Coming in hot early this Friday morning. Not to brag, but I'm going to be out of office for the next 24 hours, spending Beltane with Florence and the Machine. (Hello Atlanta! I am in you.)
I did the writing update section of this newsletter first, but I had to laugh when I drew the 4 of Swords for our collective reading as well. It feels like we're working with a theme here. Good ol' Scorpio energy, it's as subtle as a sledgehammer.
The 4 of Swords tends to show up in readings when we need to take a break. I'm so sorry to curse you with this message. Trust me. I am just as devastated to be told to chill.
In all seriousness, the 4 of swords is a reminder to pause, meditate on what is depleting you, and assess how you can energize yourself.
We are all a bit overstimulated between the 24/7 news cycle and addiction to social media. I've seen so many people stepping away from socials to get back in touch with joy.
This full moon in Scorpio finds many of us torn between a desire to stay informed and the blaring alarm bells of burnout insisting we disconnect for a bit.
Even if you can only pause for a day, a couple of hours, or twenty minutes, navigating these deep waters requires attention. Don't be surprised if you're hit by grief you thought you'd already processed, or anger you weren't expecting. These hidden depths can be frustrating to navigate.
Wishing you a pleasant full moon.
What you'll find in the rest of this email:
THE POISON DAUGHTER - News and Stats
Writing Update - Ballad of the Heartless
A more in-depth Pick a Card Tarot reading
TBR Stack
TPD Q&A - popular requests
TPD Merch
TPD Stats and News:
A reminder that the new US/Canada Deluxe hardcover from Slowburn, with sprayed edges and the beautiful Harlow art case cover, is a limited edition. I know we all like to procrastinate until the very last minute, but it will only be available on the first print run, so I HIGHLY recommend preordering early to make sure you get it.
I've received a lot of questions about the specs for the UK/Australia/New Zealand Editions, but I don't have the full details on those yet. I promise I will share as soon as I do. You can preorder those editions here.
What I will say is that wherever you preorder from, you should hold on to your receipt. I should have more details on preorder incentives very soon.
While the print copies of The Poison Daughter have come down, the ebook has been holding its own. TPD has been inside the top 40 books on Amazon AND the best seller in the Dark Fantasy Horror category for ten weeks. Goodreads reviews are at 54,300, and Amazon reviews have grown to 28,498.
It also hit 150 Million Page Reads on Wednesday, just in time for its seven-month birthday on Sunday. I hit 100 million on March 25th, so to hit another 50 million a month later is pretty wild.
What I'm Writing:
BALLAD OF THE HEARTLESS - Drafting
I write this from the airport where I am about to fly to Atlanta to see my writing wife, Liz Leiby, and more importantly (no offense, Liz. I know you understand) FLORENCE AND THE MACHINE. ON BELTANE. WHILE THERE IS A FULL MOON IN SCORPIO. I have never been more ready. My feral forties are in full swing, and I'm so excited to scream sing along with the witch choir. Don't expect me to have a voice next week.
I don't know if such a thing exists, but this feels like a FATED CONCERT!
It also seems a particularly appropriate concert to go to while I'm drafting Ballad of the Heartless.
This book draws on the ways that society harvests magic from women and Everybody Scream is certainly a commentary on women's righteous anger and place in the world.
I've been on quite a reading kick over the past few weeks. I've always been very cyclical when it comes to refilling my creative well. No matter how many times I remind myself that this is part of my job, it still feels like I have to earn the time I spend reading, watching movies, or listening to music.
This is probably not specific to writers. I'm sure a lot of us feel like we have to earn joy, and creativity is often seen as something extra, or a treat, as opposed to a necessary part of our lives. Now more than ever, we need joy. We need whimsy. We need to have all of our drinks out of fancy glassware just because. (Okay, that last one is for me specifically.)
The point is that if we only treat creativity and refilling our creative wells as something we do when we have the time....it will never happen. As the saying goes, "the days are long but the years are short." Before you know it, you haven't read a book in months.
Art makes us feel connected. It reminds us of our humanity, and maybe more importantly, that we are not alone in our struggles.
So while I will be "everybody screaming" this weekend, I hope you will go find your own way to enjoy art and embrace a little whimsy.
three cards from the threads of fate tarot face down on a wood surface
Full Moon in Scorpio - This full moon illuminates all the unprocessed thoughts and feelings that we shoved into a dark corner in the back of your mind. What you resist persists. This lunation will drag it all out into the light.
Take a few grounding breaths and choose the card you feel most drawn to.
Then, scroll down for the reading reveal.
For the TBR Stack:
Last Resort by Liz Leiby - I mentioned my writing wife, Liz, earlier, but I'm back to tell you to preorder her spicy second-chance romance, Last Resort. It's out May 20th, and it features a burned-out art teacher who goes on her honeymoon trip alone after some loser calls off their wedding at the last minute. The trip is her chance to decompress, and it's all going according to plan until she runs into her first love, who is also staying at the resort. (Did I mention he's a retired hockey player turned contractor?) You don't want to miss this one:
All the Wonder of Wishes by Hillary Raymer- This is the fourth book in a series of interconnected standalones, and each book follows a different sibling. I'm particularly excited for this one because it features a neurodivergent FMC, baby dragons, and reluctant allies. She uses her magic to save his life, but it's a life he never wanted. Chaos ensues.
Judgement- You may be feeling frustrated that you've changed profoundly, but the people in your life are still treating you the same. This cards shows up when you're feeling tested. Reconnect with the motivation that drove you to evolve in the first place. It's up to you if you hold firm to gorwth or revert to old toxic behaviors.
