I am in the UK on tour right nowāthough admittedly, I wrote this newsletter a week ago, in an attempt to be a Responsible Author Who Loves Her Readers.
That said, you can still snag tickets for my remaining UK events!
Wednesday, 29 May
Thursday, 30 May
Saturday, 1 June
NOW, onto that Witchlight teaserā¦
Some of you have likely seen that Witchlight has been bumped to April 2025. Sigh. I swear I am doing the best I can, gang! For Publishing Reasons I canāt get too deeply into, what was a mostly finished book last Decemberā¦I decided to redo.
Not entirely! I didnāt toss out what Iād written. But I realized that in my rush to get a book to you all by July 2024, I was ācutting corners.ā Plus my editor couldnāt meet my schedule (not her fault!). Then there were some behind-the-scenes concerns too because publishing remains fraught with supply chain issues.
So I decided to set the book aside, bump it to 2025 (boo, I know), finish The Whispering Night, and then get back to Witchlight after. Yes, it means you all have to wait longer, but I think it will be worth it.
This book is so unbelievably epic.
Also, you all know Iāve been through some truly challenging stuff on personal side of life for a year and a half now. But thatās okay!
I will get you all a book I am proud of. One that does the series and the characters justice. And one that does YOU justice too.
Now read on to see a teaser!
To tie this book into Sightwitch and connect all of Ryberās story more clearly to the rest of the series (because her story is so important, but I realize not everyone has read!), Iāve got Ryberās letters and notes interspersed throughout Witchlight.
Hereās the first letter. Enjoy! š¦āā¬
Kullen,
I hope the Goddess releases you from your sleep soonāand I hope there are enough pieces of you still inside to understand why this diary is lying on the ice before you.
Do you remember me? Do you remember everything we went through?
Like before, I donāt know what this diary will show you. I only know what Iāve written and what I hope it will reveal. Then you can make the right choice when the sleeping ice releases you.
I have gone deep into the Sightwitch Sister Conventāall the way into the lowest levels of the Crypts, searching for explanations of what has happened to you. Surely, in all those thousands upon thousands of Memory Records, there is someone who has experienced what youāre going through. Why has Bastienās soul taken over yours?
I donāt think this is a possession, in which souls are bound to bodies not their own. Because you are Bastienāor rather, you carry the same reincarnated soul of the Air Paladin that Bastien did. This is what all Paladins experience: they reincarnate again and again, each new iteration able to remember the past lives that came before. When Paladins reach a certain age, something in their lives will ātriggerā all the memories to awaken.
We went through your trigger together, do you remember? When we were trying to escape the mountain a year ago, and you discovered the Blade and Glass.
But remembering the past lives is not the same as becoming the past lives.
Bastien and his ancient fury claimed your mind. He erased all remnants of the Captain I knew. How? Why? And how do I bring my Captain back?
I will keep searching for clues in the Sightwitch Crypts. I think the ultimate answer matters. Not just for you, but for all the Witchlands.
At least Iām no longer alone. The Rook found me today, swooping into the Convent as if heād never left me a year ago. I cried at the sight of him. And I will cry even more at the sight of you, when you find me again.
If you do awaken and find this letterāif you are Kullen and not Bastienās eternal furyāthen come to me in the Crypts. I have drawn you a map so you can find your way through the mountain.
I love you.
-Ryber
Short, but sweet! And if youāve read Sightwitch, youāll understand all the references. That book remains the most fun thing Iāve ever written. I approached it as if I were creating a video gameāhow could I capture the same sense of immersion and exploration with only text and zero player agency?
Not sure if I succeeded in getting the same vibes as a game, but Sightwitch was a joy to create, nonetheless!
Alright, off I go! Time to meet more readers and bless more babies.1 See you all again soon!
š - Sooz
If only this were a part of my job. I would love to meet more babies!
Loved this excerpt! Canāt wait for the book and so excited to find out what happens
So excited! It will be worth the wait ā¤ļø