I always thought my first published book would be a novel. Specifically, in recent years, I knew it’d be City of Reckoning, my gargantuan fantasy manuscript that is now in its fourth draft.
But the universe has surprised me with something different.
In the past couple years, I’ve been writing a lot of poems as I went through the process of discovering I was bisexual, dealing with a dramatic worldview change, overcoming struggles with my mental health, and handling a very painful family situation.
I’ve wrapped up all those poems into a little book called A Canvas of Stars. Despite their very personal nature, I’ve decided to share them with the world, because I believe they will be helpful for people experiencing similar things.
What’s the book about?
The poems in A Canvas of Stars are about a journey of coming into the world, finding oneself, and ultimately becoming strong and victorious over the “worse angels” of one’s nature.
It gets pretty heavy sometimes, and has ample trigger warnings at the beginning.
The book is short; it’s a “chapbook” of 50 pages. You could finish it in one sitting, but you may not want to. The metaphoric and symbolic nature of the poems are best experienced slowly. There are layers and cross-references in the poems, too, that you may only notice on a second reading.
Can I read some of it now?
If you’re subscribed to my newsletter, you already got a taste of these poems in my free digital giveaway called Blood and Sight. A Canvas of Stars is an expansion from that original collection, this time with illustrations done by yours truly, and a professional edit by Fidah Islaih.
Here’s a sneak-peak inside, for the curious:
When’s it coming out?
The publishing date for A Canvas of Stars is September 23, 2018.
This is also the one-year anniversary of me coming out as bisexual on Twitter (which is of course on purpose).
Fun fact: If you’re on Goodreads, you can add the book to your to-read list!
Wait… didn’t you say it’d be out in July?
Some of you probably saw my announcement on Twitter or Facebook a couple months ago that I’d be publishing this chapbook in July. I changed my mind for two reasons:
- I wanted to give myself more time to finish the interior and exterior design, and all the formatting for print and ebook, without being in a stressful rush.
- I wasn’t quite ready, emotionally speaking, to share some of the more intimate poems in this collection, and needed a bit more distance from the real-life events they refer to before I felt comfortable making them public.
Can I see the cover?
I’ll be posting the cover reveal on this blog very soon. Stay tuned! 🙂
Can I have an ARC?
I will be handing out ARCs (advanced reader copies) shortly! First dibs go to my newsletter subscribers, so you can sign up for that if you’re interested. Subscribing will also give you a free copy of Blood and Sight, and a quick, friendly email from me twice a month telling you what I’m up to and what my latest book recommendations are.
If you have any further questions about the book, feel free to comment below! Otherwise, stay tuned for the upcoming cover reveal, ARC giveaways, and in just two months, the release of my very first book: A Canvas of Stars.
Photo credit: Pixabay
