Good job me, remembering to update my own website! The A Rake of His Own campaign is currently live on Kickstarter! It runs until the end of the month.
Kickstarter works a bit like a pre-ordering system, where we can raise the funds upfront. We’ve already met our funding goal and unlocked several stretch goals, which means the special editions are definitely happening!
And if you missed out on the Stariel Quartet editions, you can also snag a copy of those through this campaign!
Forgive me, I couldn’t resist the punny title.
The last couple of weeks have been a bit overwhelming on the award front in the best possible way. First, the audiobook of A Rake of His Own was awarded an earphones award by Audiofile magazine for its excellent narration by Nicholas Boulton. They were, of course, completely correct to do so because Nicholas has a voice like smooth chocolate and I couldn’t imagine a better performance.
Nicholas Boulton’s narration of this audiobook–part fantasy, part mystery, part romance–is all pleasure. “
Audiofile Magazine
Second, A Rake of His Own won the 2023 Sir Julius Vogel Award for Best Novel. The SJVs are New Zealand’s national speculative fiction awards. Which means a pointy trophy will be arriving soon!
Two pointy trophies, in fact, because my story How to Marry A Winged King also won the SJV Award for Best Novelette! This story first appeared in the FaRoFeb anthology Once Upon A Forbidden Desire and is currently out of print, but I’m working on a slightly revised and expanded version of the original and hope to release it later this year.
Thank you SO much to everyone who nominated and / or voted for my work this year. I’m a bit stunned (but will also of course be referring to myself as ‘multi-award-winning-author AJ Lancaster’ from here on out, of course).
I cannot fully express what it means to me to have A Rake of His Own in particular receive accolades, but I am about to get emotional and navel-gazing here and try anyway. You’ve been warned.
I often joke about A Rake of His Own being a “great bonus novella!” because that was how it started life (in theory, at least; in hindsight, it was never going to be anything but a novel). I had wrapped up my series finale, but I had this dangling romantic plotline still hanging between two secondary characters, so I thought I’d write a wee novella to tie that loose thread up.
Of course, A Rake of His Own ended up being my second-longest book, coming in at around 120k words (only The King of Faerie, my Stariel series finale, is longer). I was proud of The King of Faerie, but it had been at times an exhausting book to write, with lots of plot threads to tie up and a weight of expectations on my shoulders to finish the series on a high note.
A Rake of His Own felt free of all such expectations. I hadn’t set out to write it as part of the series or as a novel at all. There were no larger series-arc promises left to keep. So I let myself just write in a way I hadn’t for a long time, without consideration for anyone else but me.
The result is somewhat sillier than the main quartet and a bit more raunchy. The lead character is riddled with anxiety and prone to internal monologuing and self-arguments, in contrast to my more decisive heroine of the earlier Stariel books. It was my first attempt at a murder mystery and also my first book with a gay lead.
Reader, it was so much fun to write.
But I was worried no one would like it. Putting a book out into the world is always an incredible act of vulnerability, but this one in particular made me feel even more exposed than usual, perhaps because Marius’s anxious nature is in many ways my own. What if it was too much? What if no one found my banter funny or liked my murder mystery? What if everyone thought Marius was annoying? What if readers freaked out because I used the word ‘cock’?
I was tempted to tone it down, to smooth away some of its weirder corners or make the sex scenes more euphemistic, even though that felt like a betrayal of these characters. In the past I have occasionally given in to this voice of fear, to an imagined critic, not substantially but in small ways (which is something I now regret and a lesson learned for me to be braver in future).
This time, I managed to hold firm against the clamour of voices in my head. However, I remained a pile of nerves at war with myself over it right up until I hit the publish button and couldn’t unmake the decision.
(Here I would like to thank all my writerly friends who patiently suffered with me during this time.)
