Kalani Shimizu's Monthly Newsletter (August 2024)
Aug 15, 2024 11:05 pm
Hello everyone!
This month's been a super exciting one for me and Riyati, so let's jump right into what's been happening!
Updates
Riyati
Let's start off with the biggest news: Riyati Rebirth officially launched on August 1! If you've been waiting to pick up a copy, you can now do so at most major bookstores, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google Play, Apple Books, Smashwords, and Campfire! (You can see a full list of retailers, including region specific ones, at the Riyati Rebirth promotional website and at Books2Read).
And how has launch been? Amazing thanks to everyone's support so far! Riyati Rebirth reached to #1 in Dark Fiction on Campfire, and across all review sites and storefronts, currently averages 4.5 stars-- it's been so humbling and exciting to see everyone's reactions.
Riyati Rebirth at #1 in Dark Fiction on Campfire's storefront
Speaking of, if you read Riyati Rebirth, please leave a review-- such as on Goodreads, Amazon, Bookbub, and TheStoryGraph; they're super helpful to both help other readers find Riyati Rebirth and let them know if the story might be for them as well.
But we're not stopping there: I've been hard at work on future Riyati projects, including a print lore book with background information on Riyati Rebirth, titled the Riyati Rebirth Companion Guide. I'm aiming to do one of these per book for those interested in the background details, so be on the lookout for info on that in the upcoming months. I've included sneak peaks of some of the articles that'll be in the lore book, but things (especially formatting) might change before the book gets to printing! The examples I've included are as non-spoilery as possible, and include entries from the character profiles, locations, timeline, and encyclopedia to give an idea of how the content will look.
Riyati Rebirth is also fortunate to be included in multiple group promotions this month-- while you're checking out Riyati Rebirth, check the other books in these promotions to see if there's any new hidden gems waiting to be found!
Giveaway: Young Witches (Free books in the Young Adult, New Adult, Academy, and College Fantasy genres)
ARCs/Review Copies
Book Sirens Dark Fantasy ARC's
Looking beyond Riyati Rebirth, I've also started the first round (developmental) edits on Riyati Rebirth's sequel, Riyati Rivals. It's still a work in progress, but there's a book starting to come together in its pages!
Personal
For myself, I finished out summer semester just a few days ago, and get a quick breather of a bit over two weeks before jumping into fall semester; if nothing else, I'm super looking forward to some colder weather as the heat and humidity's been a tad bit much lately. Even the cats have been melting on our floors lately.
I haven't had too much time to play things besides Final Fantasy XIV, but I'm almost halfway through leveling all my classes-- I sorta can't wait until they're all maxed again and I get to play other games, but one class at a time.
Incredibly recently (as in today recently in some cases), I've been working on expanding my social media presence out. I try to post some updates throughout the month regarding Riyati, so feel free to follow me on your favorite social medias!
Books to Check Out
I'm back with three books to check out while waiting for the Riyati Rebirth Companion Guide and Riyati Rebirth! Each of these are in the fantasy (usually erring towards the darker tone), so be sure to give each a look to see if you have a new book on the horizon.
Dax Murray's Stars and Soil (Storefront Links-- On sale for $0.99!)
Kala's note: Dax is a good friend of mine that writes strong characters, deep historical knowledge, and complex/dark stories (and characters); make sure to check out this deal, as $0.99 is a steal for Stars and Soil!
“Don’t trust anyone, Lady Caitlin. Not even me. Especially not me. You can have allies here, but this court does not allow you the luxury of friends.”
The land is dying, commoners are protesting, and workers are revolting. The king is ailing, but the crown prince is not stepping in to quell the unrest.
But Caitlin does not care—she hasn't cared about anything since that day—the day her world shattered and she lost everything. Then she befriends a rebellion leader and catches the eye of the spoiled prince. These chance encounters could make her the most powerful woman in the realm—the power to rule it as queen, or the power to tear it all down from the inside as a revolutionary spy.
