Unexpectedly: Jaran
audiobooks as well as thoughts on new ways of working
For a long time I simply assumed the Jaran books and the Crossroads Trilogy had no chance of being picked up for audio versions. But times have changed and audio is a hot market — so hot that audio companies are pulling in backlist because even a modest backlist title is now worth recording and putting on sale.
So, faster than I thought possible, JARAN is out now in audio format, narrated by Cindy Kay, published by Tantor Media.
Books 2, 3, and 4 will be out in quick succession (September, October, December, this year!). Incredible.
If you are an audiobook listener, this is your time. Crossroads will publish in audio form next year, and Crown of Stars book 7 is recorded and will be out next month (September).
It really is the golden age of audiobooks.
Otherwise I am plugging away.
The secret project I can’t announce yet is turned in. It will go through the editorial process next. Someday it will be announced but I don’t know when.
I have four short stories to write/finish, which is a lot for me. What was I thinking??? Two are for the Cold Magic collection, the last two of the stories (all the rest are done). The other two are for other projects unrelated to any of my worlds/series.
After some (not very thorough) research, I purchased Aeon Timeline, a hyperlinked outlining program that I am going to use to attempt to do a very detailed outline of Lady Chaos. As I’ve said before, I’ve written a chunk of book 3, but if I just write forward I’ll end up with an even larger and more ungainly tome, and I must keep this one streamlined, which in my terms for this project means: no longer than Furious Heaven. Thus I will be creating an extensive hyperlinked outline so put a fence around my tendency to sprawl while writing a first “discovery” structural draft.
If it turns out to be workable and useful for me, I will write about it more, as I get deeper into the intensive outlining process.
If I have learned anything over the years, it is that I need to be flexible. Different projects may need different approaches, even if I would just rather stick to my familiar, comforting method. Needs change. Fresh mechanisms can shake loose bits and pieces that have gotten stuck. Or so I hope. Wish me luck. Lady Chaos is going to be a long haul. I’ll need all the luck I can get.
Fair warning: September may — or may not — involve an uptick in posting, as I am going on a trip and may decide to post about the trip at intervals. Or I may not. We shall see.
Besides the forthcoming audiobooks there is nothing in the publishing wind in the near future, but of course all my books are available in ebook format, some in print still, and many (now) in audio format. Now is a good time to catch up on backlist you haven’t read!
For those wondering how they might help Maui recover from the devastating fires that engulfed historic Lahaina Town and burned homes in Upcountry as well, Hawaii Community Foundation: Maui Strong is a reliable fund, as well as Hawaii Foodbank.
Just a quick reminder (although I’ve said this before) that I live on Oahu, not Maui, so am not personally directly impacted, but everyone in Hawaii is staggered and reeling from the speed and catastrophic breadth of the destruction.
As for Finn: look at this saddest face. I have no idea what was going on (he was at camp) but most likely someone wasn’t petting him. The horror!
Thank you for reading. As always, I could not do this without you.
Kate Elliott