All of which is to say is that A Rake of His Own sits very close to my heart. I am so incredibly proud of this book and prouder still that I didn’t chicken out of letting it be its full, utterly ridiculous, shamelessly sensual self. I have been humbled and delighted by its reception and the fact that (thankfully for my career) it has been enjoyed by many people other than me. Mostly people didn’t even freak out about the cocks.
Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.
Whew, what a whirlwind of a weekend!
The short version: Two events, a drink that was ON FIRE, and a trophy!
The long version:
This weekend was the annual Romance Writers of New Zealand conference for 2021. This was my second RWNZ conference (I wrote about my first time here), and because of our closed borders, was a little smaller than usual and featured solely local talent rather than the usual line up of international guests. Turns out NZ’s local talent is pretty fabulous though, because it was a fantastic weekend.
In their infinite scheduling wisdom, the national science fiction and fantasy organisation announced very recently that they had decided to schedule their awards on the exact same night as the romance writers. Thus, I was faced with something of a dilemma. I would have liked to attend the RWNZ dinner and celebrate the winners there, but as I was a finalist for the national speculative fiction awards (the Sir Julius Vogel Awards), I decided I should probably go to that one.
I remember being in the crowd at my first-ever SJV ceremony, years before I had admitted to myself I wanted to be a writer. I thought that the pointy SJV trophies were one of the coolest trophy designs I’d seen, but I didn’t even daydream about winning one. After all, to do that would mean having a book published, and I wasn’t a writer.
The world turned.
I kept writing whilst not being a writer (I am sometimes not very bright). I moved nearly 20,000 km away from home. I wrote a book, a practice novel I never intended to let see the light of day. I called it The Lord of Stariel. I admitted to myself I might quite like writing.
I came home. I started publishing books.
Last year was the first time I made the finalist list for the awards, and the flock of pointy trophies sitting up by the podium took on a whole new meaning.
Awards don’t matter, really, you tell yourself. And they don’t; they’re not what keeps you typing when every word feels like a battle. They aren’t a measure of any objective Truth or Worth; every award has its own biases in who gets one and who doesn’t. You have not failed by not winning one. Making the finalist list is an achievement in itself. Plus, after the awards ceremony you get to drink and chat with cool people, which is fun regardless of the outcome.
I told myself the same things this year (and they are true things, I want to emphasise). But, oh, winning does feel good too!
This is a long-winded way of announcing that I won the Sir Julius Vogel Award for Best New Talent this year! I can’t remember what I said when I went up to receive it – it’s all a joyful blur – though friends assure me it was totally coherent and professional. I do remember the last line, though, which was me giddily bursting out with: “Yay, a pointy trophy!” as the presenter handed it to me.
Totally professional.
Here is the celebratory drink that I had afterwards, at a nearby pirate-themed bar. The bartender set my drink on fire (deliberately)!
This was my last year of eligibility for this award, and coming so close on the heels of releasing my series finale was a special moment. Congratulations to all the finalists – there was some amazing talent represented on the lists – and to the winners on the night. Thank you so much to everyone who supported me on this journey.
(Yay, pointy trophy!)
So, The King of Faerie is the last book in my Stariel Quartet.
Well, only mostly, as it turns out.
Whilst The King of Faerie (Stariel #4) indeed wraps up Hetta and Wyn’s story and the main series arc, I found in writing it that there was another character whose story needed a bit more telling than I could fit within its pages. I’ve been hesitant to announce this because I initially thought this extra piece might be a bonus story or a novella that I could include as an add-on to Book 4 when it releases. However, having recently reached 30,000 words on this spin-off story without yet passing its midpoint, I think it’s time to admit that I am in fact writing another novel.
This is a very long-winded way of saying, yes, Marius Valstar is getting a book!
No blurb or cover yet, but I am delighted to announce the forthcoming existence of Of Plants & Princes A Rake of His Own, which will sit chronologically after the events of The King of Faerie.
If you are a NZ library or bookstore, my books are available through Wheelers. You can also contact me directly and we’ll work something out.
