Hello, Champions! Last month’s video was a smashing success–it is so much faster for me to do these videos, so I’m going to try experimenting with recording one once a month! This month’s discussion topic is the trope, Found Family! I hope you enjoy it!
Thanks for watching! (PS: Youtube and Facebook always have THE BEST icons for my videos, buwahah!)
This summer I decided I want to try experimenting with video as a way to connect with you Champions and our community, so I am pleased to share my first (and very unpolished/unedited) attempt!
As part two of this little experiment, I also joined TikTok....though I’m not certain I’m going to stay on there. (As I said, this is all just testing things out!)
Let me know what you think of this experiment in the comments! My team and I will be watching as this is an easier way for me to connect despite my health issues, so I’m trying to make it work! (That’s also why I’m not editing it–I’m attempting to make this as streamlined and fast as possible.) Otherwise, if you enjoyed it let me know if there’s something specific you’d like me to ramble about! 😉 Until next time, thanks for reading–and watching!
So this post is very long overdue, but between all the Magiford fun, and the mayhem of an announcement I had to make, my annual wrap up is coming out in spring. That’s way off timewise, but we did some awesome stuff last year that I want to make sure we remember!
Wrote Trial of Magic, book 4 of Fairy Tale Enchantress, which, WOW, took a couple years off my life. It clocked in as the longest book I’ve ever written, hitting at just over 193,000 words…which longer than any two Magiford books smashed together. BUT, this book had plot-things I’d spent years of my life setting up, and I was ever so pleased that you Champions loved it!
Released my second Urban Fantasy series, Court of Midnight and Deception! This series was a surprise hit for me. Fae don’t always do great in urban fantasy, but Leila and her crew were my best selling series ever at the time (Pip and her Pack have given her a run for her money, but that’s for the 2022 reflection post! 😉 ). I also wrote The Queen’s Crown in 2021, so it was a busy year writing wise because I also…
Wrote Pack of Dawn and Destiny, and learned a lot about wolves in the process! As you all know, PoDaD has done amazing, but that’s something we’ll have to celebrate in 2022’s reflection post next year. 😉
Had some really unfortunate health issues, but with some support from the Community and the help of my team, we pulled together and I still got PoDaD written!
Worked together to release the audiobook versions of Hall of Blood and Mercy. This trilogy marks the first audiobook–produced by Bee Audio–that my team finished since I signed a contract with Tantor for Red Rope of Fate. A huge thank you to Cimorrene and BookMadWoman for listening to/editing all three HoBaM audiobooks–it was a time consuming job and they were amazing for pulling it off!
Welcomed a new discord moderator, BookMadWoman, to the Mod Squad!
Commissioned a bunch of new covers, which I’ll FINALLY be releasing this year with the help of Meg who has diligently been going through my backlist books, updating backmatter, fixing errors, and updating copyrights to reflect the new covers. The first batch you’ve already seen–The King Arthur boxset cover and the Snow Queen books–but there are a few more waiting for their unveiling later this year!
Introduced the Retha Guild Emblems in the AM Sohma newsletter, as well as the Vocab Comics. While the horrible art for the vocab terms are my own handiwork, the gorgeous Guild Emblems are done by our very talented RayJay!
Brought new meaning to the word Prank while headed by Community Manager Vin! There was a Groundhog’s Day Discord prank in which the Mod Squad and I repeated our posts for two days in a row, a Star Wars prank in which we split our discord forces between Jedi and Sith, and the Facebook Champions aided me in multiple prank wars against my author Pal, Brittany Fichter. (Love you, Brittany!)
Released our “KM Shea Book Matchmaker” quiz, which took a looot of testing from some discord Champions, so thank you to everyone who helped with this massive project!
Threw Sheacon 2021! I could make an entire post about this–in fact, I HAVE, click here the post that has links to all the panels, a summary of what happened and list of everyone who helped make this event happen! We had so many amazing authors speak at Sheacon 2021, like Kimberly Rogers, Tara Grayce, Julie Hall, and more, and there were so many fun games–like Puzzles, Drawing with a Twist, and Riddles! But to me, what made the event so special was seeing the community pull together for an entire weekend of book-themed fun. I want to give one more standing ovation to the Sheacon Planners for all the work they put into last year’s event. You guys are amazing, and we’re all so thankful for the time and effort you spent so we could have that fun!
Released a Rumpelstiltskin Audio Production, which made its debut in Sheacon 2021! This project features the incredible voice acting talent of so many Champions, you need to listen to it ASAP! Here’s a link to the project, complete with the cast list!
Showed off their amazing art skills by submitting art for the Fanart gallery, and using the new line of coloring book pages that are available for free! (The amazing coloring book artists are Olena Shkavron and Hend_Draw!)
Discord server made me laugh endlessly with their theories on everything ranging from Timeless Fairy Tale’s “Clowncil” to the mysterious cat heroine featured in Magiford. Reading your observations, predictions, and comments is such a treat, and you never fail to make me laugh. Thank you! <3
Continued to grow with the KM Shea/AM Sohma Champions Facebook group! Whenever I pop in on the group you all have the BEST book recommendations, and I can’t tell you how much it warms my heart to see you discussing books–whether it’s mine or others–and just generally having a fun time. Book people are the best sort of people!
Made me laugh endlessly with their observations over the “Which Fae Court Do You Belong To?” Quiz, which we launched in 2021 as well!
Did some writing themselves as Vin has continued to host the Wednesday weekly writing sprints! (In NaNoWriMo, she hosted those writing sprints multiple times per week, and both she and I were impressed with the fortitude of the champions who showed up, had fun, and got words written!)
Threw smaller community focused parties! Our Lord of the Rings Online kinship had several fun parties, and Vin hosted a few amazing animal crossing parties, including a board game themed one that ended with sumo wrestling. (If you have a Nintendo Switch, or you have a kid who has a Nintendo Switch, I highly suggest you sign up for a party–they are so much fun!)
Over the past few months I’ve had the opportunity to sit back and look at everything we’ve done since I first started releasing books back in ye-olden-days of 2012 with Princess Ahira, the community, team, and I have come so far! Thank you, Champions, for joining me on this crazy ride. I can’t wait to see what shenanigans we get into with the rest of 2022!
