Happy March, Book Friends!

I’m excited Spring is nearly here. The sun has been out the last several days, and my kids and I have taken walks with our corgis, Walter and Fred. I’m looking forward to the daffodils and tulips blooming, the blossom trees, and the lush green emerging on the hills. What’s your favorite part about Spring?

February Wrap-Up:

I spent some time last month devoted to rebranding my website: making all my banners look more uniform, adding my new author logo, and creating a color scheme that’s more geared toward fantasy.

I spent much of last weekend working on my cover for The Ghost’s Gambit. I showed a mock-up to my publisher, and she loved it so much that we felt it was time to update the covers on my first two books in the series, so this way everything matches. I’ve been working on that too, redesigning the title fonts, and I’m very pleased with how they look on The Conjurer’s Curse and The Wraiths of Arjun. Hopefully, I can finalize all the cover details soon and share them with you. They look so EPIC!

Early February, I finished drafting Heartwrecked, the sequel to Heartsmith. After setting it aside for a few days, I got an idea to adjust the ending slightly, so I went ahead and did it. And just last week, my mother and I completed reading the first draft out loud–this is a crucial step I’ve done with every book I’ve written. Now that the book has had its first pass with my mom (my trusty editor and alpha reader), I’ll soon be reading it through in preparation for beta readers, so stay tuned for that. I’ll have signups soon!

Blog & Giveaway

Heartsmith–A Dynamic Steampunk Fantasy, an Author Interview, and a Great Giveaway

Check out this blogspot for Heartsmith on Carol Baldwin‘s blog. Carol left a wonderful review for Heartsmith and interviewed me too! She’s kindly offering up her gently read copy of Heartsmith with book swag to one lucky winner. All you have to do is leave a comment on the blog to enter. So what are you waiting for? Go read the blog!

*See the bottom of this newsletter for my review for Carol Baldwin’s debut YA Historical Fiction, Half-Truths. Releasing April 2025.

The Iron Kingdom Series:

I’ve been making my way through the last revision draft before I hand the manuscript off to my editor. I’ve cut over 1k words so far, which is great! I’ve been eliminating unnecessary words and tightening the prose. I also created a page for The Ghost’s Gambit on my website, and it is now live. You can check it out below:

Discover More about The Ghost’s GambitGet the First 2 Books Today!Buy The Conjurer’s CurseBuy The Wraiths of ArjunBuy Signed CopyLeave a Review on AmazonFor Steampunk LoversBuy HeartsmithBuy Signed CopyLeave a Review on AmazonAdd on GoodreadsFor Little Readers & Fable LoversBuy The Mountain of GoldBuy Sign CopyLeave a Review on AmazonThe Ink Mages Podcast:

The Ink Mages have excited news to share with you. Watch our UPDATE EPISODE to learn all about our upcoming book releases, works in progress, and an exciting new publishing opportunity for authors.

Watch Episode hereListen on Spotify

Did you know we love to interview Fantasy Authors? Did you know we have Buddy Read Episodes, where we read and review indie books? 

If you are a clean reads Fantasy or Sci-fi author, be sure to reach out to us and submit your book for our Buddy Read or Apply For Our Show.

The Ink Mages is hosted by myself and my author friend, Angela R. Hughes  (Author of the Once & Future Chronicles).  Our podcast features Nerdy Banter about all things fantasy, world building, story craft, myths & legends, and of course, our own imaginative stories. 

You can find our first episode by CLICKING HERE:  The Ink Mages Podcast

Please help us by subscribing to our channel, sharing the episodes, and leaving comments. 

Let’s Dare to Make-Believe.

Thank you all for joining me on my author journey. Have a lovely March!

~Stephanie CottaLinkTreeBook Recommendation:

Half-Truths is a dynamic YA historical fiction that spotlights a young woman’s dream of becoming a journalist amidst the backdrop of racial tension in 1950s North Carolina. Baldwin’s opening pages plunges the reader right into the chaotic turmoil of a KKK rally, doing a fantastic job of immersing you in the time period. Her prose and storytelling is authentic and illuminates what it was like to live in the 1950s through the eyes of 15-year-old Kate Dinsmore. Kate dreams of attending college to become a journalist, but with her parents unable to afford it, her only hope lies with her wealthy grandparents. To secure their support, she must abide by her grandmother’s strict rules and act in a socially acceptable manner, putting her at odds with old friends and even the household staff. The story is rich with secrets, including concealed family ties. As Kate’s search for a compelling story leads her to uncover truths in her “own backyard,” she faces a pivotal decision: to do what’s right or remain silent, as her family has done for decades.

I love historical fiction, and this book is a true gem. Baldwin’s authentic storytelling captivated me, and the use of “real” newspaper headlines at the start of each chapter added an extra layer of realism that enhanced the narrative. I learned a great deal from this book and could easily see it being included in school curriculums as a historical exploration of racial tensions in the 1950s.

Half-Truths releases April 2, 2025 from Monarch Press.

Preorder here