upcoming books

Winding Down

Winding Down

It’s the end of October, and my brain is starting the process of winding down for the end of the year. Which is a little bit of a problem, because I am two (I think two) chapters from finishing Have Yourself a Merry Little Witchmas, and it’s due in on Friday! No winding down! Must make all the words!

In a fun instance of “This is Liz’s brain on writing…” Witchmas is now set in the same universe as Heart’s Master. Which means that if I stay with writing Camber and Merlina (which I might, because they are SO much fun to write!), there’s a possibility of a cameo by a certain blind bardic mage.

I really do need to get back to that series and figure out where I broke Holy Orders (Drum Mage 2). And float the idea to my publisher that hey, it’s ten years old! Can we have a shiny new cover and re-release like we did with Sable Locks and Ravenborn? I’ll have to draft that email up later. Or next week, once Witchmas is put to bed.

There are still three shows before the end of the year, but those are short and once they’re done, they’re done. I’m looking forward to Maker Faire next week — I haven’t gotten our placement yet, but the early information shows us in the Opportunity building instead of Spirit (Spirit is where we were last year.) Once I know for certain, I’ll let you know where to find us. And by the time Maker Faire rolls around, I should have hardcovers for Ravenflight! Against all odds, the paperbacks showed up on Friday, right before we left for Author Night at Native Home Marketplace. Considering that they weren’t supposed to be here until November 7th at the earliest? I was more than a little shocked!

They’re very pretty! And they’ll be on the table to Maker Faire!

Back to work!

Promotions

Now Available!

A hero. A son of Eire. A reckoning long overdue.

Lorcan never asked for glory. Crowned a noble and hailed as a savior after crushing rebellion, he walks the marble halls adored by all—except himself. Haunted by prophetic visions, he sees not triumph, but torment: his family caged, his homeland threatened, and his cousin’s dark ambitions on the rise.

He knows where he must go.

Leaving behind the splendor of Empire, Lorcan returns to the emerald wilds of Eire, where ancient magic stirs and old loyalties are tested. Beside him stand his mates and his chosen kin—fierce, loyal, and willing to follow him into the heart of danger. But the blood that binds can also betray, and the most dangerous enemy may not be on the battlefield… but seated at his own family’s table.


Half Off Sale!

I am down to my final four complete sets of Swords of Charlemagne with the old covers. Remember, when these are gone, they’re gone! You can a single title for $12.50, or all four books for $37.50. This includes the thumbdrive!

Why? The Swords of Charlemagne have a new home with Riverdale Avenue Books! New covers and edits will be coming soon!


Sale!

To end the war with the Empire, all Prince Tarjiaan has to do is deny his heart and marry the Emperor’s granddaughter. Peace is assured…

Or is it?

On October 30th, and for one day only, The Sea Prince will be available wherever ebooks are sold for 99 cents! Click the image to see what other books will be available on the day!


Work in Progress

Have Yourself A Merry Little Witchmas

 
19408 / 25000

Tales from the Arena: King of Swords
(Tales from the Arena, book 4)

 
35962 / 90000 (39.96%)

Appearances

Maker Faire
November 7-9th, 2025
Central Florida Fairgrounds,
Orlando, FL

***

Enchanted Knights: Winter Bazaar
December 6th, 2025
Oviedo Mall
Oviedo, FL

***

Ravenflight Signing!
Spellbound Books
December 20th, 2025
12:00PM – 2:00 PM
Sanford, FL


2026 Appearances

ICFA
March 18-21th, 2026
Orlando, FL

***

Storyteller Summit
April 11th, 2026
11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Oviedo, FL.

***

Summer Lovin’ Book Festival
June 6th, 2026
11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Oviedo, FL.

***

Tanoshii Con
August 22nd – 23rd, 2026
Ocean Center Arena, Daytona Beach.

***

Smut Lovers Conference
September 16th – 20th, 2026
Orlando, FL

***

Page and Pen Festival
October 3rd, 2026
11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Oviedo, FL.

