Constance Sharper's Blog

It is hard to believe Airborne first came out in 2011. Eight years ago, self publishing was a relatively new thing. The e-book platforms were still in their early stages and the reader tablets were these awful, blocky things. Eight years ago, I had a Nokia so sturdy that I could beat someone to death with it.

I won't reminisce about those being the days. I will say that much has changed, not only in field of technology but the entire indie publishing world. I recently went to a indie book convention and my jaw dropped at the new things I learned. We were huge. We were everywhere. And we owed all of that to the readers willing to take a risk on us.

*seriously sentimental now*

Anyways, the world has changed. Paperbacks of my old books are no longer available, unless you snag a preprinted copy floating around out there. It's much more worth it just to download to your phone. We don't have blocky Nokias anymore after all.


I updated the purchase links and locations as I have dropped a few platforms in the past. To my readers, I'm determined to stay "wide" (fancy new term learned at this convention). I will not limit to only one platform to give my readers more choices. I will continue to investigate additional platforms in the future too.


Additionally, I have added all 3 chapters for each book under their respective tabs on my website. I've given Burning in a Memory a new blurb. Oh, and the most exciting thing? A cover and blurb reveal for Relics of Ash.

When I first started, way back in the day, I recall a blog post from Amanda Hocking. She stated something to the effect (and don't quote me here) that a book that called for a sequel must be given a sequel. Reviews, sales, numbers don't matter. It's what is owed to the readers. So yes, Burning is getting another book.


Keep an eye on my twitter for updates concerning the reveal. Happy Friday!

Burning in a Memory is officially up for sale! I've provided the links below:

Kindle

Nook

Kobo

Paperback

July 1st is approaching rapidly and that means Burning in a Memory is on the way. To celebrate the release, there’s quite a bit going on in the next few days.
First off, Burning is going on a blog tour!

The tour is being run through the awesome Bewitching Blog Tours.

During the tour, some of the bloggers will be giving away a total of five paperback books. Hop to their site during the tour for details. Along the way, there’s a ton of unique material including the dream movie cast line-up, deleted scenes, and music lists. There are also a few interviews addressing different questions. These have never been seen anywhere else!
The tour line up is as follows:

June 23- July 7

June 23
Mythical Books

June 23
The Writer's Nook

June 24
Cassandra M's Place

June 25
All Who Wander

June 26
Mia Hoddell

June 27
The Reader's Hollow

June 30
Crazy Four Books

July 1
Sapphyria's Book Reviews

July 2
A Writer's Mind

July 3
What's Beyond Forks?

July 4
Scarlett's Book Blog

July 4
Share My Destiny

July 7
Pembroke Sinclair

July 7
Mom With A Kindle

Remember to follow me on twitter to live updates and any extra details. @csibline.

Secondly, there is one more place to win a paperback copy. Find it on goodreads! This contest ends the day of July 1st so it really is to commemorate the release.


Lastly, (and I’ve mentioned this before) the first three days Burning is up for sale, all e-books will cost .99 cents! After the first three days, the price will return to $2.99. On July 1st, I’ll have a blog post with all of the direct purchase links so you can find the brand you need.

I finally have release dates and information for Burning in a Memory!
The book is not set to release until July 1st, 2014. This is later than I anticipated considering the book is done now, but I had to make time for blog tours and promotion. The first three days after it’s released the book will be selling e-copies for only 99 cents. On day four, it will return to the normal price of $2.99.
The release date is also useful because it means less of a wait for the sequel. Which is the second announcement—there will be a sequel! More details to come after the first book is released. I’m happy it’ll mirror the short amount of time between the first two books that I had with the Airborne Saga.
Speaking of book promotions, there is a current ARC giveaway set up on Goodreads. This contest will end before the book is out and any other giveaways start, so it is the first chance to grab a copy anywhere.

It’s open to Canada and the UK, but due to shipping and customs, it may take longer than the U.S. delivery. I can’t do much about that, but I encourage everyone to enter!
I’ll be tweeting and updating later regarding the blog tours and giveaways. Follow me for details: @Csibline
Lastly, the first chapter will be posted on April 1st on this site. I make up these dates pretty arbitrarily, but placing things on the first day of the month makes it easier to remember.

For those who are still waiting on the Airborne Novella, it is next up on the chopping block after BM release. I haven’t forgotten, but with everything else going on lately, it has taken a backseat. I’ll have more details soon.

It feels like forever since I last came out with a book. Windswept was released last February, a year ago now, so I guess it has been forever. I’m finally ready to start churning out books again and updating my website to accommodate them. So for my next trick?












Curiosity killed the cat, and nineteen-year-old Adelaide was next. She could barely remember the moments during her childhood when she knew magic existed, but she never stopped searching for it since. On the flipside, monsters from the magical world never stopped searching for her either. Their paths finally cross in time for Adelaide to realize she should have stayed on the human side of the east coast. Unlike college, she can’t get out of trouble with a cute smile and a cuter wardrobe. These monsters are out for blood, her blood, but she’s in luck. They will spare her life in exchange for one favor, and that favor is named Leon Colton.

