Four and a Half Stars!
Oh my! RT Book Reviews gave The Clockwork Crown a whopping 4 1/2 Stars!
This sequel to Cato’s amazing steampunk adventure The Clockwork Dagger has all the imagination, treachery and nonstop thrills of the first. Magical healer Octavia Leander is both fleeing assassins and hunting for answers regarding the transformation she appears to be undergoing. Just try catching your breath as this electrifying tale races across exotic lands in a desperate quest to find the truth and stop a potential apocalypse. Cato and steampunk fantasy are truly an excellent match!
You can read the full review over here–it is spoilerish if you haven’t read Dagger yet.
So Much Awesome
GUYS. The Clockwork Crown has its first trade review in Publishers Weekly! And its awesome!
“…Cato continues to defy expectations, moving the saga toward an unexpected, heartfelt conclusion, and the revelations about Octavia’s abilities are amply rewarding.”
In other news, I’m contributing to the annual Suvudu Cage Match. This year’s theme is Women Warriors. The full bracket is shown here. Last week I wrote about Johanna Mason (Hunger Games) and Tris (Divergent), and Johanna won in my story and in the votes. The current match is Johanna versus Felurian (Patrick Rothfuss’s Kingkiller Chronicles). I anticipate a lot more people to disagree with me this time around. Who do you think would win? Go check out the poll!
The Cage Match has been picked up by the media, too, and an article in Bustle dubbed me as a “big name in the biz” (to which I go o_0) and excerpted my story. Like whoa.
In totally different news, my poem “Mama Gonna Fight” was just published in Apex Magazine. This is one of my favorite poems for all of last year (I wrote it during April Poem-A-Day), so I’m really excited that it’s in such an esteemed magazine.
There’s also my Holy Taco Church recipe for the month: Verde Pork in the Slow Cooker. This is a super-easy way to make a whole pile of meat to use in tacos, burritos, salads, casseroles, or just straight-up.
Three months exactly until The Clockwork Crown comes out and already the pace is frantic. Deadlines galore! Reviews! Promo posts! 2015. This year is crazy.
Read MoreTidings of Steampunk and Joy
Print magazines have shown me some love this month, and I swear my mom didn’t even bribe anyone.
There’s a review of The Clockwork Dagger in the December issue of Locus. It’s… an awesome review, too. To quote:
“Beth Cato handles this heady mix with a fine sense of language, emotion and event, making the whole thing flow more like a force of nature than the work of a first novelist.”
I’m also included in an article in the December issue of RT Book Reviews, where Tessa Dare describes the panel we shared at MPIBA in Denver. The focus was on attracting millennial readers. My approach… well, you guys know by now.
I have a poem in the latest issue of NewMyths.com! Here’s where you can read “How a Modern Green Man Grows.”
If you’re a writer in need of motivation/inspiration, you might want to ask Santa for a copy of Blood on the Floors: How Writers Survive Rejection. It includes a nonfiction story of mine called “Believing in Unicorns.”
I’m interviewed over at Authorlink.
The final news–and by no means the least important–is that the ebook sale for The Clockwork Dagger is still ongoing. It’s now $1.99 on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google Play, Kobo, and iTunes!
Me, Everywhere
In non-Clockwork Dagger news, my story “213 Myrtle Street” is featured on this week’s Toasted Cake Podcast. Tina Connolly does a lovely job of reading one of my favorite stories.
Now, to the big thing for the week. Hey, did you know my book comes out tomorrow?
The Clockwork Cookie tour wraps up with Dawn Bonanno, with an interview and Chewy Cardamom Cookies!
There are nifty book reviews over at Fanboy Comics and Relentless Reading.
I visit Lawrence Schoen blog to talk about nostalgic and yummy pizza in his Eating Authors.
Another interview at Under the Covers.
And hey, you up to listening to my dorky voice? I’m over at the Kingdoms of Evil podcast! I talk about healers, old school RPGs, and The Clockwork Dagger.
