Ahoy! It’s MY SALTY MARY day!
And wow, what a journey. Cynthia, Brodi, and I started writing MY LADY JANE ten years ago just for fun. Just to make enough money to take a trip to England together. And we did it! We never could have guessed how far that book would go — all the way to your TV screens! — and how many more books we would write together.
Seeing these six books on my shelf now . . . wow. It’s just incredible to see our years together like this. Sometimes life comes at you fast — in a good way.
Some of you may remember that MY SALTY MARY was originally scheduled to come out last year, but we ended up needing a bit more time with it. That was a pretty scary thing to admit — I’d never had to ask for an extension like that before (though I immediately asked for another one, on DAWNBREAKER, so lots of practice right then!) — but we were given a whole extra year to work on the book.
And boy I’m glad we did it.
Our salty girl got a couple of stars!
“This swashbuckling tale anchored by historical details is a treasure.” - Kirkus (starred review)
"This wild tale is in high, humorous gear. Fans of the authors' Lady Janies books already know to expect a fun and fluffy historical fiction ride, but this pirate tale goes far beyond expectations, giving a rollicking adventure on the high seas (and not the high C’s—this Little Mermaid only sings sea shanties)." — Booklist (starred review)
I’m so darn proud of this book. It’s fun, adventurous, and romantic. I really think you’re going to love it.
How to get signed copies of MY SALTY MARY (and other Janies books)
As I mentioned in this previous letter, we are having an event for MY SALTY MARY!
It’s going to be at The King’s English in Salt Lake City at 7pm this Friday (August 23). Even if you can’t make it in person (because of, like, distance or whatever), you can still order signed copies of the book (or other books). But make sure you do it as soon as possible, that way the store has time to get enough copies in for everyone!
This is the only event we have scheduled together, so if having all three of us sign your book is important, here’s your chance!
#SaveMyLadyJane
As you might have heard (and so sorry if I’m the one delivering this news to you for the first time), Prime has canceled MY LADY JANE after only one (amazing) season.
In spite of sitting in the top 10 on Prime for nearly two months, having a 94% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and tons of glowing reviews in mainstream media, Amazon seems to have wanted the show to hit a wider audience. They wanted it to hit the top ten on Nielsen. (According to the articles I read.) That seems like an impossible metric to me, especially given some of the massive shows MLJ was competing against (and, you know, debate and Olympics), but . . . it’s what they wanted. So they canceled season 2. :(
But here’s something really cool that has happened: the fandom launched an incredible campaign, hoping to persuade Prime to reconsider the decision.
Look, I don’t know if it can happen, but if anyone can do it, it’s the fans. And my gosh has the Jane fandom stepped up in a huge way. Here’s what they’ve got to get you started:
SaveMyLadyJane.com — here you’ll find graphics, links, and email templates.
Sign the petition — there are a few different ones, but this is the biggest, so make sure you get this one.
Watch the show — yes, again!
Rate and review the show on Rotten Tomatoes, IMDb, and Prime.
Share with everyone you know. Prime wants numbers. Make numbers!
That’s a ton, right?? Like I said, if anyone can make this happen, it’s the MY LADY JANE fandom. They got a book and a show that told them they could change history . . . and took it seriously. So much respect. <3
Upcoming events:
The King’s English in Salt Lake City, UT - August 23 at 7pm
Owlcrate Live at the Nest - October 9 at 8pm Eastern
Queen City Word Fest in Staunton, VA - October 19, schedule TK
One More Page in Arlington, VA - October 22, 3pm at the Westover Library
Scrawl Books in Reston, VA, with Nashae Jones - November 14 at 7pm
I’m still working on more events, so I’ll update my list again soon! And, of course, you can find it on my website.
Upcoming books:
TODAY:
MY SALTY MARY (The King’s English, One More Page, Bookshop.org, Barnes and Noble, Amazon)
October 22:
BYE FOREVER, I GUESS (One More Page, Scrawl Books, Bookshop.org, Barnes and Noble, Amazon)
Books on Kindle Unlimited:
Don’t forget, if you’re a KU reader, I have a ton of books currently available there. (This won’t last, so jump on it while you still can!)
MY LADY JANE } MY PLAIN JANE } MY CALAMITY JANE
INCARNATE } ASUNDER } INFINITE
BEFORE SHE IGNITES | AS SHE ASCENDS | WHEN SHE REIGNS