It a modern day urban fantasy, somewhere YA and Adult Fiction, and is not associated with the Airborne Saga. It’s drama, action, and romance based. The beautiful cover art was done by the same artist as the last two Airborne Saga covers. Her information can be found under my FAQ. The first chapter will be up sometime in the next month. I will announce on my twitter (@CSibline) the following dates. And remember to add it to your Goodreads account!

It’s been a great start to a summer of writing. I took a break from the writing desk earlier today, figuring my new project could use an evening to breathe, and went to a local indie bookstore to meet some fellow authors.
The speakers at this event included Tahereh Mafi and Ransom Riggs. I’m not a social butterfly or a good speaker. I stayed on the outskirts except for getting an autograph and this photo.

The real thing that got me thinking (blogging) was all the questions about creativity. These two authors have already developed their own styles, but then how does one develop his/her style? Or more precisely, how does one train himself/herself to be creative?
I should also mention creativity is one of the main reasons I dislike those writing guidebooks. They typically offer the advice ‘force yourself to write at least one chapter a day’ or so many words, scenes, etc. That’s great if you want to sit down at the computer and churn out total crap just so you can go on with your day. Obviously if you weren't inspired enough to want to write without the guidebook telling you, then you aren’t going to think of anything.
But (and this is the whole point I’m really getting at), you can trick yourself into being creative on command. And I don’t think any of this is actually attached to a word limit. For example, instead of deciding how many chapters I’m going to write a day, I force myself to sit in front of the computer for two hours. If I write well, poorly, or if I write nothing, I will still be sitting at that computer for two hours. This means I’m not allowing myself an easy way out and I might as well rack my brain for ideas.
So once I’ve got my two hours designated, it becomes a pattern of when I force myself to start collecting ideas in my head. I also grab a cup of coffee. The scent of that hot brew always makes me think, just like Palvov’s dogs.
Interlude: Palvov’s dogs for those of you who didn't know come from a famous science experiment. The scientist Palvov


set up an experiment in which he would feed a dog after ringing bells. He eventually took away the food, but he still rang the bell. The dogs had so associated the bell with food, they would begin salivating at just the sound of the bell. It’s a simple description and a complex experiment for our understanding of stimuli association(and a recap of the only thing I remember from Psych 101).

So back to the creative writing process: Every time I sit in front of the screen with my coffee, I start piecing ideas together in my brain. Now every time I even smell the coffee or sit at my desktop computer in the evening, my brain starts working when I didn't necessarily command it. Anyways, if I could vouch for any way an author can start training themselves to be creative, this is how.

Windswept is finally out on shelves! Well, virtual shelves. As promised, I have the hyperlinks below. The paperback should be up by the weekend on Amazon. As same with Grounded (the second book in the series), the paperback is usually only available on Amazon so I can keep my prices lower. I’ll include the link to its soon-to be-location as well. Otherwise e-books are already up.
Barnes and Noble: Nook
Amazon e-book/paperback: Kindle

Additionally, you’ll always be able to see where Windswept is here:
Windswept’s Tab
Which is its tab under my main site. My site also will have all of the information and news updates about what’s happening in the future (and believe me, it gets updated far more than Goodreads).
Main site
So grab a copy and enjoy the weekend!

It’s time for the official Windswept release announcements! This isn’t exactly going to be what some of you expected but I promise you, it’s for the better. I’ve learned my lesson about rushing things out and I will deliver the quality that Windswept deserves.
First off, Windswept’s release date has been pushed back. But it finally has a date that will NOT change! February 28th. In the meantime, there are some things to tide you over. First, I’ve posted the first chapter under the Windswept tab along with its official release date. Check out the chapter and release date here.

And the countdown here here.

Further, I’ve started an ARC giveaway on Goodreads you will be able to join here.

Or see the widget for the countdown here.

It will begin no later than December 31st. It’s scheduled to end January 25th, roughly a month before the book will actually be released. This is easy to do because ARCs are still technically unedited versions. The ARC versions are about 97% the final copy minus some proof reading, formatting, and minor changes to the storyline. I think Windswept, since I’ve had so long to work on it, will be 98% the same. The main story will be the same and the Avery-Mason fix will definitely be there.

Anyways the news doesn’t quite end there. In relevant news, I’m planning to write and release more than just the Windswept novel. In addition, I’m writing a novella that covers a timespan before the books ever began. In particular, the novella will deal with Jericho, Mikhail, and Eva. This plays a massive background stories to the books. Now I usually hate spin-offs because I believe most spin-offs never can stand up on their own. However, as I was writing out the backstory to help with my knowledge of the characters in the Windswept novel, I found there’s actually a compelling story here.

