[GoF header]

So how many sales-y newsletters did YOU get during Black Friday weekend? I didn't keep a count of the ones that dropped into my AIM email (yep, you read that correctly, my spam/newsletter email is AIM. Just aged myself. 😜), but pretty sure I wouldn't be able to find anything important in that inbox if I hadn't checked it every single day. And tossed a bunch of stuff in the trash.

Sorry, not sorry. I'm a consumer just like you, and I delete the majority of sales newsletters I get, just like you. 😉

That being said, I might have broken the bank collecting premade cover arts for forthcoming novellas. And restocking my collection of scented candles. Oops.

Here's a screenshot of some newsletter titles I saw on Cyber Monday. LOL!

[Cyber screenshot]

Author Biz Updates

Over the last few weeks, I've hinted toward some odd business items in the works for 2023 in C.L. Carhart's authorly world. To be incredibly honest, my author life thus far has been an incredible money sink. I'm going to share some rounded numbers on that note, then give some insight on what comes next.

In case you weren't following my author journey in 2021, I published my debut novel, Arcane Gateway, in March 2021—almost two full years ago now. Then I proceeded to publish the other five books in His Name Was Augustin series every three months after that. The problem?

I made A LOT of writing/plot mistakes with Arcane Gateway, most of which turned readers off so much they didn't want to read the rest of the series. 😔

The result?

Since 2021, I've spent $9,000 on publishing & advertising my books.

Since 2021, I've earned $2,040 from the books I've published.

Yep.

You read that correctly.

C.L. Carhart's author "career" is currently [number] in the hole.

explain WHY, reassure about books on retailers/libraries, subscription program, reassure about ARC team, next step coming at the end, first batch of promos

[relevant photo, probably of myself?]

💕 Romance eBooks To Browse 💕

[Mid-November graphic]

Today's BookFunnel promo includes 42 eBooks in a wide variety of romance genres. To be honest, there are a LOT of "man chests" to gawk at in this promo. 🤩 And to be even more honest, Gift of Fire's cover doesn't really fit in with its peers, since most of the books seem to be contemporary, billionaire, or holiday romance. Oh well, that's the price I pay for trying to tell everyone out there about my next book in the Teutonic Fantasy Realm!

Have you already read any of the books in this promo? Which one would you recommend? Let me know in a reply to this email!

✨ Romance Galore! ✨

Recommended Reading

Got two books to share with you this week, and then for the next couple weeks, I'll be sharing three every Wednesday. Why? Because my fellow indie authors are sharing Gift of Fire far and wide, so I've got to repay the favor! 😊 The first book below is a free novella on BookFunnel, so snatch that up if you haven't yet. And the second one has a deal going on if you buy the book DIRECT from the author. I'm about to expand my business that way, too, so check it out!!!

[flash flood graphic]

Walking home with a werewolf - what could go wrong?

Tammy hates water. So it's a shame her powers are bound up with water - and even more of a shame that she lives in soggy England. But a walk home from school with a teenage werewolf changes everything.

✨ FREE On BookFunnel ✨

[lucid bodies graphic]

Dreamwakers are like fire… they burn when they’re hot. And some are a living nightmare.

Summer, 1986. By accident, sixteen-year-old Wynter discovers her power to summon dreamwakers—people born from dreams that exist in physical form. Her friends have trouble believing her power exists, until she makes herself a boyfriend.

But dreamwakers come with rules and free will… and everyone knows teenagers and rules don’t mix. Before Wynter can figure them out, her new boyfriend goes rogue and hooks up with Jezebel, the town bully.

Every day Wynter and her dreamwaker remain apart chips away more of her life force. Her friends help her wage a battle of brains versus brawn… but Jezebel has the luck of the devil on her side.

Navigating between dreams and reality is harder than it looks, and the fight may leave Wynter a prisoner of her own mind.

✨ Learn More ✨

😍 Get Gift of Fire BEFORE The Public! 😍

PayPal buy button, don't worry, once I get my actual web store set up, I'll be accepting other payment methods, too. Explain that I'll get the money within a couple days this way, rather than 2 months down the road.

[GoF graphic]

Share a -very brief- paragraph or two from GoF, get it EARLY!

✨ Get It EARLY! ✨

By the way, if you haven't filled out my survey asking for feedback on my up-and-coming subscription program, please toss me your ideas at the link below! On Friday, I'm going to start running a giveaway to celebrate Gift of Fire—and there will be signed paperbacks up for grabs. I just might decide to offer extra giveaway entries to anyone who completes the survey. 🤔

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1vDYx4L_Wie7SBuaXMDD1BVEtRp57yQy8G_45jdJTynE/edit

Now I've got to go get everything squared away for the final push toward December 10th, when Gift of Fire comes out on all retailers. Don't forget, you can get YOUR eBook BEFORE everyone else if you snag it from me personally! You can find the link to do that at the very bottom of this newsletter.

Hope you have a wonderfully weird week! You'll hear from another character from Gift of Fire in a special newsletter coming your way on Friday. 💖

Talk to you soon,

C.L. Carhart

Pre-order Gift of Fire for 99¢: https://books2read.com/ebgiftoffire

Winter Wonders free anthology: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/8vf3yn51uc

This week's book fair: https://bf.clcarhart.com/romance-salepromo-mid-november/w1pvgr04tg

Get Gift of Fire EARLY here: