprise to me, since my only real exposure to nuns was Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music, and I didn’t find her frightening at all. In my mind, nuns sing in cloisters and play a mean acoustic guitar.
My third book is a romantic fantasy, in which (spoiler) cloisters do make an appearance. While the book does not feature nuns, it does have a protagonist from a vaguely religious order. So as a convenient shorthand I crafted this pitch:
A pious nun convicts an evil warlock, then needs his help to break out of prison and stop an invasion.
I thought it was an awesome pitch. An enemies-to-lovers romance with a pious nun and an evil warlock? How great is that?
But I got the big thumbs-down from absolutely everyone I asked about it. I heard a lot of reasons for the dislike. Some were worried that the book would go heavily into religious themes (it doesn’t), and others were freaked out about a nun mixing with a warlock, especially an “evil” one.
The warlock isn’t evil, but everyone thinks he is. I mean, wouldn’t you assume a warlock was evil? I would. But given that “evil” was a turn-off, and the warlock wasn’t evil in the first place, I considered removing the word entirely.
But the warlock needs some sort of adjective. Readers may not know what a warlock is (do you have any warlock friends?) so they need something to hang their hat on. “Friendly warlock?” “Mysterious warlock?” “Renegade warlock?” “Spicy warlock?” None of those really apply (sadly, not even “spicy”). I realized the important thing is that when the protagonist first meets him, she believes the warlock is evil. So I kept the original adjective.
And the protagonist isn’t really a nun. The book is about her role as a prosecutor. Hence the updated pitch (still a work in progress):
A pious prosecutor convicts an evil warlock, then needs his help to break out of prison and stop an invasion.
After over a week of tinkering, I ended up changing only a single word! But I think the updated pitch is less threatening, especially to people that fear nuns, and it’s more true to the story. If you have strong opinions either way, please let me know. Most readers never see a book’s pitch line, but it’s a critical part of the publication process.
The book itself has been through multiple rounds of beta reading and I hope to start shopping it to agents soon. With luck it will show up at your local bookshop someday.
Until then, have a great summer, and happy reading!
-Alexander
https://www.alexanderthomasauthor.com/
alexander@alexanderthomasauthor.com
Important question: do you fear nuns?
Most people I ask fear nuns. This was a surprise to me, since my only real exposure to nuns was Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music, and I didn’t find her frightening at all. In my mind, nuns sing in cloisters and play a mean acoustic guitar.
My third book is a romantic fantasy, in which (spoiler) cloisters do make an appearance. While the book does not feature nuns, it does have a protagonist from a vaguely religious order. So as a convenient shorthand I crafted this pitch:
A pious nun convicts an evil warlock, then needs his help to break out of prison and stop an invasion.
I thought it was an awesome pitch. An enemies-to-lovers romance with a pious nun and an evil warlock? How great is that?
But I got the big thumbs-down from absolutely everyone I asked about it. I heard a lot of reasons for the dislike. Some were worried that the book would go heavily into religious themes (it doesn’t), and others were freaked out about a nun mixing with a warlock, especially an “evil” one.
The warlock isn’t evil, but everyone thinks he is. I mean, wouldn’t you assume a warlock was evil? I would. But given that “evil” was a turn-off, and the warlock wasn’t evil in the first place, I considered removing the word entirely.
But the warlock needs some sort of adjective. Readers may not know what a warlock is (do you have any warlock friends?) so they need something to hang their hat on. “Friendly warlock?” “Mysterious warlock?” “Renegade warlock?” “Spicy warlock?” None of those really apply (sadly, not even “spicy”). I realized the important thing is that when the protagonist first meets him, she believes the warlock is evil. So I kept the original adjective.
And the protagonist isn’t really a nun. The book is about her role as a prosecutor. Hence the updated pitch (still a work in progress):
A pious prosecutor convicts an evil warlock, then needs his help to break out of prison and stop an invasion.
After over a week of tinkering, I ended up changing only a single word! But I think the updated pitch is less threatening, especially to people that fear nuns, and it’s more true to the story. If you have strong opinions either way, please let me know. Most readers never see a book’s pitch line, but it’s a critical part of the publication process.
The book itself has been through multiple rounds of beta reading and I hope to start shopping it to agents soon. With luck it will show up at your local bookshop someday.
Until then, have a great summer, and happy reading!
-Alexander
https://www.alexanderthomasauthor.com/
alexander@alexanderthomasauthor.com
May 3, 2025
May 2025 Newsletter
Hello readers!
Do you like the beach? Even if I don’t go in the water, I love to walk along the sand and see the sun, sky, and waves. It’s dramatic at any hour.
On a pleasant day, I haven’t found anywhere I like better.
On an unpleasant day, I can’t claim the beach is particularly enjoyable, but it is awesome in the Old Testament sense of the word. The wind can be fierce, the waves can be frightening, and you are reminded how perilous a large body of water can really be.