Posted by EASchechter in 2025 plans, a-writers-life-is-never-dull, accountability, appearances, Blood of the Raven, Maker Faire, Ravenflight, the-end-is-near, upcoming books, upcoming work, Updatey things, WIP, Witchmas, wordcount, Write Faster!, 0 comments
Jiggery-Pokery

Jiggery-Pokery

In the past week, I’ve put my entire upcoming schedule into a Pop-o-Matic, which has created great jiggery-pokery in my calendar.

First and foremost, due to circumstances beyond my control, and which involve not owning a time machine and therefore not getting the books in time, my signing at Spellbound has been postponed until December 20th! So come out and pick up signed copies of the Blood of the Raven books. I’ll bring gift wrap. It will be awesome!

Second, remember how last week I mentioned that there were three book events on the calendar at Oviedo Mall for 2026, and that I applied for all three? I got in to all three! So my 2026 calendar is quickly filling up!

And finally, in the category of “Oh, this could mess up my schedule BIG TIME!” I’ve been summoned to be on call for federal jury duty, starting November 17th and running until December 5th. What that means is that I have to call in and see if they’ll need me the Friday prior. If they need me, I have to haul myself down to Orlando to the Federal courthouse, where no electronics are allowed. I might be there a day… or I might get put on a jury and be there until the trial is done. which could mess with Thanksgiving/Cookiepocalypse. On the upside, the courthouse is close enough to the Sunrail that I wouldn’t have to drive. So that’s good. And I’ll be able to read while I wait, so I can bring the edits for The Coral Throne with me, and some of my growing TBR pile.

For right now, I’m not going to fuss about it. Not until the 14th, when I find out if I actually need to fuss about something. I’m three or four chapters from finishing Have Yourself a Merry Little Witchmas, and then I need to write the series bible for these two because they will be back. But it’s due to my editor on November 1st, so I need to get back to work!

Promotions

Now Available!

A hero. A son of Eire. A reckoning long overdue.

Lorcan never asked for glory. Crowned a noble and hailed as a savior after crushing rebellion, he walks the marble halls adored by all—except himself. Haunted by prophetic visions, he sees not triumph, but torment: his family caged, his homeland threatened, and his cousin’s dark ambitions on the rise.

He knows where he must go.

Leaving behind the splendor of Empire, Lorcan returns to the emerald wilds of Eire, where ancient magic stirs and old loyalties are tested. Beside him stand his mates and his chosen kin—fierce, loyal, and willing to follow him into the heart of danger. But the blood that binds can also betray, and the most dangerous enemy may not be on the battlefield… but seated at his own family’s table.


Half Off Sale!

I am down to my final four complete sets of Swords of Charlemagne with the old covers. Remember, when these are gone, they’re gone! You can a single title for $12.50, or all four books for $37.50. This includes the thumbdrive!

Why? The Swords of Charlemagne have a new home with Riverdale Avenue Books! New covers and edits will be coming soon!


Sale!

To end the war with the Empire, all Prince Tarjiaan has to do is deny his heart and marry the Emperor’s granddaughter. Peace is assured…

Or is it?

On October 30th, and for one day only, The Sea Prince will be available wherever ebooks are sold for 99 cents! Click the image to see what other books will be available on the day!


Work in Progress

Have Yourself A Merry Little Witchmas

 
13103 / 20000 (65.52%)

Tales from the Arena: King of Swords
(Tales from the Arena, book 4)

 
35962 / 90000 (39.96%)

Appearances

Author Night at Native Home!
October 24th, 2025
6:00PM – 9:00 PM

***

Maker Faire
November 7-9th, 2025
Central Florida Fairgrounds,
Orlando, FL

***

Enchanted Knights: Winter Bazaar
December 6th, 2025
Oviedo Mall
Oviedo, FL

***

Ravenflight Signing!
Spellbound Books
December 20th, 2025
12:00PM – 2:00 PM
Sanford, FL


2026 Appearances

ICFA
March 18-21th, 2026
Orlando, FL

***

Storyteller Summit
April 11th, 2026
11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Oviedo, FL.

