Hey y’all!
I know, I know: This newsletter is three days late, but for good reason! I took a mini vacation to see family and attend my friend’s wedding. For the past seven days, I have done exactly ZERO work. (Okay, maybe I posted a thing or two, but they were scheduled, so I didn’t have to worry too much.)
The first day without my laptop by my side made me itch. I needed to do something! Not answering emails or scrolling for content ideas was rough…until it wasn’t.
Instead of doing those things, I recharged by spending time with my husband (18-hour car trips = quality bonding time) and actually reading books! I made it through two books in those two days of driving, and it was delightful. (See which books I read this month below.)
We ended up exploring (and getting lost) on our road trip, which led to views like this:
Sometimes, the best things in life are unexpected. If my author journey has taught me anything thus far, it’s that!
Let’s rewind and take a look at Paper Castles’s release month.
Can you believe Paper Castles only released a month ago? I can’t! So much has happened since then, and I can’t wait to see what happens next.
I appreciate when indie authors are transparent about realistic sales numbers and all that jazz, so I’ll share a little bit here. Feel free to skip to the next bolded heading if you avoid looking at others’ numbers for any reason. I get it. :)
Paper Castles sold 56 copies (including preorders) and had 1,723 page reads (about five full reads) on Kindle Unlimited in its first month. While it wasn’t a bestseller, it was more than I ever imagined.
If you bought or read Paper Castles, I’m so grateful for you. If you haven’t, I’m still grateful you’re coming along for the ride!
Read Paper Castles for “free” for the next three months!
Paper Castles is on Kindle Unlimited right now! It will only be available through KU until August 3rd, so be sure to read it soon if you have a membership. You can find Paper Castles on Amazon here.
What’s new with book two?
That’s an excellent question! PC2 will be released in early 2025—I have a release date in mind, but I don’t want to make any promises just yet.
Don’t fret, I’ll have more news this month, including the title reveal over on my Instagram!
Keep an eye on your inbox for news about another exciting project in the Paper Castles universe…
In May, I…
Read…
Dust Spells - Andrea Lynn (ARC): I loved this YA Historical Fantasy book that was equal parts magical, mysterious, thrilling, and romantic. It released May 7th, and you can find my review on Instagram and Goodreads!
Waves of Redemption - S.L. Klein (ARC): This was an amazing book that I recommend to all fans of Christian Historical Fiction. It released May 31st, and you can find my review on Instagram and Goodreads!
Sweet Nightmare - Tracy Wolff (Audiobook): I listened to the Crave series on audiobook, so naturally, I did the same thing with the spin-off! These books capture my attention so easily…and they also make me really productive. I cleaned my whole house listening to this book, just because I wanted to know what happened next.
The Elflaine Chronicles: Ballad of Dawn - Haley Hamilton (ARC): If you’re a fan of fae, Scottish lore, and slow burn romance, you’ll love love love this book. I’ll be posting my review soon!
Watched…
Chuck: If you’ve been following the newsletter, you know that I’ve been watching this show for ages. It’s hard to find time when my husband and I aren’t working, but we love this show! We’re in the middle of season 4.
The Society: I will forever lament that this show didn’t get a second season.
Bridgerton Season 3, Part 1: Had a fun watch party with some friends (and we all didn’t wait to watch it together, of course).
Wrote…
PC2: I finished the first draft in late May, and after implementing critique partner feedback, I’ll be sending it off to beta readers (hopefully by July).
Paper Castles Special Project: I outlined and started this, but it will likely change a bit over the drafts. Right now, I’m happy to explore the world a bit more!
Vampire WIP and Camp WIP: These are on the sidelines while I’m focusing on the Special Project, but I made a little progress on them.
See you next month!
Keep up with my day-to-day author/grad student life on Instagram. I haven’t been very active on TikTok, but you can find some updates there as well @ellieemberwrites.