To say that this year has been difficult feels like calling lava hot. Saying so, screaming it so (as I'm sure we've all done a few times!) feels like adding my voice to the millions- just one more grating sound to add to the awful background noise of 2020/21. But I'm saying it anyway: it's been rough. And I know how lucky I am, how absolutely like heaven my experience of this year has been compared to most. With that in mind, it feels weird to celebrate even the smallest milestone, though I tell everyone else they need to go for it. We need more celebrations in this world! We need more milestones and moments to be proud of, we need everyone we can get. But I am notoriously bad at following my own advice (like, ridiculously bad) and so I've kept quiet about my books and my author life moments.
Unfortunately, doing so also felt like pulling back from supporting my fellow authors. I've posted a thousand photos of birds and dogs and chickens over on Instagram this past year and done only a handful of interviews, written even less articles, promoting other authors and their work. So it feels doubly weird to promote a paperback release- and yet, here I am. 
Holding Smoke , the third and final book of my Lightwood series came out in paperback today. Holding Smoke originally came out in late January of last year and while I managed to squeeze in a few events before everything went into lockdown, I don't feel like I pushed as hard to promote the book as I had my four others. I was already hitting burnout mode and wanting some downtime when the book first hit shelves. And then, of course, the pandemic made sure I got the time I had wanted. 
So what I have done the past year? Besides photograph birds? I DID use that time. I spent the first half of the year finishing up what I like to call "the book of my heart." I spent the second half of the year researching and outlining the next book while stressing constantly, experiencing plunging self-doubt and dark moments of crushing panic as "the book of my heart" went out on submission. 
Without conferences and events, bookstore readings, traveling, meeting new writer friends and catching up, I felt like my author-fire was burning low. Hell, let's be real, I still feel that way. It's hard to complain and hard not to, but I know a lot of you are walking the same path right now. I see you and I know, it's not fun. Somedays, I'm certain that I'm not much more than a chicken-raiser who writes, instead of a writer who raises chickens. (sorry, I have a new rooster that is taking up a lot of time right now so this is on my mind...) In all reality, I'm working my ass off on the new book that is by far the most difficult and complicated project I've ever attempted. I should be proud of how hard I'm working- some days I am and some days, well, see the "plunging self-doubt" part above. 
I thought about letting today just pass by, but I care too much about the Story, the world, the characters of my Lightwood trilogy to do so. With Holding Smoke, I gave them everything I could and if I didn't work as hard to promote the finale of the series, it's still all there on the page. So, congrats to me and congrats to Holding Smoke hitting the paperback mark!
And, even more importantly, MOST importantly, thank you to everyone who has supported me and this series. Everyone who wrote reviews and joined me at readings and shared book photos and cheered me on. Everyone who loved Ramey and hated Sister Tulah (or loved to hate her, rather), everyone who read the book and passed it along- thank you. An author is nothing without readers and I have the best readers. 
I hope to get back to promoting authors again, so that I can give back or pay it forward to all the amazing writers I'm honored to know and will hopefully be lucky enough to know in the future. Cheers to you!

💥💥💥

Praise for Holding Smoke:
 "Terrific...A born storyteller, Post expertly weaves these disparate plot strands into a wholly satisfying if inevitable ending." ―Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) 
"A pedal-to-the-metal tale of Southern gothic noir...Post keeps the reader guessing who, if anyone, will come out of this wild ride alive." ―Colette Bancroft, Tampa Bay Times 
"Steph Post is a big, bold and welcome fresh voice in this world. Her authentic tales of those living in a whirlwind of chaos and violence is a game-changer." ―Ace Atkins
"Post draws the Judah Cannon trilogy to an appropriate conclusion here, with her trademark crisp dialogue and action-packed, dark-edged storytelling again providing the appeal." ―Booklist 
Praise for Lightwood and Walk in the Fire:
“Steph Post is a great new discovery. Her stories carry a dark pulse that keeps the perfect beat in a world where people put everything they’ve got on the line.” ―Michael Connelly
"Post combines classical genre tropes with a touch of Harry Crews–style Southern gothic in this terrific crime novel.” ―Publishers Weekly (Starred Review of Walk in the Fire) 
 “Brilliant...Lightwood solidifies Steph Post as the official voice of working class literature in Florida, akin to what Daniel Woodrell has done for Missouri, or Ron Rash for the Carolinas.” ―Brian Panowich
"Post paints a large, vivid cast...Post's Florida is rather farther north than the world of Carl Hiaasen's fiction, but they share the dark comedy, intricate plotting and strong sense of paltry sin and mordant evil. Readers who like Hiaasen should find Lightwood well to their taste." ―Wilmington Star-News
(Thank you to these reviewers and to Everyone who reviewed and blurbed these novels- you can read their words on the book's separate pages. Much love.)