***

Summer Lovin’ Book Festival
June 6th, 2026
11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Oviedo, FL.

***

Tanoshii Con
August 22nd – 23rd, 2026
Ocean Center Arena, Daytona Beach.

***

Smut Lovers Conference
September 16th – 20th, 2026
Orlando, FL

***

Page and Pen Festival
October 3rd, 2026
11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Oviedo, FL.

Posted by EASchechter in 2025 plans, 2026 plans, a-writers-life-is-never-dull, accountability, appearances, I really want some dull, progress, promotions, Ravenflight, upcoming books, upcoming work, WIP, Witchmas, wordcount, Writer on the Go!, 0 comments
“I forgot to turn off the subtitles on my inside voice.”

“I forgot to turn off the subtitles on my inside voice.”

“I forgot to turn off the subtitles on my inside voice.” The line that made me giggle for several minutes. I am enjoying this manuscript. These characters are wonderfully snarky, and I’m just having fun. Now, that’s not to say that i don’t enjoy all of my writing. I do. But Merlina and Camber are amusing me all out of proportion, and the hard part is going to be keeping this to the required 20,000 words. I keep telling myself that sequels are a thing.

Which means I need to make a series plan. I’ll work on that during my down time once I finish this, while they’re still fresh in my head. Which might mean doing research into Elizabethan history, because if there are going to be sequels, there also need to be origin stories and oh my giddy aunt…

I’m starting to plan out my 2026 appearances, and three new shows have hit the radar all within the past three days. The organizer of the Page and Pen festival has announced THREE dates for 2026, in April, June and October. I’ve applied for all three, so we’ll see how things go and if I get all three. Once I know, I’ll add them to the calendar.

I just had a Lorcan moment. I looked at the calendar, and realized that today is the 13th. That means that this Saturday is the 18th, and Ravenflight releases. I seriously thought I had another week, because I somehow forgot how numbers work. How is this a Lorcan moment? Because in Ravenflight, he gets blindsided by something, and his response is “I thought I knew how to count!”

Which means I should leave you with this:

Promotions

Preorder Now!

A hero. A son of Eire. A reckoning long overdue.

Lorcan never asked for glory. Crowned a noble and hailed as a savior after crushing rebellion, he walks the marble halls adored by all—except himself. Haunted by prophetic visions, he sees not triumph, but torment: his family caged, his homeland threatened, and his cousin’s dark ambitions on the rise.

He knows where he must go.

Leaving behind the splendor of Empire, Lorcan returns to the emerald wilds of Eire, where ancient magic stirs and old loyalties are tested. Beside him stand his mates and his chosen kin—fierce, loyal, and willing to follow him into the heart of danger. But the blood that binds can also betray, and the most dangerous enemy may not be on the battlefield… but seated at his own family’s table.


Half Off Sale!

I am down to my final four complete sets of Swords of Charlemagne with the old covers. Remember, when these are gone, they’re gone! You can a single title for $12.50, or all four books for $37.50 when you use the code SWORDS in my shop. This includes the thumbdrive!

Why? The Swords of Charlemagne have a new home with Riverdale Avenue Books! New covers and edits will be coming soon!


Now Available!

To end the war with the Empire, all Prince Tarjiaan has to do is deny his heart and marry the Emperor’s granddaughter. Peace is assured…

Or is it?


Work in Progress

Have Yourself A Merry Little Witchmas

 
9129 / 20000 (45.65%)

Tales from the Arena: King of Swords
(Tales from the Arena, book 4)

 
35962 / 90000 (39.96%)

Appearances

Author Night at Native Home!
October 24th, 2025
6:00PM – 9:00 PM

***

Ravenflight Signing!
Spellbound Books
November 1st, 2025
2:30 PM – 4:00PM
Sanford, FL

***

Maker Faire
November 7-9th, 2025
Central Florida Fairgrounds,
Orlando, FL

***

Enchanted Knights: Winter Bazaar
December 6th, 2025
Oviedo Mall
Oviedo, FL

2026 Appearances

Tanoshii Con
August 22nd – 23rd, 2026
Ocean Center Arena, Daytona Beach.

