The new novel
I have been head down for the last week, prepping for the release of my new novel, KATYA NOSKOV’S LAST SHOT. The book tells the story of a 63-year-old assassin who is forced into retirement. She is angry and restless, and quickly discovers her particular skill set is not conducive to building lasting relationships. While she is trying to learn how to live a “normal” life, Kat finds herself reluctantly swept up into into a friendship with three other women, who teach her what it means to be a friend.
My brain has been fully occupied with all things Katya Noskov for the past month, preventing me from doing any other writing. I have been obsessed with getting the latest revisions done and adding some elements to the story. Every day, my thoughts were focussed on fixing some holes, adding more tension, and making this story my best one yet.
I now understand when authors tell me they walk around completely oblivious to real life because all they can think about is THE BOOK. I’ve been in that foggy headspace for the last month. It’s been an endless cycle of things to do. Once the cover was finalized, I needed to create social media graphics. Once the graphics were done, I put the feelers out for advance readers.* Once the readers started signing up, I needed to actually lay out the book, add badges and banners to the cover, and create the epub for those who want a digital version.
There are so many steps to getting a book ready to launch. I have notes on my phone, a notepad of to-do items on my desk, and post-its stuck to the edges of my desktop computer. My proof copy should arrive tomorrow, which means I can have physical ARCs in my hands and ready to ship to readers before the end of September. Right on schedule, according to the hot pink post-it on the lid of my laptop.
I have to consciously find time to take a breather, have a tea, and try not to throw up. The stress is building, and the anxiety of having readers I don’t know (one from as far away as the UK) checking out my debut adult fiction is making me cranky. But once the epubs are sent, it’s out of my hands.
Next up: the marketing plan. More notes on my phone. An endless stream of random thoughts about how to market this book without going broke. I’ve been searching for a publicist, but it’s not going well. Of the five I reached out to, two responded. One asked me to choose a date for a call and then ghosted me when I picked the date. The other is too high priced without the track record to show they are worth that kind of money.
So what now?
I’m booking events. The first is the official launch at Owl’s Nest on November 4th (reserve your free seat here), from 7-8:30pm. I’m ironing out the details for other events outside of Calgary and I’ll share those as the dates and locations are secured. I am also attending BOOK CLUBS, both in-person and virtually. I LOVE LOVE LOVE being part of discussions with readers, so please share this newsletter with your book club friends.
If you’d like to preorder a copy of KATYA NOSKOV’S LAST SHOT, you can do so HERE. If you are outside of Calgary, please note shipping is not included.
Despite the mood swings, I am truly excited for this book to launch. I love the women in these pages and I’m confident you will too.
xo Dana
*The form is closing tonight, so if you want to be part of the ARC team, you can do that here: https://forms.gle/TSDt2DeSwefsLzEW9
What I’m reading
I’ve got so much going on and a kitchen reno starting tomorrow, so the only reading I’ve been able to do is just before bedtime. Lucky by Marissa Stapley is the perfect wind down. I know I’m late to the game with this one. Have you read it?
