Happy New Moon!

There is some pretty agitating astrology in the mix at the moment, but this new moon is a moment to pause and reflect on the conflicts that have made us the people we are today.

It feels appropriate that I pulled the 9 of Cups for our collective reading. I've been in a mode of reflecting on the conflicts that have made me who I am today and brought me one of the most exciting and fulfilling years of my life.

Sometimes we avoid conflict because we don't want to manage the discomfort of working through it. The 9 of Cups is a reminder to look at the emotional lessons we've learned along the way, and take stock of how much satisfaction has come from working through discomfort to address any ongoing issues.

In fact, often the avoidance of dealing with an issue creates more angst than simply facing it head on.

Take some time under the darkness of this new moon to sit with the trials that have made you who you are today.

In the rest of this email you'll find some important updates about upcoming projects, new artwork and events, so please read all the way to the end.

Wishing you a pleasant new moon.

What you'll find in the rest of this email:

• The Poison Daughter - 1 year Book Birthday
• Update TPD Inventory
• Writing Update - Ballad of the Heartless
• Spooky Backlist Spotlight - Song of the Dark Wood
• 3 New Song of the Dark Wood Art Pieces
• TBR Updates
• Fall Events Schedule
• TPD Charity Calendar - Last Call
• Foxglove TLG Special Edition Cancellation Reminder
• Podcast/Media Updates
• TPD Q&A - popular requests
• TPD Merch

TPD Updates:

This week marked a year since I first self-published The Poison Daughter. Here is a recap of how far it's come in that time and this is just my indie stats 🤯

Plus a pretty epic Traditional Publishing Bestseller run:

And of course the big one:

One of the most popular questions from my tour was if there were any updates on the series. For now, I don't have anything to share, but I promise this will be the first place to catch any updates, so please stay tuned.

I feel like a broken record, but this book has overshot even my wildest expectations. I'm truly living the dream and I'm so grateful for your support along the way.

North American Deluxe Hardcover Inventory:

Because of some printing delays in the US you have had trouble finding The Poison Daughter hardcover at your local B&N, indie bookshop, or target. Rest assured that we've just received the next print run and you should see it back in stock over the next week or two and all of the backorders should be resolved.

The deluxe sprayed edge editions are just about gone. You may find a few out there still, but they are very few and far between at this point. If you are looking for a copy or have an issue with delivery, please contact the retailer you ordered from. I do not manage inventory and given the extremely low stock at this point, I don't know where the first edition is still available.

Order the US/Canada Deluxe hardcover.

UK Hardcover Inventory Update:

Reminder that we are now in the last of the deluxe UK Hardcover of The Poison Daughter in the UK, which means that all copies of the deluxe first edition stock are off to retailers, and you will mostly see the second edition in stores now.

The second edition has plain edges, a larger version of the maps as endpapers, and a case cover with foiled sigils on the spine only (no front or back cover foiling). It also does not have the bonus chapter of Henry's POV of the marriage ritual. That is only available in the first edition. I have asked my publisher to consider making it available again, but I'm not sure yet how else they will use it.

In other exciting news, you may want to keep an eye on the Waterstones site this Wednesday. A little bird told me that there might be a treat for anyone who missed out on the Waterstones Exclusive Edition the first time around 👀

German Edition:

You can get the German language edition from Penguin Random House Germany.

Writing Update: Drafting- Ballad of the Heartless

I am back at my desk, working away on Ballad of the Heartless. I'm trying to focus up before being back on deadline once i receive an edit letter later this week 👀

One thing that never ceases to amaze me, is that I have drafted ten? eleven? I've lost track of how many books, and yet jumping back into drafting feels like I've never done this before. How do words work again?

When I was cycling through edits for The Lost God Series, I learned that shifting from drafting to editing every other month or so kept both skills sharp, the same way working out regularly builds strength and endurance. I've spent the better part of 2026 in marketing and promo, trying to keep The Poison Daughter performing well through the trad rerelease. Marketing require creative energy, but it's a different type of thinking.

Now that I'm back in drafting I'm reminded of the importance of trusting myself and the value of thinking time. I love and hate how much empty time i need to think about what I'm going to write. It feels indulgent and wasteful. However, I feel the effects of skipping that ever-important quiet time immediately.

With that in mind, now that I'm settled back at home for the next month and a half, I'm focusing on giving myself more reading time in the mornings, and less time on social media. I'm devastated to say that it's working. Who knew that the constant stimulation of social media would have impact on my focus? (Me. I knew.)

Anyway, things are moving along well. I have a goal in mind, but after pushing back the release, I'm focused on writing a book I love, instead of feeling the time crunch. I'm not surprised that adjustment has greatly improved both my speed and enjoyment.

Backlist Spotlight:

💃🏻 SONG OF THE DARK WOOD 🐺 - is my standalone gothic fairytale romantasy that blends a dark fractured red riding hood with Hades and Persephone. It’s available in print, ebook, and on KU and audio. It also features eight black and white fairytale illustrations by Charlotte Slegers. You can hear me talk about the book here, peeps some funny SOTDW memes here, listen to a bit of the audiobook here, and learn a little more about the world and magic system here.

Blurb:

For centuries, the people of remote Ballybrine have kept the peace with their gods by sacrificing a Red Maiden to ferry souls from the Mother’s realm of the living, through the Dark Wood, to the Wolf’s realm of the dead. Soon it will be Rowan’s turn.

Ripped from her family as a young girl, Rowan Cleary has been forced into a cloistered life learning to please the wolf and wield her spirit-enchanting voice. Though none of the previous maidens have survived their five-year term, Rowan is determined to beat the odds and protect the women who have become family to her.