***

Smut Lovers Conference
September 16th – 20th, 2026
Orlando, FL

Posted by EASchechter in 2026 plans, accountability, appearances, Blood of the Raven, forthcoming works, Happy Book Day, progress, promotions, publishing, Ravenflight, Release date, upcoming books, upcoming work, WIP, Witchmas, wordcount, Write Faster!, 0 comments
Two Down, One to Go…

Two Down, One to Go…

Past Me was insane. That’s all there is to it. To schedule three shows in three weeks? Bonkers. Two down, one to go. We got home from Necronomicon Tampa last night, and we have four days to reset before we reload the car for the Page and Pen Festival at the Oviedo Mall.

In the meantime, I’ve spent the day getting my end of quarter admin work done. Q3 taxes are in, and the kanban board is reset for Q4.

How the heck is it Q4 already?

The most brain-draining thing I have to do this week, other than working on Have Yourself a Merry Little Witchmas, is that I have to choose a new headshot. My old one (the one currently in my media kit and on my about the author page) is ten years old and approaching “if you’re in publishing long enough, your headshot will be your greatest work of fiction” territory. Time for a new one. But WHICH ONE? I have four potentials, and that’s about as far as I got in narrowing it down.

If any of you have strong feelings about the matter, let me know! Once I have it narrowed down to one (or two), I’ll update the media kit and the website.

The new covers for Blood of the Raven are live, and they are GORGEOUS! Remember, if you have read Princes of Air or Raven’s Fall, you’ve read books one and two already. But if you want your books to match, you want these. Book three comes out October 18th.

But for now… back to work!

Promotions

Preorder Now!

A hero. A son of Eire. A reckoning long overdue.

Lorcan never asked for glory. Crowned a noble and hailed as a savior after crushing rebellion, he walks the marble halls adored by all—except himself. Haunted by prophetic visions, he sees not triumph, but torment: his family caged, his homeland threatened, and his cousin’s dark ambitions on the rise.

He knows where he must go.

Leaving behind the splendor of Empire, Lorcan returns to the emerald wilds of Eire, where ancient magic stirs and old loyalties are tested. Beside him stand his mates and his chosen kin—fierce, loyal, and willing to follow him into the heart of danger. But the blood that binds can also betray, and the most dangerous enemy may not be on the battlefield… but seated at his own family’s table.


Half Off Sale!

From now until they sell out, you can get the Swords of Charlemagne paperback books from me directly for half off. That’s $12.50 for each, or all four books for $37.50 when you use the code SWORDS. This includes the thumbdrive!

Why? The Swords of Charlemagne have a new home with Riverdale Avenue Books! New covers and edits will be coming soon!


Now Available!

To end the war with the Empire, all Prince Tarjiaan has to do is deny his heart and marry the Emperor’s granddaughter. Peace is assured…

Or is it?


Work in Progress

Have Yourself A Merry Little Witchmas

 
4021 / 20000 (20.11%)

Tales from the Arena: King of Swords
(Tales from the Arena, book 4)

 
35962 / 90000 (39.96%)

Appearances

Page and Pen Festival
October 4th, 2025
Oviedo Mall
Oviedo, FL

***

Author Night at Native Home!
October 24th, 2025
6:00PM – 9:00 PM

***

Ravenflight Signing!
Spellbound Books
November 1st, 2025
2:30 PM – 4:00PM
Sanford, FL

***

Maker Faire
November 7-9th, 2025
Central Florida Fairgrounds,
Orlando, FL

***

Enchanted Knights: Winter Bazaar
December 6th, 2025
Oviedo Mall
Oviedo, FL

2026 Appearances

Tanoshii Con
August 22nd – 23rd, 2026
Ocean Center Arena, Daytona Beach.

