I’m not allowed to type in all caps or use excess exclamation points since this is also going to the email subscribers, so just imagine me shouting from a rooftop:
One Month Until Ruby Finley vs. the Interstellar Invasion Debuts
And I have some surprises for you, so dig in.
🧡 Tempest
I have a bit of news to share with you below, but down in the comments I want to hear your news. Tell me about the stuff going on in your life that you’d like to share. Can be great things, or not so great things, or a funny story, or an epic story. Share pictures, share laughter, share what’s troubling you, share wisdom.
New Bookstore, New Discounts
I took the plunge and set up a bookstore on Aerio so I could sell books directly online. It’s not direct as in direct from my house. However, I do get the profits from the store: Tempestuous Books
You may notice that Ruby Finley is listed there at a 15% discount which will last until the day of publication. Scoop it up!
If you’d prefer to pre-order from a different bookstore (say your local indie), you can find all the links for that on my pre-order page.
The audiobook is also there now. And if you pre-order it from Libro.fm, my new favorite audiobook platform, you can get a 30% discount if you enter the code TEMPEST at checkout.
The Merch Is Coming
About 5 seconds after I found out I sold the book, I started thinking about merch. My grand plans were a bit…. grand. I was still able to get the major stuff I wanted, such as a zine coloring book to give out at signings, stickers, t-shirts, and enamel pins. Can’t show you everything yet, but here’s a tiny peek.
I’m so excited! You’re gonna love all the stuff. I was able to get several artists to create different thigs, including my amazing cover artist. I’ll be dripping the reveal of each throughout the month over on Twitter.
The Reviews Are In
So far I’ve gotten three trade reviews of the book and they’re all glowing!
“Bradford challenges readers to keep up with Ruby to solve this intriguing and absorbing mystery. Bradford also addresses, with sensitivity and nuance, the ways in which Black students are marginalized in STEM fields. The author depicts a tightly knit, supportive community of color, where kids roam freely and an older neighbor is always outside to keep an eye on things.
A page-turning mix of science, science fiction, and mystery that will empower readers to pursue their own STEM passions.”
—Kirkus Reviews1
“Ruby is a fun, smart, and lovably realistic protagonist, well balanced against the different personalities among her friends. Her strength lies in both her capability and her bonds of family, friendship, and community. An entertaining and highly recommended read, perfect for readers who love science and adventure-mysteries.”
—Booklist
“Bradford’s entertaining and informative tale highlights the value of scientific and critical thinking as well as the importance of friendship and community. A good choice for middle grade collections, especially where there’s a need for science fiction with BIPOC main characters.”
—School Library Journal
I am overwhelmed with joy at all of these. The reviewers very much got the book and I’m beyond pleased.
Classes
The Building Inclusive Worlds class is open for registration for about another week. It’s going to be really good. Click here for Details and Registration.
New in the Tempestuous Salon
This month I wrote an essay about how I’m going to go about planning my adult novel — the steampunk Egypt one. I can only do outlining right now since I have to concentrate on writing my next middle grade. As soon as that’s done, there will be so many words.
The essay is only for patrons, but it’s for ALL patrons, including folks on the $1 level. I’m also uploading another writing-based game in beta for patrons. This one I think I won’t be publishing, so it’s now exclusive? Yeah…
Enough About Me
I’m ready to hear from you 🤗 Just one note: this is a community space. Please keep in mind that this is my space, so please act the way you would if you were in my actual parlor having actual tea with me 😍
Footnotes
- Yes, KIRKUS [⇧]