My second book is a fantasy involving a jaded thief trekking through snow and ice along a northern coastline to retrieve a valuable jewel. Like all heists, things don’t quite go as planned, but I won’t go into any spoilers here. The point is that the book was inspired by a walk that my family and I took along the Oregon coast during a particularly unpleasant day in winter.
If you’ve been to the Oregon coast, you know it’s a stunning shoreline featuring jagged pinnacles, sandy beaches, and windswept coves.
If you’ve never been, I can assure you it’s a rocky wilderness inhabited by goblins, hired assassins, and at least one very pissed-off Sumerian demon. Hence the book.
Either way, the Oregon coast also features several lovely cafes and bakeries, and the people are very friendly, so it’s well worth a visit.
The book was a hit with beta readers, but I felt the length would be difficult to sell to agents, so I’ve put it on the shelves for now, and am polishing up a third book instead (more on that later). While I don’t like hitting the pause button on a good book, it’s all part of the trials and tribulations of breaking out as a new author. It may take me several books to get there. And the story about the thief and their coastal heist will get published eventually.
In the meantime, I hope you are having a great spring. Don’t hesitate to send feedback (you can reply to this email) if there are things you’d like to hear more or less of. I plan to send updates once every two months or so.
Happy Reading!
-Alexander
https://www.alexanderthomasauthor.com/
Do you like the beach? Even if I don’t go in the water, I love to walk along the sand and see the sun, sky, and waves. It’s dramatic at any hour.
On a pleasant day, I haven’t found anywhere I like better.
On an unpleasant day, I can’t claim the beach is particularly enjoyable, but it is awesome in the Old Testament sense of the word. The wind can be fierce, the waves can be frightening, and you are reminded how perilous a large body of water can really be.
My second book is a fantasy involving a jaded thief trekking through snow and ice along a northern coastline to retrieve a valuable jewel. Like all heists, things don’t quite go as planned, but I won’t go into any spoilers here. The point is that the book was inspired by a walk that my family and I took along the Oregon coast during a particularly unpleasant day in winter.
If you’ve been to the Oregon coast, you know it’s a stunning shoreline featuring jagged pinnacles, sandy beaches, and windswept coves.
If you’ve never been, I can assure you it’s a rocky wilderness inhabited by goblins, hired assassins, and at least one very pissed-off Sumerian demon. Hence the book.
Either way, the Oregon coast also features several lovely cafes and bakeries, and the people are very friendly, so it’s well worth a visit.
The book was a hit with beta readers, but I felt the length would be difficult to sell to agents, so I’ve put it on the shelves for now, and am polishing up a third book instead (more on that later). While I don’t like hitting the pause button on a good book, it’s all part of the trials and tribulations of breaking out as a new author. It may take me several books to get there. And the story about the thief and their coastal heist will get published eventually.
In the meantime, I hope you are having a great spring. Don’t hesitate to send feedback (you can reply to this email) if there are things you’d like to hear more or less of. I plan to send updates once every two months or so.
Happy Reading!
-Alexander
https://www.alexanderthomasauthor.com/
April 23, 2025
March Newsletter
[Posting my March 2025 newsletter here, a month late!]
Hello amazing readers! I hope this email finds you well.
Actually, I don’t.
I hope this email finds you in a dark crypt, furiously battling a coven of evil witches while saving your love interest from poor life choices.
But I’m guessing this email doesn’t find you in a dark crypt. I’m guessing this email finds you scrolling through messages on your phone, wondering if this is spam or not.
That’s okay. I’ve been there too.
Since this is the first note of 2025, I thought I’d start with a recap of last year.
In 2024 Princess of Prophecy (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...) finished its first full year of publication with several promotions and virtual book tours. As my first book, it was fun to see different users around the globe pick it up and react to it. The world of book marketing is much larger and more complex than I expected, but it’s part of being an author, so it was well worth diving into it.
For my writing, 2024 was a busy year. I now have two new books in the hands of beta readers. I hope to get one or both signed in 2025, but that will depend on the whims and weather of agents and publishing. We’ll see! I’ll have more notes on the two finished books in future newsletters, and I’m starting another book now.
2024 was also an interesting year for social media generally! I’ve moved my (modest) presence to BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/alextomautho.... Please stop by and say hello if you get a chance.
This is the first of what should be at least quarterly updates. Don’t hesitate to send feedback (you can reply to this email) if there are things you’d like to hear more or less of.
Happy Reading!
-Alexander
https://www.alexanderthomasauthor.com/
alexander@alexanderthomasauthor.com
Hello amazing readers! I hope this email finds you well.
Actually, I don’t.
I hope this email finds you in a dark crypt, furiously battling a coven of evil witches while saving your love interest from poor life choices.
But I’m guessing this email doesn’t find you in a dark crypt. I’m guessing this email finds you scrolling through messages on your phone, wondering if this is spam or not.
That’s okay. I’ve been there too.
Since this is the first note of 2025, I thought I’d start with a recap of last year.
In 2024 Princess of Prophecy (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...) finished its first full year of publication with several promotions and virtual book tours. As my first book, it was fun to see different users around the globe pick it up and react to it. The world of book marketing is much larger and more complex than I expected, but it’s part of being an author, so it was well worth diving into it.