When a deathly blight breaks out in the Dark Wood, and the acting maiden is murdered, Rowan vows to strike a new bargain with the god of death to ensure her survival. The Wolf has always been someone to fear—even more so now that the townspeople blame him for the blight—but he’s far from the vengeful death god she expects.

To unravel the mystery, Rowan must seduce the Wolf. Soon, the attraction between them grows into a relentless magical force, threatening to shatter the delicate balance between realms and unleash a darkness eager to swallow their world.​
​

​You might like this book if you’re into any of the following:

😍 He falls first

🙅🏻‍♀️ Bodily autonomy

👻 Girls who see ghosts

😡 Feminine Rage: The Fairy Tale

🌳 Haunted Forest

🩸 Wound Tending

💀 Touch her and 💀

🎶 Music based magic system

😠 A grumpy god of death

😈 He can make me worse > i can fix him

I also shared some new SOTDW art this week.

and finally this not yet revealed work by @luardraws​

​READ SONG OF THE DARK WOOD NOW.​

TBR Stack:

Tallow and Bone by Rhiannon Hargadon - This is very much up my alley because it's a Salem witch trials retelling. A witch on the run from being burned at the steak in Europe ends up in a tiny town called Salem. Through a series of unfortunate accidents, she pairs up with three other witches and tries to save the innocent women of Salem from a curse and their creepy ass minister.

Strange Familiars Keshe Chow - I have heard such amazing things about this one. Two scholars of magical veterinary science must put aside their lust and loathing to save the world in the first installment of this whimsical, romantic, dark academia duology. I'm also in love wiht the cover.

Fall/Winter Events:

Catch me and Gretchen at Fairfax Barnes & Noble on October 29th to celebrate the release of Shadow & Son and help me cheers this queen on completing her series. Click the image above for tickets.

Join me (and my imprint sister Jaclyn Rodriguez) at Texas Bookfest November 14-15th where I'll be in conversation with HM Wolfe, and my lovely agent, Alyssa Morris. Click the image above to find out more about the festival lineup.

For any writer friends interested in learning from me, I'm teaching a workshop in interpersonal relationships and romance pacing for Standalones vs Series at the Storybeast Romantasy Summit in December. Character development and relationships are some of my favorite things to talk about and I'm so excited to teach this class.

The Romantasy Summit is full of amazing courses from fabulous authors. Click the picture above to see the full list and get your tickets and you can use code SHEILAMASTERSONRS26 for a discount on registration.

Last call for the TPD Charity Calendar:

I'm very grateful to all the talented artists on my street team for sharing their gift and to the Team at Laurel House for seeing past the unhinged art. (You can see the full spread here)​

The Mission of Laurel House is to:

Advocate for and empower those impacted by domestic violence by providing crisis intervention, safe haven, supportive programs, and resources. They want to advance social change through preventative education, community training, and collaboration to foster a coordinated response to domestic abuse.

Laurel House is a comprehensive domestic violence agency serving individuals, families, and communities throughout Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. The agency's name was selected because of the beauty of the laurel, Pennsylvania's state flower. It represents a victory for people who have taken the courageous first step of reaching out to Laurel House in their efforts to build a violence-free life for themselves and their children.

If you've read The Poison Daughter, then you already know that domestic violence is a central theme in the story. I'm grateful that Laurel House has agreed to be the beneficiary of the profits from our unhinged calendar. Being able to get back to the causes central to my stories is incredibly meaningful to me. For that reason, I will be matching our calendar profit donations up to $5000.

​Thank you so much for your contribution to a cause that is near and dear to our hearts.

Foxglove Edition of The Lost God Cancellation:

A reminder that due to a lack of communication and some clear logistical issues, I've canceled my contract for The Lost God special edition with Foxglove Fantasy Fiction.

I really did not want to do this, but unfortunately, after a lot of back and forth and a lot of waiting for a response, I am not confident that they will be able to deliver on the editions readers were promised. I want to stress that I specifically requested REFUNDS for all readers who ordered a copy, not exchanges. My strong recommendation would be to request a refund, as the team has had consistent issue with responding to author and reader requests in a timely fashion, and I have concerns about about the viability of their business model.

​You can request your refund here.​

Thank you for your understanding.

Thank you for helping The Poison Daughter Soar

*And don't forget that the original TPD bonus chapter linked in the Book Bonus Chapters Section below, so you can grab one last unhinged glimpse at Henlow.

In the Media:

Calling in Sick Podcast - I had an amazing conversation with Alex about writing a character with chronic pain and how disabled people deserve to be hot and evil.

​Apple Podcasts - Spotify​​​

THE POISON DAUGHTER Q&A:

Q. Are you doing any events this year?

A. You can find me at Texas Book Fest in Austin this November. Unfortunately I had to cancel my attendance for Snowed In this December in Mesa. I'm very sorry to disappoint anyone who was looking forward to it. Virtually you can see me at The Romantasy Summit this December.

Q. I had an issue with my order of The Poison Daughter. Can you help me resolve it?

A. No. Unfortunately, I can't help troubleshoot issues with retailers. Any issues with damage, the type of copy, or shipping issues are not things I can help with. You will have to reach out directly to the retailer you ordered from.

Q. Will there be any special editions of TPD?

A. There will be a couple more coming.

Q. Do you offer signed copies or sell book plates?

A. Unfortunately, I don't have time to manage fulfillment on signed copies. I've had to limit the amount of signing I'm doing this year to accommodate special editions and touring while still protecting my wrist.

Q. I loved TPD. What should I read next from your backlist?

A. If you are mourning the end of TPD and wondering what to do next, I made an Instagram post for exactly this purpose and it will help you decide where to go in my 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.