Happy February, Book Friends!

I hope your February is going well. Here in Southern Oregon, we have had snow covering our valley for the past two weeks! This is not normal weather for us . . . its been below freezing, which hardens the snow and makes it very heavy. And so, we lost our entire back fence last week during the initial snowfall! So that’s going to be a project this Spring. Besides that, though, it has been lovely seeing the snow covering the mountains and rural areas in the Rogue Valley.

January Wrap-up:

Last month, I participated in a Digital Detox/Fast with my church. After the busyness of marketing, writing, editing, and promoting books all year long in 2024, I desperately needed time to reset and recover. This 28-day challenge was exactly what I needed. I developed some great habits to help me stay focused while writing too. (see the above slide for a list of my takeaways from the digital break.)

Even though January was slow in the sense I took a break from social media and bookish events, it was still a productive and exciting month. I was able to devote my sole attention on two writing projects, and that leads me to the next bit of news . . .

Writing Update:

The 1st draft of the HEARTSMITH sequel is complete!

To celebrate, I revealed the title for it on social media a few days ago. Swipe through the slides above and you’ll find it!

I was pretty giddy after I completed the manuscript. I’ve been working on this book since September 2023, so for the past year and half. It feels amazing to have the 2nd installment in this series complete. And if you check the above slide, you’ll see I went a bit over my word count goal—which I’m not surprised about!

I’m so pleased with this first draft. I’d planned to give it a break for a week or two before I began revisions, but an idea popped in my head to tweak the ending a bit. So, I jumped back in and made the adjustments. I’ll let you know when I’m ready for Beta Readers! In HEARTWRECKED, you can expect more of the same adventure vibes as book 1, with plenty of witty banter, heart healing, macabre moments, Frankenstein-horror, fun team-ups, and a skyship race! Plus, there’s 2 new POV’s!

Who’s excited for the sequel?!

New Book Project

Also last month, I began working on The Clash of Kingdoms with my developmental editor, and we are almost done with it. I am so pleased with how much we’ve shaved off the word count and tightened up the prose. It is the first novel I ever wrote, and so, it holds deep meaning to me for many reasons. Everything I write now wouldn’t exist without me first stumbling through the writing process with this story, making blunders while developing my voice. But back then, I was just writing for me–there was no pressure to publish or share it with anyone. I was free to create and experiment.

It’s gone through so many drafts over the past 12 years, that I can’t even put a number on it. But I am looking forward to the day I can share this new Epic Fantasy series with you all. Like all my books, The Clash of Kingdoms is character-driven, and because it’s adult fantasy, it’s more of a slow-burn with court intrigue, kingdom politics and wars, and even a love triangle. There’s also shapeshifters too!

I haven’t begun the querying process yet or determined which publishing route I will take with this story. But I am not in a rush; its important to me to find the right home for it–especially since there’s 7 books that follow this one!

The Iron Kingdom Series:

I hope all you lovers of The Iron Kingdom series are excited for Book 3, The Ghost’s Gambit. I am eager to dive back into this world and begin editing rounds. I’ve even been playing with the idea of doing some of the character art illustrations for it in the interior. I’d love to make that happen, just like how I did in Heartsmith. So, hopefully, I find the time to do it!

I’m looking forward to sharing teaser snippets, character quotes, fun facts, and more with this book. The Ghost’s Gambit has all the nail-biting tension, high stakes, duels, action & adventure, and romantasy elements you’ve come to expect from the first 2 installments. There’s a few new surprises in book 3, such as 2 new POVs, which brings the total to 5 POVs for this book, including the villain’s!

Get the First 2 Books Today!Buy The Conjurer’s CurseBuy The Wraiths of ArjunBuy Signed CopiesLeave a Review on AmazonFor Steampunk LoversBuy HeartsmithBuy Signed CopyLeave a Review on AmazonFor Little Readers & Fable LoversBuy The Mountain of GoldBuy Signed CopyLeave a Review on AmazonThe Ink Mages Podcast:

The Ink Mages are back from our January break. We are already busy getting ready to launch a new UPDATE EPISODE this week, followed with another great BUDDY READ EPISODE later this month.

More interviews and tips episodes coming your way as well, so stay tuned. 

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

If you are a clean reads Fantasy or Sci-fi author, be sure to reach out to us and  Apply For Our Show . 

Don’t hesitate to check us out on Spotify and YouTube and give yourself a leg up on your writing & publishing. 

The Ink Mages is hosted by myself and my author friend, Angela R. Hughes  (Author of the Once & Future Chronicles).  Our podcast features all the 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 February!

~Stephanie CottaLinktr.eeBook Recommendation:

Monster Mountain is a thrilling, fast-paced portal fantasy that transports readers into an exciting adventure enriched with North Carolina folklore. Nicky, her younger brother Ben, and her best friend Winnie, are seasoned gamers who have navigated countless online adventures. But what happens when they venture into the North Carolina mountains and stumble upon a magical realm where their survival skills and teamwork are truly tested?

I thoroughly enjoyed this adventure. The characters are delightfully relatable, and their gamer lingo had me laughing out loud. We’re all gamers in my household, so I could easily see my kids immersing themselves in this story. Monster Mountain is perfect for fans of portal adventures, middle-grade reads with plucky characters, friendship, survival challenges, folklore creatures, and witty banter.

This book releases March 25, 2025 and is available for preorder.

Check out book here