Happy September, Book Friends!

I hope everyone had a restful Labor Day weekend and a nice end of summer. Here in Southern Oregon, we had a little cold spurt at the end of August, so the leaves have already started changing. I’ve enjoyed watching the subtle shifts in colors on my hikes nearby my house. What I am most excited about this month, though, is my upcoming trip to Forks, WA for the Forever Twilight Festival. (More details on that further down in the newsletter.) It’s going to be an amazing trip and surely the highlight of the month. Plus, I’m gearing up for Heartsmith‘s release, which is only a few weeks away!

August Wrap-Up:

I did not schedule any events in August, and honestly, I needed the break to recoup from Comic Con and was ready for things to slow down. I wanted to have a month dedicated to resting and writing. I spent a lot more time outside, taking walks with the dogs, hiking, hitting the gym, and spending time with my family. I was able to finish reading four books too, one of which I feature at the end of the newsletter, so be sure to check it out.

What’s new?Heartsmith is now available for Preorder!

It’s amazing I can finally announce this exciting news. Preorder my upcoming book today at your favorite book retailer! Here’s just a few where you can secure your copy of Heartsmith, which is currently available for preorder in Paperback and Ebook. I can’t wait for you all to read this thrilling genre mashup!

Preorder on AmazonPreorder at Barnes & Noble

And, guess what? I’m running a Preorder Promo for Heartsmith!

Check out the special preorder promo I’m running now till release day. (Oct 1st) For those who preorder my new book, HEARTSMITH, I’ll send you a free bookmark and stickers. Just email a screenshot of your order of a physical book, along with your address, and I’ll get your book swag sent to you. (US only) Email me at: s.daniellacotta@gmail.com

And if you’re wondering if Heartsmith is a book that’s up your alley or someone you know who loves reading, check out the tropes in the graphic below. Heartsmith is a YA Steampunk Gothic Horror that is under a “cleanreads” label, which means there is no swearing, no spice, or graphic violence or gore. It is light on the “horror,” with the spooky elements stemming from reanimated corpses that appear in the story. Think Oliver Twist meets Frankenstein, with the adventure aspects of Treasure Planet.

And check out this glowing 5 Star Review I received from Reader’s Favorite for Heartsmith! It’s so wonderful seeing that 5 Star seal next to my book. Read the full review here: https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/heartsmith

Writing Update:

I made great progress on the Heartsmith sequel during August. In my last newsletter, the sequel to Heartsmith was sitting at 24k words. Now it’s at 44k! Which means, I’ve passed the 50% mark with the first draft. I’m aiming for 75-80k words, and I don’t foresee I’ll go over that. I’ve been staying close to my loose outline (how I imagine the plot in my head) and already have my ending scene written too! I’d love to finish the first draft in November, or possibly even sooner. Here’s to hoping the second half of the story flows smoothly.

New Merchandise:

Merchandise is here for Heartsmith! Check out all the stylish merch I designed for my YA Steampunk Gothic Horror, Heartsmith! There’s an assortment of sweaters, hoodies, shirts, tank tops, drinkware, and accessories.

Shop NowUpcoming Events:

My next event is the Forever Twilight Festival in Forks, WA, on Friday September 13th. I will be road tripping up to this event with my friend and podcast co-host, Angela R. Hughes. We are so excited, and can’t wait to meet the other featured authors, along with all the attendees at the Festival. I am looking forward to sharing The Conjurer’s Curse and The Wraiths of Arjun with new readers and enjoying all the fun festivities at the event. If you’re near Forks, WA, come visit me at my table and pick up a signed copy!

And for those local to my area in Southern Oregon, I have an event coming up at Village Books in October to celebrate the release of Heartsmith. Check out the details below:

Podcast:

Check out The Ink Mages Podcast! Our latest episode was an interview with A.M. Daylin, author of Where Darkness Cannot Follow. Her book is fantastic, and one you don’t want to miss! Give the interview a watch and leave a comment–we’d love to hear from you! And if you haven’t watched our episodes, give us a listen and subscribe to our YouTube Channel or listen on Spotify. Check out our latest episodes using the links below:

Watch on YouTubeListen on SpotifyThe Iron Kingdom Series:

If you haven’t read The Iron Kingdom Series and are looking to start something new and exciting this fall, check out my YA Fantasy series. It has everything you could want in a story: action & adventure, mystery, buried secrets, a hero you can’t help but love, clean swoon-worthy romance, multi-POVs, antihero POV, friends/enemies to lovers, deadly curses and monsters, found family, high stakes, and the importance of community and friendship.

And if you have read The Conjurer’s Curse and The Wraiths of Arjun, please do me a huge favor and leave a review. I need just 11 more reviews for The Conjurer’s Curse to hit 50, which is a big milestone. Reviews help encourage other people to read my books, and increase my ranking on Amazon, which is huge!

Buy The Conjurer’s CurseBuy The Wraiths of ArjunSigned CopiesLeave a Review on AmazonLeave a Review on GoodreadsShop the Merchandise StoreThe Mountain of Gold:

My debut picture book, The Mountain of Gold, has been out for nearly four months now. I have been so blessed by its warm reception. Thank you all to those who’ve already purchased a copy; I appreciate it so much. I hope you and your families enjoy it for many years to come. Consider it as a gift for the budding readers in your life or anyone who loves a fable with a positive message.

Buy on AmazonSigned CopyLeave a Review on AmazonLeave a Review on Goodreads

Thank you, book friends, for supporting me, encouraging me, and for reading my books. You mean the world to me. I hope you all have a fantastic September!

– Stephanie Cotta

LinkTr.eeBook Recommendation:

Reign Returned by Katie Keridan had so much to love and keep me intrigued. From the immersive worldbuilding, love that transcends time and realms, dragons, fascinating character dynamics, animal familiars with whimsical personalities, and a unique magic system, this story will appeal to lovers of fantasy and slow burn romance. I appreciated that the slow burn romance took its time to strengthen and build. So often the insta-love trope gets cliche and boring, so Keridan’s slow burn was the right level of pacing for me to get to know the two POV characters and their strengths and flaws without the romance muddying the character dynamics. The ending was satisfying and has me eager to read the next installment! 

Available on Amazon and where books are sold.

Check out book here