***

Smut Lovers Conference
September 16th – 20th, 2026
Orlando, FL

Posted by EASchechter in 2025 plans, appearances, Blood of the Raven, conventions, forthcoming works, Necronomicon, Princes of Air, promotions, Ravenborn, Ravenfall, Ravenflight, Ravens Fall, Release date, to-dos, upcoming books, upcoming work, why-the-writing-is-slow, WIP, wordcount, 0 comments
Let’s Do It Again!!!

Let’s Do It Again!!!

Smut Lovers Conference was amazingly fun. How much fun? Enough to say let’s do it again! We’ll be back for 2026!

I think this might be the furthest out I’ve ever scheduled an event.

I am… so incredibly fuzzy today. More than just the usual “It’s Monday and I had PT this morning” fuzziness. I’m still recovering from Smut Lovers and that incredible signing. I have never felt so appreciated as an author than I did at Smut Lovers — I had readers saying “Thank you for writing these books! Here, have a present!” (We were given candy, bookmarks, jewelry, and the cutest tiny little ducks!) That was so completely unexpected, and so very sweet!

All of the new covers for the Blood of the Raven books are now live — you can buy ebooks of Ravenborn and Ravenfall, and the ebook for Ravenflight is up for preorder. I’m not sure when the paperbacks will be available, but I’ll let you all know when they are!

On to the next show! Time to repack the book boxes, LABEL the book boxes, and get ready for Necronomicon!

Tomorrow. I’ll do that tomorrow.

Promotions

Preorder Now!

A hero. A son of Eire. A reckoning long overdue.

Lorcan never asked for glory. Crowned a noble and hailed as a savior after crushing rebellion, he walks the marble halls adored by all—except himself. Haunted by prophetic visions, he sees not triumph, but torment: his family caged, his homeland threatened, and his cousin’s dark ambitions on the rise.

He knows where he must go.

Leaving behind the splendor of Empire, Lorcan returns to the emerald wilds of Eire, where ancient magic stirs and old loyalties are tested. Beside him stand his mates and his chosen kin—fierce, loyal, and willing to follow him into the heart of danger. But the blood that binds can also betray, and the most dangerous enemy may not be on the battlefield… but seated at his own family’s table.


Half Off Sale!

From now until they sell out, you can get the Swords of Charlemagne paperback books from me directly for half off. That’s $12.50 for each, or all four books for $37.50 when you use the code SWORDS. This includes the thumbdrive!

Why? The Swords of Charlemagne have a new home with Riverdale Avenue Books! New covers and edits will be coming soon!


Now Available!

To end the war with the Empire, all Prince Tarjiaan has to do is deny his heart and marry the Emperor’s granddaughter. Peace is assured…

Or is it?


Work in Progress

Have Yourself A Merry Little Witchmas

 
2609 / 20000 (13.05%)

Tales from the Arena: King of Swords
(Tales from the Arena, book 4)

 
35962 / 90000 (39.96%)

Appearances

Necronomicon
September 26th – 28th, 2025
Tampa, FL

***

Page and Pen Festival
October 4th, 2025
Oviedo Mall
Oviedo, FL

***

Author Night at Native Home!
October 24th, 2025
6:00PM – 9:00 PM

***

Ravenflight Signing!
Spellbound Books
November 1st, 2025
2:30 PM – 4:00PM
Sanford, FL

***

Maker Faire
November 7-9th, 2025
Central Florida Fairgrounds,
Orlando, FL

***

Enchanted Knights: Winter Bazaar
December 6th, 2025
Oviedo Mall
Oviedo, FL

2026 Appearances

Tanoshii Con
August 22nd – 23rd, 2026
Ocean Center Arena, Daytona Beach.

