Announcement: New book, new publisher

Well, it’s technically after midnight on the East Coast now, so I can officially share my big news:

My next novel—the infamous, long-hinted-at “Project X”—is releasing this spring from The Kraken Collective!

This is a multi-part announcement, so here it is in tidy list format.

What is The Kraken Collective?

The Kraken Collective is a brand-new, unconventional, team-based publisher of LGBT speculative fiction with an emphasis on positive representation and uplifting stories. From the website:

The Kraken Collective is an alliance of indie authors who have pooled resources to publish high-quality fiction while retaining complete creative control over our stories. We aim to provide a wide variety of science fiction and fantasy stories, all starring LGBTQIAP+ characters. From alien hunting lesbians to complex political fantasy, The Kraken Collective publishes queer SFF that will blow your mind and leave you craving more.

Although it begins as a simple cooperative between authors, we aim to grow into an unique publishing model capable of supporting queer indie voices everywhere in SFF. We are committed to building a publishing space that is inclusive, positive, and brings fascinating stories to readers.

If you’d like to follow The Kraken Collective on social media, you can find us on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram!

Like my other publisher, Snowy Wings Publishing, The Kraken Collective is an indie co-op rather than a traditional publisher. I love this publishing model and the independence that it gives authors while also providing the support network you can find in traditional publishing. I’m very excited to be part of this team, and to be working with them for the release of my first f/f novel, “Project X.”

What is Project X?

“Project X” is the codename for the side project I’ve been working on (off and on) for the last year, in between Iamos novels. It’s a fun, lightweight and very tongue-in-cheek send up of just about every science fiction trope known to humankind, and it’s been a great break from my more serious books (like Different Worlds and New World, which I was juggling while writing this novel). Here are some quick facts about the book:

It’s the first book in a planned series.

However, I haven’t really mapped out the rest of the series or come up with release dates yet, as I am scheduling everything around finishing the Iamos Trilogy. So for now, it’s an open-ended standalone. (It doesn’t end on a cliffhanger or anything, so I’m not being mean here XD)

It’s my first foray into New Adult.

As I’ve mentioned in a few places across the internet, I’ve been eager to tell college stories for a long time, but I’ve struggled with the designation of New Adult as a genre that’s not just about college/the first years of adulthood, but one which has a heavy emphasis on sex. I’m dying to see this genre evolve into something as varied as YA has been, that has room for all kinds of stories, so I’m hoping to help shape that by contributing my own books to the genre. So for those of you who read my YA books, don’t be worried that this one being NA might mean it’s lite erotica—the only major difference between this book and my YA works is the age of the characters.

It features a f/f romance.

I’m super excited about this. I usually don’t write very much romance, and my only book with romance that’s been published so far is Different Worlds, which featured a m/f pairing. As a horrible biromantisaurus ace, I’ve been wanting to write a girls-kissing-girls book for a long time, so I am very delighted that I finally had a chance with this book.

The title is not actually “Project X.”

So what is the title, you ask? Well, I’m revealing that next week, on February 8, and I’d like your help! The title is a little bit unusual, and is best experienced alongside the cover and synopsis, for the full effect. Want to get an early look at the cover and find out what Project X is all about? Sign up here for the cover reveal! It will also give you the option of receiving an advance review copy, which I’m hoping will be available in early March.

It will (hopefully) be released on March 28.

But, knowing my health, you never know. It should be ready by then, though. *knocks on every piece of wood in the house*

EDIT: Called that one. Though this time, my health interfered in a different way than usual. New release date is April 25 September 26!

Want to know a little bit about Project X now?

Check out this small snippet I posted last year! You can also add the book to your Goodreads list here; there’s not much there yet, but it does let you know that Project X is “a quirky tongue-in-cheek cross between Marvel comics and Space Invaders that sends up just about every sci-fi trope known to humankind—with 100% more lesbians.” 😉

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So, there it is! I hope you’re all excited about The Kraken Collective and about Project X! Watch this space for more news, as well as the cover reveal next week!