Either way, all she has to do is keep the prince's interest... and ignore the tug in her heart whenever she sees a certain noble lady.
But there is much more going on at court than the revolutionaries know about. Darker forces lurk behind the throne, and if Caitlin is to survive with her head still on her shoulders, she will need to learn the ever-changing rules of power--or make new ones herself.
Caught in a web of deception and conspiracies—militant revolutionaries, cryptic priestesses, and a secretive lady-in-waiting with a ruthless family—Caitlin must unravel the truth of a magical, long-hidden prophecy or she will become yet another pawn of an enemy far more dangerous than a tyrannical king. An enemy that has been lurking in the shadows and plotting for centuries.
And it has its sights set on making Caitlin into its weapon.
Stars and Soil is the first novel in the Scions and Shadows series and is perfect for lovers of fantasy full of court gossip, political intrigue, shifting alliances, and sapphic and disability representation.
Mallory Wanless's Storm and Flame (Book 1) (Storefront links)
Elena has always been a disappointment. Her magic is practically non-existent and now, on her sixteenth birthday, she is expelled from magic school by the strict headmistress–also known as her mother. Cast out into the world of the magically inept with only her familiar for company, Elena feels lost and alone until she meets a strange boy in the woods.
Quinn is a thief, a hunter, and a hothead. His unexpected friendship with Elena awakens a fiery side in him–quite literally–and uncovers new and surprising magical abilities. Except men aren't supposed to be capable of magic.
With Quinn's help, Elena carves a safe new life as a barmaid, but when she is attacked, her powers awaken with shocking ferocity. Elena's explosion of magic creates a power surge that attracts the attention of magical investigators, sent to uncover and contain the source of the power surge.
But the awakening of their powers kickstarts an ancient prophecy. Will they be able to escape those that hunt them? Can they fulfill the prophecy, destroy the turmio and save magic from being destroyed once and for all?
Content warning: the story mentions incidents of child abuse, sexual assault, and birth trauma. May not be suitable for some readers.
Brian Mendoca's Wedding of the Torn Rose (ARC/Review Copy)
Wedding of the Torn Rose is a fast-paced fantasy adventure with mystery, action, and magic.
As torn petals of a rose fall, a hero must rise in a race against destiny.
What starts as a fairy tale rescue spirals into an intricate web of dark fantasy laced with intrigue and magic. After the downtrodden merchant Kaine saves the runaway Princess Lydia from an unexpected monster, he feels inexplicably drawn to her. Lydia’s uncanny knowledge of his deepest secrets looms over him, suggesting she knows more about him than he has revealed.
However, there is little time to investigate this mystery. The princess is betrothed to the magic wielding Throatian Kingdom, and Lydia’s father has rewarded Kaine with a job offer he cannot refuse.
As the rehearsal dinner for Lydia's arranged wedding unfolds, tension simmers amidst foreign customs and whispered conversations. The Throatian Royal family, draped in magic, is keen to forge an alliance with the Darian Kingdom. Meanwhile, Lydia, now fully aware of her royal responsibilities, summons Kaine for a private meeting in the chilling stillness of the graveyard. Her impending wedding signifies more than a pact of sword and sorcery, and something else—dark and twisted—stirs in the shadows.
With time dwindling short, and the ceremony happening the next day, will Kaine unshackle himself from his past to embrace the guardian he is destined to become? Or will the ties binding him to Lydia be torn apart like petals in the wind?
Journey with Kaine and Lydia as they attempt to prevent a war and save a kingdom in the first volume of the Symphony of Crowns and Gods series.
Closing
I think this might be the longest newsletter yet! Thank you for reading this far, and I hope that you enjoyed the updates and books to check out. As always, feel free to reach out if you have any questions for me about Riyati-- my email's always open (kalani.shimizu@gmail.com). Also I accept all cat pictures and will use them to shame my own cats.
Until next month!
Kala