We’re getting so close to Guardian’s release! It feels like a dream. So continue the happiness, I’d like to give you a few temptations this week and hope you’ll join me in the festivities.
Release Party
You’re invited to join me at the Guardian Release Day Twitch Party for games, a raffle, Japan trip pictures (book locations, characters, virtual snacks, a book signing, and more! (You’ll need an authenticated Twitch channel to chat. I’ll see if I can find another way for those without a Twitch account.)
Party details: Wednesday, May 10 from 2 to 5 PM CDT (UTC-5) at https://www.twitch.tv/shyredfox
The party raffle includes:
A signed copy of Guardian
2 tenugui towels. (Tenugui towels are super popular because they can be used for most anything from a dew rag to a wrapping cloth to a drying towel) The blue striped one is by Nishimura Orimono (Nishimura Weaving) in the Hakata district of Fukuoka and is a lovely example of the textile traditions there. And the Mt. Fuji print one I found in a delightful shop specializing in this type of towel. It was in the historic district of Kurashiki in Okayama Prefecture.
Roll of washi tape from Kurashiki, the location of the Kamoi Kakoshi MT tape factory and birthplace of washi tape, adorned with a drawing of adorable traditional houses from the historic district.
A Kokuyo A5 Soft Ring Notebook. These are some of my favorite notebooks ever. The soft rings ensure you never have discomfort when composing on the side opposite your writing hand. Great for left-handers, too!
Suica Penguin stickers. Many Japanese companies have adorable mascots. The Suica train/bus/subway pass card system is no exception.
Here’s what the badge image looks like for joining the party. :D
Pre-Order Giveaway
Did you do the Guardian pre-order or plan on it? Awesome! Thank you! Please be sure to enter the pre-order raffle.
(Convenient link to all stores with pre-order for Guardian.)
Here’s the prize package:
- Tenugui towel with a famous Ukiyo-e design. The dye technique is called "naniwa" and it's a special way to dye the threads on both the front and the back of the fabric. (Tenugui towels are super popular because we can use them for most anything from a dew rag to a wrapping cloth to a drying towel. Ukiyo-e is a traditional block printing style with many color layers.) Purchased in Aoyama, Tokyo.
- Fish charm from Yasaka Shrine in Kyoto that says it will bring you good luck for a year.
- Gatchapon collectable stone lantern toy. This was from Nijo Castle in Kyoto. (Gatchapon—aka gatcha gatcha—is like a gumball machine, but with cool little toys. We got sucked into buying many of these!)
- Mini Kokuyo Soft Ring Notebook (105 x 76 mm) with dot-line grid paper. This brand of notebook is one of my favorites. The paper is so smooth, the dot grids are great, and the squishy rings never hurt your hands. (Purchased from Smiths, E-Cute in Shinagawa Station, Tokyo, a stationery store on my must visit list.)
- Realistic Crane 3D Paper Puzzle made with yuzen washi paper (quality paper that was silkscreened in vibrant colors). Purchased from the Kokura Castle gift shop in Kitakyushu.
And yes, I will ship worldwide.
Everyone who enters gets an early supporter badge image.
Hardcovers
This format is long overdue. I’m excited to have hardcovers finally! Woot! For now, they will only be available through Amazon. I’ll keep looking into other options. Ingram Spark just wasn’t affordable for this format.
The Rise hardcover should be available in the next day or so. (I’m crossing my fingers for today.) Guardian’s hardcover will be out approximately on release day.
TD;LR on why hardcover availability is “approximate”: Unfortunately, there’s no pre-order for Amazon print books. So, I’ll do my best to time it right. There’s a 3 day window for them to review it after you hit the “release” button on Amazon.
Just an FYI. If there is a problem with your book, please contact the seller for a replacement. We had some issues with spines breaking on paperbacks from Amazon during the pandemic. My recent Guardian paperback proof copy from Amazon that I put through the wringer for proofing edits seemed to hold up much better.
Aren’t the hardback print proofs pretty?
Urban Fantasy Book Bundle
Book Sirens has an urban fantasy book bundle featuring rise and Guardian. If you’re not familiar with Book Sirens, they say:
Be part of a growing community of voracious readers
Get first access to new ARCs from authors you know and love
Discover and read other ARCs in your favorite genres for free
Support authors in their quest by writing honest reviews
I’ve been thinking about signing up as a reader, but I will have to wait until after book release and my daughter’s graduation. Then I plan on reading for the fun of it again!
Butterfly Update
Punkin the black swallowtail emerged from overwintering in her chrysalis on April 23 and we had the pleasure of releasing her when it was warm enough for her to fly the next day. (We know Punkin is a “she” due to her blue markings. The boys don’t have that shimming blue.) Punkin came to us as a tiny baby caterpillar on some cilantro from a friend’s garden. We’ve really enjoyed watching her grow up.
Happy trails sweet butterfly!
As I sign off, I’ll remind you to…
Be the Difference. Be extraordinary.
All the best,
Amy