Summer Updates

Updates, New Middle Grade, Win Some Books!

Hello!

Happy almost end of July!

Those of you that have hung around for a while have probably figured out that I’m pretty terrible at regular newsletters and…yup. This is the first one since last October. Oops.

Sorry about that.

Or…you’re welcome? Heavens knows you probably get enough junk mail as it is.

It’s been a while, so I thought I’d pop in and let you know what I’ve been working on and give you some updates about where I am in writing and life.

Read until the end and you’ll have a chance to win your own copy of the most gorgeous and heartrending Greek Mythology-inspired retellings. Two books! Just for hanging out with me.

New Job/New Life

Part of my radio silence for the last almost year has been because I started a new job in Fall of 2023. I live in Virginia, but I’ve been commuting to Maryland for over 10 years. It’s been… a lot. The new job is 25 minutes from my house and it’s been a complete and total lifesaver. I didn’t realize how much stress I was carrying just from the dysfunctional and often toxic atmosphere at my old workplace.

I absolutely love my new position—the campus is lovely, the students are amazing, and my new colleagues are great. I feel like a new person—seriously. Like a weight has been lifted. I get to teach literature and creative writing, and I have some of the most delightful, hard-working students I’ve ever met. I don’t think I’ve smiled this much in a decade.

But I also had to start from scratch with everything—completely new classes and preps. My amazing editor and publisher gave me the year I asked for to get myself established, and that, too, has been a completely incredible gift. I loved The Last Magician series, but it’s no secret that writing those last few books on that schedule (and working where I was working) completely burned me out.

Luckily, I had a book on the back burner…

Middle Grade Debut!

I wrote Xavier T. Fletcher, Ornithologist, and the Keeper of the Rend in 2013-2014. My then 9 year old, who was in love with birds, asked me to write him a book about an ornithologist. So I did…kind of. Except the birds are demon-like creatures from another dimension on the other side of the sky. Oops.

That book sold in 2017, but Simon and Schuster really wanted to finish TLM before they put it out. And then I took a lot longer—and a few more books—on TLM than we originally planned.

The book is now titled Keeper of the Rend. It’s my first middle grade (ages 8-12) and it will be out on August 20, 2024.

When I say I love this book with every bit of my heart, I’m not overstating things at all. I wanted to write a book that was a pleasure to read out loud, because I read to my kids every night when they were smaller. I wanted it to feel timeless and classic. I wanted it to capture everything I wanted to tell my sweet kiddo about how being yourself is the most powerful thing to be.

And I wanted it to have a goat.

I am SO excited that the reviewers seem to love this book as much as I do. It’s gotten some of the best reviews of any of my writing. Check out the lovely things that reviewers have said so far:

“The worldbuilding is tight in this eerie take on the battle between good and evil with a distinct message about the environmental impact of human activity…Searing and satisfying.” (Kirkus)

“The enthralling story employs delightfully precise and sophisticated language to conjure a disquieting countryside setting that feels both cozy and menacing in turn. Xavier makes for a charming and compassionate companion, and the complicated familial relationships feel eminently relatable. A pleasurable page-turner with style and suspense to spare.” (Booklist)

In her middle grade debut, Maxwell (the Last Magician series) presents through a realistic lens an approachable, magical adventure that’s reminiscent of A Wrinkle in Time. Alongside examinations of ecological conservation, Maxwell paints a textured portrait of complex familial dynamics via Xavier’s tumultuous relationship with his family, conveying how these interactions—including Xavier’s older brother’s bullying and his parents’ refusal to acknowledge it—impact Xavier’s trust. (Publisher’s Weekly)

My oldest (who the book was written and named for) is headed off to college in less than a month. He’s more into rock and roll than birds these days, but I couldn’t be prouder of the self-possessed, smart, hard-working young adult he’s become. I’m going to miss him like hell when I drop him off in Tennessee in a few weeks. But you can help me get through this difficult time by helping to make the book a success.

Kidding… (kind of)

You can Preorder KEEPER OF THE REND now!

If you’d like a signed/personalized copy, you can order through my favorite local Indie, One More Page Books.

You can also pre-order through any retailer (including audio!!):

Barnes & Noble Amazon Books a Million Audible Apple Books

For people in the Northern Virginia area, I’m planning a release event on September 7th at the Fairfax Barnes and Noble. I’ll have more information about that soon!

What’s Next

I’m already hard at work on my next YA. I’ve pitched it as “death falls in love with a dream,” and so far I’m well into the writing. It’s going to be a standalone—no cliff hangers this time!!

I can’t wait until I can share more about the project with you!!

Giveaway!!

If you’ve made it this far in the email, I think you deserve a reward. Ready for a giveaway??

One of my very best friends is half of the completely brilliant team writing as A.D. Rhine. Their debut, Horses of Fire, is an absolutely gorgeous retelling of the Iliad focused more on the warrior women who kept the world from spinning out of control than the mythological gods. I simply cannot gush enough about how amazing this book it. It’s a lyrical page-turner that will absolutely captivate you.

The sequel, Daughters of Bronze, is out this November and when I tell you that I CANNOT wait to see how it all ends, I cannot wait. Seriously. I know it’s going to rip my heart out, squish it into a pulpy mess, and leave me aching in the best possible way.

I’d really like to share that experience with you!

All you have to do is reply to this newsletter and tell me (and everyone) what you’re reading right now and why you love it. I have a few weeks between the end of my summer classes and the beginning of fall, and I’m really feeling a need to binge ALLLL the good books.

Leave a comment by 7/25 and I’ll pick one winner who will get a copy of Horses of Fire now and a preorder for Daughter of Bronze to be delivered in November. (U.S. shipping only)

I hope you are all having a fabulous summer. Thank you so much for reading my books and for being patient while I took a bit of a break. I’m excited to get back to writing more dark, swoony, romantic fantasies for you all!!

Lots of Love,

Lisa