***

Smut Lovers Conference
September 16th – 20th, 2026
Orlando, FL

Posted by EASchechter in 2025 plans, 2026 plans, a-writers-life-is-never-dull, accountability, Blood of the Raven, conventions, forthcoming works, Necronomicon, Ravenborn, Ravenfall, Ravenflight, upcoming books, upcoming work, why-the-writing-is-slow, WIP, Writer on the Go!, 0 comments
The Only Constant is Change

The Only Constant is Change

Have you heard the phrase “The only constant is change?” It’s true, especially in publishing. Trends change, and you have to go with it.

And that’s why the entire Blood of the Raven series is getting new covers to celebrate the release of book three!

Wait, what? Didn’t book 2 just come out a few months ago?

Yes, yes it did. And yes, I do love that cover. But it appears that the cover art trend is shifting, and that shiny new cover is already dated. So… shiny new covers! AND… new titles!

Princes of Air was already due a new cover, but now the title will be in line with the other two books, and it will officially be book one of the Blood of the Raven series, under the title Ravenborn.

Raven’s Fall will now be known as Ravenfall (one word). That and the new cover are the only changes

Which brings us to the newest bird in the flock.

Ravenflight is now available for preorder on Amazon and through the Riverdale Avenue Book page. (The paperback is only at the publisher right now, but more sites are coming.) Ravenflight launches on October 18th.

Given the mid-October release date, I will not have Ravenflight on my table until Maker Faire in November, and I may not have all the new covers to sell until the Enchanted Knights Winter Bazaar in December. We shall see. If I do have them all at Maker Faire, there will be a series discount.

Promotions

Preorder Now!

A hero. A son of Eire. A reckoning long overdue.

Lorcan never asked for glory. Crowned a noble and hailed as a savior after crushing rebellion, he walks the marble halls adored by all—except himself. Haunted by prophetic visions, he sees not triumph, but torment: his family caged, his homeland threatened, and his cousin’s dark ambitions on the rise.

He knows where he must go.

Leaving behind the splendor of Empire, Lorcan returns to the emerald wilds of Eire, where ancient magic stirs and old loyalties are tested. Beside him stand his mates and his chosen kin—fierce, loyal, and willing to follow him into the heart of danger. But the blood that binds can also betray, and the most dangerous enemy may not be on the battlefield… but seated at his own family’s table.


Half Off Sale!

From now until they sell out, you can get the Swords of Charlemagne paperback books from me directly for half off. That’s $12.50 for each, or all four books for $37.50 when you use the code SWORDS. This includes the thumbdrive!

Why? The Swords of Charlemagne have a new home with Riverdale Avenue Books! New covers and edits will be coming soon!


Now Available!

To end the war with the Empire, all Prince Tarjiaan has to do is deny his heart and marry the Emperor’s granddaughter. Peace is assured…

Or is it?


Now Available!

Kidnapped from his home and sold as a slave in Rome, Raven-Prince Lorcan must survive in a world where entertainment is murder, diplomacy is betrayal, and love is a commodity. And where a raven who is only supposed to ever have one mate will somehow find two…

Read it before Ravenflight comes out! (Note: Cover changing soon!)

Image of a book cover. Cover is red-orange, with an abstract design over which there is a raven in flight. Text reads Book One in the Blood of the Raven series. Raven's Fall. Wings of Blood and Desire. By Blood Betrayed.  Elizabeth Schechter

Work in Progress

Have Yourself A Merry Little Witchmas

 
0 / 20000 (0.00%)

Tales from the Arena: King of Swords
(Tales from the Arena, book 4)

 
35962 / 90000 (39.96%)

Appearances

Smut Lovers: The Conference
September 17th – 21st, 2025
Orlando, FL

***

Necronomicon
September 26th – 28th, 2025
Tampa, FL

***

Page and Pen Festival
October 4th, 2025
Oviedo Mall
Oviedo, FL

***

Ravenflight Signing!
Spellbound Books
November 1st, 2025
2:30 PM – 4:00PM
Sanford, FL

***

Maker Faire
November 7-9th, 2025
Central Florida Fairgrounds,
Orlando, FL

***

Enchanted Knights: Winter Bazaar
December 6th, 2025
Oviedo Mall
Oviedo, FL

Posted by EASchechter in 2025 plans, a-writers-life-is-never-dull, accountability, Best laid plans, Best planned lays, Blood of the Raven, forthcoming works, presales, promotions, Ravenflight, Release date, SQUEEE, upcoming books, upcoming work, 0 comments
Is This Thing On?