Otherwise, this isn’t an exhaustive list, but here are some stores to get you started. You can also check out Bookshop.org or ask your local independent bookstore to order one for you!
Know a good indie bookstore where you can buy my books? Let me know, and I’ll add it to the list!
I have sat on this cover for far too long, and since book 4 is finally, finally feeling like it’s taking a proper shape, I’ve decided to let it out of the bag.
Isn’t it just gorgeous? Once again, Jenny at Seedlings Design Studio has outdone herself. I love all my covers so much, but I think this one just might be my favourite.
I have also put The King of Faerie up for pre-order.
I have put it on the longest possible pre-order (a year) to make super sure I have enough time to finish it, but I am hoping to be able to bring the release date forward.
Here’s the blurb:
The fae are real, and Hetta Valstar is trying her best to marry one.
If Hetta and Wyn ever manage to marry, it will be the first union between Faerie and Mortal since the Iron Law was revoked.
The mortal Queen has given them her blessing—sort of. Now, Wyn needs permission from the fae High King. There’s an intensely personal reason why they need to tie the knot as soon as possible, and time is not on their side.
The clock is ticking. Except in Wyn’s home court, which is trapped under magical stasis. To break the spell will mean venturing into the deepest realms of Faerie, where even fae princes—and definitely human lords—fear to tread.
Unfortunately, the fae problems aren’t limited to Faerie.
Public tension is rising, and the reveal of Wyn’s true identity makes him and Hetta the centre of the storm. On top of this, Stariel’s magic is going haywire, and Hetta is struggling with her intensifying powers—and she might not be the only one affected.
The High King might be the only one who can help, since he’s responsible for the fae returning to the Mortal Realm in the first place.
If only they knew where he was.
Exciting times!!!!
Soooo… THE LORD OF STARIEL ebook is available to pre-order on Amazon!
It will release 1 November and I am COUNTING DAYS GUYS OMG. I am both incredibly excited to show it to the world and nervous for precisely the same reason!
I think of books as a long, time-delayed conversation between authors and readers. You can keep your writing in the back of the wardrobe and never show it to another living soul. This has the advantage of keeping it safe from criticism, but it’s also a lot like talking to yourself. It also means the book is never truly finished, because there’s nothing to stop you fiddling with your wardrobe-book forever.
It’s been a long journey, getting this series ready for release, and part of me still can’t quite believe that book one is really truly actually going to be published IN LESS THAN A MONTH.
In the long run, I plan to make my books available on all ebookseller platforms, but in the short run they will only be available on Amazon. This is due to Amazon’s exclusivity requirements for its subscription programme, Kindle Unlimited, which I plan to enrol my books in initially.
You’ll be able to order books from your preferred bookseller of choice (I can recommend Book Depository for free international shipping). I’ll let you know when and where they’re available.
I’ve also put the prologue and the first chapter up on the website. You can read it here. I plan to put a few more chapters up before release date, to psych myself up for it!
So here we are, 2018, Day One, all fresh and shiny and full of potential. Rather like a new notebook (and who doesn’t love the crisp perfection of new notebooks?).
In the Northern Hemisphere, New Year has a sort of starting afresh / emerging from the darkest hour seasonal parallel. Here in New Zealand, we’re in the middle of summer, so it’s more a sense of emerging from a time of respite (the summer holidays), ready to face the world again. Once more unto the breach!
What am I going to do with you, 2018? Well, 2017 has been a year of preparation, like a seed germinating beneath the earth. I wrote (and re-wrote) a lot of words in 2017; enough that I’m about half a book away from having my whole Stariel Series written. I intend for 2018 to be a year of spreading leaves aka publishing some books. I’m excited and terrified at the prospect. There’s a lot of work still to be done (not least of which is finishing the remaining half of Book 4): editing, covers, formatting, marketing and so on.
It’s tempting to announce grandiose goals. On Day One, practically anything seems achievable by the end of the year. It’s also tempting to set goals based on what I see other writers doing. I will write twenty books! I will scale mountains and defeat ogres, armed only with weaponry constructed from hardbacks!