The Big Blog Tour continues! Win a book and a parasol!
- The Schedule
- 9/8 – YA Bibliophile, post
- 9/9 – Irish Banana, promo post
- 9/10 – Mundie Moms, excerpt
- 9/11- Reads All The Books, review
- 9/12 – YA Sisterhood, guest post
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- 9/15 – My, My Shelf & I, excerpt
- 9/16 – Curling Up With A Good Book, guest post
- 9/17 – Fictitious Delicious, Q&A
- 9/18 – Page Turners Blog, review
- 9/19 – Fangirlish, promo post
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- 9/22 – Novel Novice, guest post
- 9/23 – Reading Teen, promo post
- 9/24 – Chapter by Chapter, author interview
- 9/25 – Jenuine Cupcakes, promo post
- 9/26 – Good Choice Reading, excerpt
I’m strutting my stuff all over the internet!
Weekly Round-Up
A few folks have asked, “How are you holding up? What’s it like in the week before the book comes out?”
I’m not feeling particularly stressed right now. I have moments–like when I wake up to a bunch of emails or get frustrated with a blog post–but I wouldn’t say I’m freaking out. I am having trouble with sleep after about 3am but that doesn’t seem to be messing me up during the day, though a nap at some point might be kinda nice. One thing that is bothering me is that my attention is very scattered. I’m trying to work on a new story and I’m not doing my usual output at all because I’m constantly checking my mail or social media. That’s always a temptation, anyway, but now it’s become a complete nervous habit.
It’s a sort of relief to have errands outside the house, things that utterly distract me from the computer and checking all the things. Also, I’ve been reading Ha’penny and now Half a Crown by Jo Walton and those have been awesome and immersive.
On to the link round-up!
I was interviewed by the witty and awesome Tex Thompson! She’s the author of the luscious fantasy western novel One Night in Sixes.
The Big Blog Tour continues! Win a book and a parasol!
- The Schedule
- 9/8 – YA Bibliophile, post
- 9/9 – Irish Banana, promo post
- 9/10 – Mundie Moms, excerpt
- 9/11- Reads All The Books, review
- 9/12 – YA Sisterhood, guest post
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- 9/15 – My, My Shelf & I, excerpt
- 9/16 – Curling Up With A Good Book, guest post
- 9/17 – Fictitious Delicious, Q&A
- 9/18 – Page Turners Blog, review
- 9/19 – Fangirlish, promo post
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- 9/22 – Novel Novice, guest post
- 9/23 – Reading Teen, promo post
- 9/24 – Chapter by Chapter, author interview
- 9/25 – Jenuine Cupcakes, promo post
- 9/26 – Good Choice Reading, excerpt
The Clockwork Cookie Tour continues with more sweet goodies to stuff in your face:
– Rebecca Roland with Cookies and Cream Cookies
– J. Kathleen Cheney with Espresso Chocolate Chip Shortbread
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Peripatetic Blogging and More
Another happy review from a major site!
Kirkus Reviews, Top Picks for Speculative Fiction Reads in September: “This steampunk fantasy includes all the right elements for a rip-roaring adventure.”
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New publication! A poem – “To Walk Upon Clouds” at NewMyths.com.
Holy Taco Church post for September–a review of Gadzooks, an acclaimed restaurant in downtown Phoenix!
I’m also blogging, uh, everywhere.
Essay: “How OWW inspired Me to Write Steampunk” in the September Online Writing Workshop Newsletter.
Chat Log from Wednesday’s #sffrtcht can be found here.
Clockwork Cookie Blog Tour
– Pumpkin Snickerdoodles with Pam Wallace
– Shokupan Bread with Lee Hallison
– Buttery Beer Bread with Darusha Wehm
– Cheap Korean-Style Beef with Jodi Scaife
– Double Irish Cream Cookies with Erin Hartshorn
If I forgot something or someone, my apologies. The crazy OMG-BOOK-RELEASE stuff has definitely kicked in these past two days.
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