Is This Thing On?

Tap. Taptap. Is this thing on?

I’m back. Did you miss me? Honestly, I know that the odds are good that most folks didn’t notice I was taking time off. But here we are in September, and it’s time for me to get back to work.

Sort of.

Because it took me much longer than I was planning to get The Coral Throne done, I’m not technically getting back to work yet. Not entirely, anyway. I’m working on edits for Tales from the Arena; Dead Man’s Hand. I’m blogging again, starting today, and the newsletter will come out later this week. However, I won’t actively get back to writing Tales from the Arena: King of Swords until October, after the Page and Pen Festival.

This schedule gives me one more month to catch up on Tasting History and get through my TBR pile. Of which I’ve read… well, one, and bounced off one. The one I read was For Whom The Belle Tolls, by Jaysea Lynn, which I’ve been waiting to dive into for ages — I got it on release day, but had to wait to start it. (Nope, not telling you what I bounced off.) The current read is Wooing the Witch Queen by Stephanie Burgis.

The pile hasn’t gotten any smaller, though.

I also got to the movies — we went to see KPop Demon Hunters for the singalong. SO much fun! Two more movies to catch before I’m back to work (three if you count seeing one from my couch.) What movies? Fantastic Four, Superman, and Sinners (that’s the couch movie.)

I’m also getting ready for the first of three shows in a row — Smut Lovers Conference is coming up starting the 17th. If you’re a Florida local. there’s a signing from 12 – 4pm on Saturday the 20th, and you can get your free ticket here. The week after Smut Lovers is Necronomicon Tampa, and then we wrap up the run with the Page and Pen Festival I mentioned already. Then I have a month to do promo for November releases (possibly two — no dates yet, but I’ll let you know once I know!), and get ready for Maker Faire!

For now, though? I’m going to get back to edits and recharging my batteries.

Promotions

Half Off Sale!

From now until they sell out, you can get the Swords of Charlemagne paperback books from me directly for half off. That’s $12.50 for each, or all four books for $37.50 when you use the code SWORDS. This includes the thumbdrive!

Why? The Swords of Charlemagne have a new home with Riverdale Avenue Books! New covers and edits will be coming soon!


Now Available!

To end the war with the Empire, all Prince Tarjiaan has to do is deny his heart and marry the Emperor’s granddaughter. Peace is assured…

Or is it?


Now Available!

Kidnapped from his home and sold as a slave in Rome, Raven-Prince Lorcan must survive in a world where entertainment is murder, diplomacy is betrayal, and love is a commodity. And where a raven who is only supposed to ever have one mate will somehow find two…

Read it before Raven’s Flight comes out!

Image of a book cover. Cover is red-orange, with an abstract design over which there is a raven in flight. Text reads Book One in the Blood of the Raven series. Raven's Fall. Wings of Blood and Desire. By Blood Betrayed.  Elizabeth Schechter

Work in Progress

The Coral Throne
(The Coral Throne, book 2)

121829 / 120000 (101.52%)

Tales from the Arena: King of Swords
(Tales from the Arena, book 4)

35962 / 90000 (39.96%)