But the truth is that writing is a very personal business. My goals have to align with my own values and my own reasons for doing this gig.
So what do I value? I’ve done a lot of thinking, during these sleepy midsummer days, and what I want to achieve are books I enjoy reading and that I’m proud to put out into the world. It’s why I write, really – I want to finish writing any given book so I can have the pleasure of reading it once it’s written and polished and good enough*! This sounds a tad egotistical, when I put it like that, but one is supposed to be honest in New Year’s Resolutions, isn’t one?
One should probably stop referring to oneself in the third person and get to the point.
My goals for the year are thus, then:
*Deciding what constitutes “good enough” is, of course, as long as a piece of string.**
**This is a malaphor, a blending of idioms. Aren’t malaphors just the bee’s pajamas?
I’ve been thinking a lot about a certain F word lately. You know the one:
Fairy
Faerie
Faery
Fae
Fey
Feyrie
That one. Or rather, those ones. You see, my current series contains a lot of, um, F-things. And I need to decide which spelling to use.
Now, you might think, given that I’m halfway through writing the fourth and final book in this series, that this decision would long since have been made. Ah, my sweet summer child. I am nothing if not indecisive. Besides, Microsoft Word has a global find-and-replace function, and I haven’t yet published any of the books. This means I’m not committed to any one spelling quite yet.
However, I am going to have to become committed to a specific spelling shortly, mainly because the F-word looks like it’s going to appear in the title of Book 4. Which means it goes on the cover. Which means I need to nail down my spelling preferences before I organise the cover.
So what’s the difference between all these words? To be honest, I’ve seen them all used interchangeably in fiction. Wikipedia has much the same attitude:
And Wikipedia doesn’t even mention the eleventy billion other options. Despite the consensus being, basically, “do what you want”, there are some differences in tone to consider. “Fairy” is more modern and evokes dainty tinkerbells; faerie has an archaic ring. Faery is an interesting mish-mash between the two. Fayrie belongs, I think, in the same category as vampyre and magyck aka who doesn’t love extra y’s in the middle of words? Phaeree? Now it’s just getting silly.
I admit I’ve a fondness for “fairy” because mine are definitely not of the tinkerbell-sort, and the dissonance amuses me. But I also enjoy the eldritch connotations of “faerie” and aesthetically I quite like the appearance of “a” and “e” sitting next to each other (I shouldn’t have mocked the vampyres in the last paragraph – I have no high ground here at all, do I?).
In the world of Stariel, I make a distinction between the Faerie Realm and the people who live in it – the fae. However, I haven’t quite been able to let go of the “fairy” spelling entirely – this is what uneducated humans call the fae. Is three different spellings in one novel being greedy?
That said, enjoy an excerpt from the current draft of Book 1: The Lord of Stariel with all three spellings!
“Am I to take it that my family are, in fact, fairies?” Hetta asked, pained.
He burst into startled laughter. The sound filled the small room, warm and touchable, and Hetta gave her heart stern instructions not to soften in response. Remember how he’s lied to you!
“Don’t you dare laugh! This entire tale is so fantastical that I wouldn’t believe a word of it if I hadn’t seen her change with my own eyes. How am I supposed to know what’s a reasonable question to ask? I’ve only known fairies are real for half an hour!”
He wiped at his eyes. “Oh, I am sorry, Hetta. It wasn’t really so unreasonable a suggestion. It was your tone. You’re taking this much better than I’d hoped, despite my addle-brained telling of it.”
“Well, get on with your addle-brained telling then.” Hetta eyed the whisky glasses on her desk, untouched from earlier. No, better not, she decided with regret. A clear head was required for this.
He sobered. “To answer your question: no, the Valstars are not ‘fairies’. Or at least, not anymore. And I should correct your usage of terms. We are the fae; our land is Faerie.”