4 of Swords Rx - You refuse to slow down in any way, and your body and mind are starting to get loud about it. Now is the time to heed those signals. Find new ways to rest. Add moments of quiet into your daily routine. Your mind is addicted to the busy-ness, but it needs some time to rest.
9 of Cups - You have been able to do amazing things on your own. Nobody doubts your strength. But you need to consider whether that self-reliance is driven by a healthy desire to do something on your own, or a fear of allowing yourself to rely on someone who might let you down. There's a big difference betwene emotional resilience and avoiding vulnerability.
I hope your card was resonant.
In the Media:
We have not one, not two, BUT THREE new podcasts this week, all with very different vibes.
NEW - Goblin's Gonna Yap - This was such a fun chat about The Poison Daughter, indie to trad transitions, and quite a few other side quests. In short, I understood the assignment and yapped my heart out.
NEW - The Other Side of the Page Podcast - We chatted about the breakout success of The Poison Daughter, all things going indie to trad, chronic illness representation, and more! My favorite part was picking songs for the characters since I am wholeheartedly a song vibes writer.
NEW- Chapter One Podcast - These ladies did a read along discussion over the past few weeks, which culminated in a chat where I answered all of their burning questions about this world, Harlow, and Henry, and the twists that had them reeling.
Book Bits & Chill Podcast - I had the best time chatting with Cassie and Emily (who record live from their beds in pjs) about all things Poison Daughter. There are some light spoilers in here but we give a warning before we get into the most spoilery content. This is a great episode for anyone who isn't related to me (hi mom.)
Storybeast Podcast - I was a guest on Story Beast, which is one of my favorite bookish pods. What I love about this show is that they talk so much about the creative journey of writing a book. I love hearing other authors talk about craft, but as we all know, I also just love to yap about it myself.
The Broke Book Girls Podcast - I had a lovely chat about The Lost God Series and The Poison Daughter with Anne and Bree of the Broke Book Girls Podcast last week. It will air tomorrow/today, depending on where you are in the world.
A. It's coming out along with the new hardcover on August 18, 2026.
In the meantime, you can find my entire backlist on audio with some truly phenomenal narrators.
Q. Will there be any special editions of TPD?
A. Yes. I know how much a special edition is coveted, so I've covered all my bases, trying to get TPD as many special edition opportunities as possible. Right now, there is one upcoming subscription box that I've hinted at, as well as a two preorders that I'm sworn to secrecy about. I loathe keeping my own secrets, but I'm afraid I must for now. I promise I will share loudly and repeatedly as soon as I'm permitted.
Q. Do you offer signed copies?
A. I don't at the present moment. Unfortunately, I don't have time to manage fulfillment. I would like to be able to offer signed copies in the future, and this newsletter will be the first place to hear about it.
Q. I loved TPD. What should I read next from your backlist?
Q. What's the best way to get more people to read TPD?
A. There are a few things you can do to help the book grow.
First of all, I am forever shamelessly asking for reviews because they are the metric most of the publishing industry uses to gauge readership. I would be very grateful if you would leave a quick one or two-line review for my books on Amazon and Goodreads if you haven't already done so. You can copy the review from one platform to another.
Second, you can request a physical copy of TPD at your local library. Not only does this help me, it also helps local readers find a new romantasy read, and provides evidence that your librarians can use to prove that local readers are using their services. Most libraries have a digital or physical form you can fill out. Your local librarian would probably be thrilled to point you in the direction of it.
Finally, you can recommend the book to your reader friends, share it in Facebook reader groups, tell your local bookstore to stock it, or post about it on social media.
Every little bit counts, and I'm so grateful for your support.
Book Bonus Chapters:
The Poison Daughter bonus epilogue is now available here and should be read after finishing the book, as it contains major spoilers.
A Legacy of Stars bonus epilogue is available here and should be read after finishing the book, as it contains some major spoilers.
Song of the Dark Wood bonus chapter from Cade's POV is available here. It does contain spoilers and should not be read until after you've finished the book.
The Lost God bonus chapter of Rainer's POV is available here. (This is a spoiler so don't read it until you're finished reading the book.)
The Memory Curse bonus chapter of Evan and Sylvie's meet cute is available here.
The Storm King bonus chapter of a villain POV is available here. (This is a spoiler so don't read it until you're finished reading the book.)
The Godless Kingdom bonus extended epilogue is available here. (This has MAJOR series spoilers. Don't read it until you finish The Godless Kingdom)
Sheila Bookish Merch:
I am delighted that there are currently two shops offering some amazing and creative bookish merch.
Sheila Reads and writes Happy New Moon! This Gemini new moon is here to help us evaluate our social circles. Perhaps this is a time of embracing new connections and friendships. It's a great time to plant seeds for the connections you would like to make in the coming months. I drew The Magician for our collective reading and the message seems very centered on holding a specific visions for the kinds of people you're hoping to call into your life. Be intentional. Think quality, not quantity....
Sheila Reads and writes Happy Full Moon! I hope this blue moon is treating you well. This full moon in adventurous Sagittarius authorize the opportunity to be bold. I drew the 2 of Wands for our collective reading. This card tends to pop up when we need to hold both a delusional vision for our future and the discernment to know what we can do to work toward it. When we lead with that inspired energy, things tend to move much more quickly. The 2 of Wands is the foundation for building our...
Sheila Reads and writes Happy New Moon! I hope you're resting and enjoying the fruits of your labor. I'm back from Atlanta and things are really heating up for The Poison Daughter Rerelease. I'm so impatient to share with all of you, but suffice it to say, there's a lot going on in the background to prep and I'll have some exciting things to share in the coming weeks. For now, let's go right into the new moon reading since today's card jumped right out of my deck. The Queen of Cups flew out...