For those who don’t know or have heard the term novella dropped to mean many different things, it’s just a story that is roughly half the size of the regular books. So about 45,000-65,000 words. I won’t know for sure how long it will be until I write it. Fun fact, Airborne was about 83,000 words. Grounded 78,000. And Windswept is threatening to top 100,000 words before editing. (These aren’t exact but I can’t remember the last time I stared down the word count in books. Writing for length rather than content is a very dangerous thing for an author!)

So that novella should be available just as mainstream as The Airborne Saga books are.
Now, speaking of extras, there is one other thing I will be adding. Many of the characters in the book (other than our heroes) have backstories. In the novel, we know enough to understand them. But we lack the ability to see it through their eyes. As I was working on Windswept, I had written short background stories to the characters. Half narrative, half descriptive things, they are virtual overviews of the character’s life with short snippets of the important moments written out in detail. But…these are ragingly full of spoilers for the third book! And it will ruin the book! So while I thought they’d be cool to post, I’d warn everyone to read with caution. Unlike the novella, these will just be available on my site under a tab I will eventually designate. They’re free, short, and just cool extras to the harpie universe.

The novella and the shorts I don’t have exact dates for but it will be closer to February or March. More details soon to come.

Hello everyone,
I haven’t been blogging in a while but if anyone has been following my twitter updates(@Csibline), you may know why. I’m editing. Still editing. Windswept is determined to be the most difficult of all three books. Not only does it combine world building, it involves ‘ending’ too. And with all the details needing to be consistent, it’s a tough thing. But I’m very determined to do well and have been diligently taking others advice on it.
So I’m sure you don’t want to hear me rant about the editing process. I may highlight a few details I’ve found while doing it though.
First off, I’ve found the Airborne Saga really doesn’t want to end. Or at least the world that was built into the book. The characters and plot has so much more potency than I originally realized or expected. Now I’m not promising spin offs or even to extend Avery’s tale. But I have considered that Windswept may not be the total end of story…
Anyways, Windswept is still coming out in 2012! I originally predicted around fall (September, October). But then I also always find I can’t predict much of anything when a ton of the work (like proofreading) is given to people who aren’t me and people whose schedules I don’t control. It’s too close to the ending to say anything more drastic than 2012. One thing I won’t be doing with this book is have an extended countdown to release. When I know the date, I’ll give notice. But it may only be a month or even a week. I’ll try not to say ‘surprise! It’s on the shelves!’ although I suppose that’d be a nice surprise.
As always, writing is unfortunately not my full time job, just a part time one... on top of another part time one… on top of a full time one. So I’m hoping to get better at doing the classic book countdowns, reveals, and deadlines.
I have some more news! I’ve kept it under the rug for a while but I have been working on another project the last few months. This one is new and I haven’t even mentioned it before but the book has basically been writing itself. For those horror lovers out there, it’s a bit darker and creepier. But we have our lovely hero who gets to survive it all.
I’d give more details—and I plan to once I get the cover made and the synopsis written. Until then I’ll leave you with the warning of the nasty evil fairies that live below the ground and haven’t awoken for generation…until now.
I’ll get back to work now. In the meantime, feel free to check out my lovely friends at Dark-Horse-Indie who have been publishing awesome book after awesome book the last few months.

HEY!


Okay, I probably had to scream to get everyone’s attention. I’ve been very sparse on the interweb these days but I’m back to the blog with some updates (this is also proof that I’m not dead).


Windswept is on the way! I’m tentative to announce any specific dates because I rely on other people to help me proof it. The actual writing should be done in August and since that is the biggest issue, we’re looking at late September or October for publication. This book took forever compared to the other ones! The long wait isn’t a trend. Windswept was just the hardest as it was combined with my hardest year of grad school and because I need the series to go out with a bang. I’m getting all the ends wrapped up and such.


So yes, those listening to my rant, Windswept looks to be the final book of The Airborne Saga. At least in any foreseeable future!


One of the things I hate of any author is when the series is dragged out beyond its potential. I feel like Avery is really getting there. So I think it’s best to end this sooner than later. For the record though, Windswept is turning out to be the most massive book so the Mason fix will still be satisfied!


Anyways, I’ve actually began plotting a few new books to come after The Airborne Saga. None of the following books are harpie based. Two of which I mentioned in that ancient post that I’ve been meaning to update. The next book I’m planning to publish isn’t on that list.

I’m eager to release those details but in the meantime, I finally rewrote the Windswept synopsis to be closer to the actual plotline.


Here’s a glimpse that’s eventually going to be everywhere:


Two years ago, Avery never could have pictured willingly living with the supernatural civilization that had attempted to kill her. Not to mention joining that society when its monarch is an absolute upheaval. Naturally finding herself in the middle of it all, Avery is still fighting to stay in one piece. That is with or without the Willow magic.


Anyways, that's all for now!