catvalente

A glorious balancing act between modernism and the Victorian fairy tale, done with heart and wisdom.

--Neil Gaiman

It really is wonderful: whimsical and lyrical and shot through with an imagination that simultaneously renders the traditional furniture of fairy tales fresh, and manages to make the author's own inventions seem as mythic as the first story told in the first cave in front of the first fire.

--Cory Doctorow

I honestly can't really believe this day is finally here. I am posting this from 30,000 feet, high above the clouds, on my way west, to the cities where I grew up. It seems appropriate.

Today, Fairyland goes out into the world--I hesitate to say as a "real book," because it was always real. But it is a printed book now, full of gorgeous illustrations, sent out wrapped in red and with a Wyvern on the cover, with blurbs by my heroes and starred reviews and good god, even Amazon's best book of the month. How did this happen? I'm not really sure. Most of what I'm thinking about today is a morning two years ago when I started a story and you all came away with me to Fairyland. I'm thinking about how much you guys have meant to me, and what an extraordinary ship we made together. There is nothing I could say to equal the faith and energy that have swirled and danced around this book. I am honored to have been at the center of it.

This is only the beginning of the journey. Fairyland is a series, and we will all get to go back quite soon. But for today, it's beginning again, and I wish you all leopards and pumpkins as we set off for fairy shores.

Which is a nice way of saying ZOMG FAIRYLAND IS OUT WOW.

Thank you to everyone--simply, everyone who was there, who supported the project, who donated, who read along, who pre-ordered, who talked about it online. Thank you to my tribe. And to my publishers for taking a chance on September. There are not enough thanks in the world. And here's everything you need to know about Fairyland!

• The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making is available online at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, your local independent bookseller, and basically anywhere you care to look for books. You should be able to get it on the ground at all the big booksellers, too. It's available on the Kindle, the Nook, the iPad, and most other electronic formats.

• At long last, you can hear me read one of my books on audiobook! I've been asked for ages when I'm going to do this and the answer is now--you can hear me read Fairyland to your heart's content.

• If you want your copy signed, mail it to me with the cost of return postage and I will sign it for you. Email me for my address if you don't already know it. Or find me on the tour at any one of the readings and conventions I'll be doing in 2011. There are a lot.

• I know there are some of you who just can't afford it, but genuinely want to read it, even at Amazon's 30% off. If you really, really honestly can't afford it, I have a few spare copies and I'll consider trades. Good old bartering system.

How You Can Help (if, you know, you're inclined to do things like helping out authors. And if you like the book.)

• Buy the book. Obviously, this is the best way to support the book--and ensure that there will be many more in the series. Buying a copy during the first week and even doing so today is a huge slice of awesome, and I really appreciate it. I know a lot of you waited to read it until it was in print--now's your chance.

• Come to my readings in the next month. Come the show, be part of the tribe. I'm in LA this week, and the first reading, and therefore launch party, is at the Huntington Beach Barnes & Noble tonight at 7pm. Please come if you're in the LA area! All my other tour dates are on my website.

• Review it. On your blog, or elsewhere if you work for a review site or a magazine. I can send a PDF if you haven't gotten the book from other sources. Physical ARCs are also available. I'd like to hold review copies for people who review for venues, however.

• Put up a review on Amazon. Totally easy and a nice way to say what you thought even if you don't review professionally. Don't be shy!

• Ask your local booksellers to carry it, if they don't already. This is important, as it is still the place where a whole lot of people buy books, and the brick and mortar ordering system determines a lot of a book's success.

• Check it out from your local library. If they don't have it, request it. This can result in both you reading the book for free, and increased library orders, which are awesome. Also, libraries, we need them, yo.

• Use one of the icons around LJ and forums. talkstowolves made these gorgeous icons for us! In order not to clog your pages, I will use ye olde link: go see the beautiful icons, comment if you take one, and please credit her!
  
• Link to the book in your journals/websites--Spread the word! And if you know kids who might like it--tell them. Please do get the word out, if you can. All books need help to get in front of readers' eyeballs. If you want me to cross-link to any of your work in exchange, let me know.

If you link to Fairyland in your journals, blogs, Twitter, or Facebooks any time in the next week, leave a comment with the link in THIS POST and I will enter you in a drawing to win a Fairyland prize package! You can use OpenID if you don't have an LJ account.

The prize box contains:

A signed copy of Fairyland
A signed copy of Deathless
A copy of the Deathless comic by myself and glamour_junkie 
A unique woodburned Spoon (a witch is nothing without one)
A box of pumpkin truffles
A jeweled key necklace made by me
A lace hat knitted by me--green, to keep you warm in the town where the Six Winds live
A variety of anthologies including Whedonistas, Teeth, and my short story collection, Ventriloquism.

Fun Stuff

Fortunately, Feiwel has collected all the fun stuff on one website over at MacKids. You can find a bestiary, a cast of characters, illustrations, the book trailer, and s00j 's beautiful music (yes, there will be a full album!) and the beginning of Nine Lessons from a Wyverary Governess--a serial short fiction easter egg hunt with chapters all over the net. There is a whole lot of awesome over there, I tell you what. Check it out, explore, and you can still read the first eight chapters for free on the original site.

My heart is very full today. Whatever happens form here on out, I believe in this thing, this mad impossible thing that somehow came possible. I hope I can hug as many of you as I can on the tour. Magic happens, for reals, and I thank you all for casting this spell with me.