On Gratitude

JK you don't need another post about gratitude, this one's about vampires

NOW

There’s a particular kind of tired that descends on me after I’ve finished a project. I feel wrung-out and empty. Slow, like my brain is that rainbow spinning wheel my computer gives me when it’s just so sick of my sh**. It still has to do what it’s told, but it’s gonna let me know it doesn’t like it.

But, tired or not, I’m happy. After drafting and revising and revising and revising and sitting at my best friend’s kitchen table for four days reading the entire manuscript aloud to myself, I finally got the ideas turned into the book I wanted. And, for the first time, you get to hear the new title.

“What about DRACULA AND LUCY? Why not keep that?”

Well, here’s the thing. Several informal polls made it clear that the majority of people saw the title DRACULA AND LUCY and assumed it was a romance between Dracula and my girl Lucy. Which. It is not. (You will discover my opinions on who and what Dracula is when you read the book. I’m not subtle.) And so, rather than be inundated with angry reviews over disappointed expectations, we decided to change the title. I still wanted to include Dracula, but centering Lucy. She’s the heart and soul and point of the book.

And so, without further ado, coming to you next year is:

LUCY UNDYING: A Dracula Story

Here are some tropes you’ll find in the book, because apparently tropes are trendy:

•Oops, there’s only one mausoleum

•Falling in love with someone through their (130 year old) diary

•Sexy furniture appraisal

•Touch her and I’ll kill you (again but permanently this time)

•Be gay, do crime (to fight vampiric multi-level marketing schemes)

•No need to read DRACULA first but the travel planning jokes will be funnier if you have (classic trope!!)

In all seriousness, giving Lucy a new (after)life means the world to me. LUCY UNDYING: A DRACULA STORY is romantic and thrilling and sexy and tense, and I hope you’ll preorder and add on Goodreads.

THEN

I’ve been thinking about the And I Darken trilogy, in no small part because it’s a quasi-historical fiction trilogy about the historical inspiration for Dracula. Every once in a while I think, “Maybe historical fiction again…” and then I remember how much work that was and my brain flees in the opposite direction.

But how amazing and wonderful is it that one of my best selling series ever took a relatively obscure 15th century Romanian prince, turned him into a girl, and said, “GUESS WHAT SHE’S NOT PRETTY OR NICE AND SHE NEVER WILL BE” and readers were like hell yeah.

I love you all for that. At every single stage I thought, “No one is going to want this,” and at every single stage you proved me wrong. It’s a good reminder to do the weird thing and trust that if I love it, someone else will, too.

NEXT

Know what events I have coming up? NONE. NONE EVENTS. Which is kind of a relief. The rainbow spinning wheel that is my brain needs some time off. Which it isn’t getting, because I still have another book to draft before the end of the year, and then another one to draft by the middle of next year. But getting to deep focus on drafting is my favorite. I’m looking forward to bundling up, snuggling in, and dreaming.

But! Don’t forget that the fifth and final Sinister Summer Series book is coming out in January! These delightful, absurdly macabre books are some of my favorite I’ve ever written, and would make a perfect gift for the middle grade reader (of any age) in your life. Mysterious Galaxy has signed copies in stock even!

Best idea: buy them for a young reader but read them yourself, first. They’re funny and weird and wonderful and you’ll love them. Speaking of funny and weird and wonderful, I’m finally reading the Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells and I adore them, so tuck that suggestion away if you need quick novella escapes this week to recharge.

UNTIL

next time, remember to do the weird thing you love, because life is short and your brain deserves joy, even / especially if it’s in rainbow spinning mode, too.

XOXO

Kiersten