Happy Friday, everyone!
Fair warning: this update is long and a bit of a rollercoaster - there is good news, bad news, mixed news, and generally awesome news. But please stick with me 'til the end; I promise it's worth it!
Okay. Let's rip off the Band-Aid and start with the bad news.
I'm just gonna give it to you straight: I won't be able to finish Talia and Zayn's story in time for the current release date for Linked, February 13th. In fact, because the scale of this series has exploded into full-on epic fantasy (with maps and fully-developed elvish languages and fae battles and ALL that juicy Tolkienesque stuff) I won't be able to finish their story in one book, period.
Which brings us to the mixed news...
Yup, you guessed it.
There will be one more deliciously steamy, hilarious, multidimensional installment in the Gilded Blood series in order to give Zayn and Talia the proper send-off that they, and you, deserve. Perhaps if I’d removed the steamy sex scenes, inappropriate jokes, snarky banter, Hollandaise sauce, and bad-mannered dungeon trolls from Linked, we could have reached a final – albeit hasty – conclusion within the confines of Book 3's beautiful front and back covers.
Alas, you and I have put too much time and emotional investment into these books to settle for a rushed ending. And Talia and Zayn deserve a fully fleshed-out story…including a few more🔥moments in the flesh, amiright? Hence the "mixed" news.
The Good News: you won't have to say goodbye to our favorite Miami tattoo artist as soon or as abruptly as you previously thought.
The Bad News: you will have to wait until the spring (May 16th, to be exact) for Synced, the final, glorious, epic conclusion to the Gilded Blood series. But I promise it will be worth the wait. (And the lack of sleep, on my part.)
Which brings me to my next piece of news: the good kind.
Linked, the epic, sweeping, penultimate installment of the Gilded Blood series, is FINISHED!!! It still needs to go through editing and proofreading and beta-reading, but the story itself is done, and I am very, very happy with it. Plus, because we're now ahead of schedule, the SUPER GOOD NEWS is that you'll get to read it one week early, On February 7th! And for those of you on my exclusive ARC team, you can expect your advanced copies in mid-January. Isn't that exciting??? That's, like, A MONTH AWAY.
(Holy CRAP, where did the year go?!?!)
Okay, okay... Last, but certainly not least, here is that generally awesome news I promised:
The release date for the Jinxed audiobook has been set: February 14th, exactly one week after Linked's release! (Happy Valentine's Day to us!!! ❤️❤️❤️)
As soon as I have a pre-order link from my publisher, you'll be the first to have it! In the meantime, if you haven't listened to the Inked audiobook, I cannot recommend it enough - even if you've read the book already. Tara Novie absolutely NAILS Talia's voice, and breathes life into her and all the other characters in a way no one else possibly could.
(By the way, if you have listened to the Inked audiobook, it would mean a LOT if you'd consider leaving a review. They help the algorithm, they help me score brownie points with my Publisher, and heck, they always make me smile, (particularly as I've been suffering from a smidge of seasonal affective disorder and burnout.))
So there you have it! The good, the bad, the mixed, and the generally awesome! And now, for those of you wonderful saints who have made it this far, here's a special treat: FAVORITE. After perusing my signed book shop, type that into the promo code field to enjoy $10 off any signed book of your choice.
Because I love you.
Yes, you.
Now what are you waiting for? Go get yourself some books. I hear they make you smarter and up to 11x better in bed.
XO
Rachel, Please don't reply to this email, as it won't make it to my inbox! For all direct replies, you can email me at RRener13@gmail.com :)