For my writing, 2024 was a busy year. I now have two new books in the hands of beta readers. I hope to get one or both signed in 2025, but that will depend on the whims and weather of agents and publishing. We’ll see! I’ll have more notes on the two finished books in future newsletters, and I’m starting another book now.
2024 was also an interesting year for social media generally! I’ve moved my (modest) presence to BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/alextomautho.... Please stop by and say hello if you get a chance.
This is the first of what should be at least quarterly updates. Don’t hesitate to send feedback (you can reply to this email) if there are things you’d like to hear more or less of.
Happy Reading!
-Alexander
https://www.alexanderthomasauthor.com/
alexander@alexanderthomasauthor.com
January 3, 2024
2024 - January Book Tour
Hello everyone-
Happy 2024! I'm kicking off January with a (virtual) book tour. Follow the stops on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/alexander_t...
I hope you have some great reads this year!
-Alexander
Happy 2024! I'm kicking off January with a (virtual) book tour. Follow the stops on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/alexander_t...
I hope you have some great reads this year!
-Alexander
November 28, 2023
Virtual Book Tour - 11/26 - 12/2
Hey everyone-
I've got a (virtual) book tour happening now on Instagram! Check out the stops on my Instagram page:
https://www.instagram.com/alexander_t...
Definitely visit + support all the great Bookstagrammers out there!
-Alexander
I've got a (virtual) book tour happening now on Instagram! Check out the stops on my Instagram page:
https://www.instagram.com/alexander_t...
Definitely visit + support all the great Bookstagrammers out there!
-Alexander
November 6, 2023
Finished first draft of second novel
Yesterday I finished the first draft of my second novel! It took me 8 months. Now I have editing passes, beta reading and editor passes, etc. But the draft is complete!
I kept a pretty consistent pace, except for two weeks in September when I was out with Covid.
My NaNoWriMo challenge will be to complete my self-editing passes, and get this book out to beta readers. We'll see how it goes!
I kept a pretty consistent pace, except for two weeks in September when I was out with Covid.
My NaNoWriMo challenge will be to complete my self-editing passes, and get this book out to beta readers. We'll see how it goes!
October 19, 2023
Kirkus Review and eBook Launch!
Ohmygosh ohmygosh ohmygosh! My novel just had its Kirkus Review published, and it was noted as a Critical Recommendation! I’m totally freaking out over here!
Kirkus Review for Princess of Prophecy.
“This fantasy debut sees an independently minded princess battle against tropes to fulfill an abstruse prophecy.
…smoothly written, though relentlessly facetious … Thomas’ humor is all-pervasive, ranging from droll and throwaway to absurdist and bludgeoning. The story rattles along and will tickle plenty of funny bones—as long as readers are prepared to take nothing seriously.
Determinedly amusing; a playful swipe at the quest genre (and society).
OUR VERDICT: GET IT.” – Kirkus Reviews
They called my humor (sometimes) “bludgeoning.” That’s good, right? I’m going to say that’s good.
And guess what? The eBook is available on Amazon Kindle today (19 October).
Kirkus Review for Princess of Prophecy.
“This fantasy debut sees an independently minded princess battle against tropes to fulfill an abstruse prophecy.
…smoothly written, though relentlessly facetious … Thomas’ humor is all-pervasive, ranging from droll and throwaway to absurdist and bludgeoning. The story rattles along and will tickle plenty of funny bones—as long as readers are prepared to take nothing seriously.
Determinedly amusing; a playful swipe at the quest genre (and society).
OUR VERDICT: GET IT.” – Kirkus Reviews
They called my humor (sometimes) “bludgeoning.” That’s good, right? I’m going to say that’s good.
And guess what? The eBook is available on Amazon Kindle today (19 October).
October 10, 2023
Hello Everyone!
The release date for my first book, Princess of Prophecy, is fast approaching! October 19.
Well, that's the eBook publication date. The hardback is available now. But I'm counting the eBook release date because it's more fun to anticipate something in the future. And this is 2023. The eBook is the big release, right?
Meanwhile, I'm plugging away at the next book. It's not a sequel, but it's set roughly in the same universe. I'm getting close to the end. More on that soon as well.
For me, one of the more fun parts of writing is the critique process after the first draft is done. I feel like I've been isolated in a tower, writing the draft! It will be great to get the draft done and interact with other readers + writers again.
Hope you are all having a great October-
-Alexander
Well, that's the eBook publication date. The hardback is available now. But I'm counting the eBook release date because it's more fun to anticipate something in the future. And this is 2023. The eBook is the big release, right?
Meanwhile, I'm plugging away at the next book. It's not a sequel, but it's set roughly in the same universe. I'm getting close to the end. More on that soon as well.
For me, one of the more fun parts of writing is the critique process after the first draft is done. I feel like I've been isolated in a tower, writing the draft! It will be great to get the draft done and interact with other readers + writers again.
Hope you are all having a great October-
-Alexander