Appearances

Smut Lovers: The Conference
September 17th – 21st, 2025
Orlando, FL

***

Necronomicon
September 26th – 28th, 2025
Tampa, FL

***

Page and Pen Festival
October 4th, 2025
Oviedo, FL

***

Maker Faire
November 7-9th, 2025
Central Florida Fairgrounds,
Orlando, FL

***

Enchanted Knights: Winter Bazaar
December 6th, 2025
Oviedo Mall
Oviedo, FL

Posted by EASchechter in 2025 plans, appearances, conventions, forthcoming works, Maker Faire, Tales from the Arena, The Coral Throne, upcoming books, upcoming work, why-the-writing-is-slow, Writer on the Go!, 0 comments
If It’s Not One Thing…

If It’s Not One Thing…

If It’s not one thing, it’s two things. Or six. Usually, it’s six. Last week? It was a doctor appointment every morning, then heading out to the writing retreat after, going right into the Renaissance Faire on Saturday.

Which, I suppose, is my way of saying I’m tired today.

The retreat was amazing, and there are some exciting things that are coming out of it that I can’t really talk about yet. Things are written in warm Jell-O right now, but are solidifying nicely, so I’ll tell you more once I can.

For the writing part of the writing retreat, I added over 6,000 words to The Coral Throne last week. Which is a fantastic number, but that leaves me with just about 39K words to finish before I have a draft. This means that I won’t be done by next week, so I’m shifting my vacation until August, and taking July to finish this manuscript. So after next week, there will be no blogs and no newsletter until September (there won’t be a newsletter next week. I think I may have forgotten to announce that.)

Things are moving on the publishing side, and I’m hearing buzz about a late fall/early winter release on two books. I don’t have an exact date, nor would I announce one this early — things might change. But I have two books projected to come out later this year (if it’s not one thing, it’s two things!)

One of those would be Raven’s Flight. The other…. is Hidden Things.

Wait, what?

Yes, Riverdale Avenue Books have optioned the Swords of Charlemagne series! At some point later this summer, the existing books are going to vanish my store, and from all online bookstores. Because of this, I’m running a sale on existing paperbacks. If you want the existing covers, get them now. When they’re gone, they’re gone! Find the sales code below.

Back to work!

Promotions

Half Off Sale!

From now until they sell out, you can get the Swords of Charlemagne books from me directly for half off. That’s12.50 for each, or all four books for $37.50 when you use the code SWORDS.

Why? The Swords of Charlemagne have a new home with Riverdale Avenue Books! I’m waiting for my editor there to tell me when I have to take down the existing listings. Once that happens, these covers are going away.

Free Books!

You have one week left! Come find a selection of free steamy books! Click the graphic and take a look!


Now Available!

To end the war with the Empire, all Prince Tarjiaan has to do is deny his heart and marry the Emperor’s granddaughter. Peace is assured…

Or is it?

The Sea Prince sets sail on June 10th!


Now Available!

Kidnapped from his home and sold as a slave in Rome, Raven-Prince Lorcan must survive in a world where entertainment is murder, diplomacy is betrayal, and love is a commodity. And where a raven who is only supposed to ever have one mate will somehow find two…

Read it before Raven’s Flight comes out!

Image of a book cover. Cover is red-orange, with an abstract design over which there is a raven in flight. Text reads Book One in the Blood of the Raven series. Raven's Fall. Wings of Blood and Desire. By Blood Betrayed.  Elizabeth Schechter

Work in Progress

The Coral Throne
(The Coral Throne, book 2)

61947 / 100000 (61.95%)

Appearances

3rd Annual Summer Artisan Market
June 29th, 2025
Brannon Center
New Smyrna Beach, FL

***

Smut Lovers: The Conference
September 17th – 21st, 2025
Orlando, FL

***

Necronomicon
September 26th – 28th, 2025
Tampa, FL

***

Page and Pen Festival
October 4th, 2025
Oviedo, FL

Posted by EASchechter in 2025 plans, accountability, appearances, Blood of the Raven, forthcoming works, Hidden Things, progress, promotions, publishing, Raven's Flight, Swords of Charlemagne, The Coral Throne, upcoming books, upcoming work, WIP, wordcount, Write Faster!, 0 comments
Tomorrow!

Tomorrow!

Happy Book Birthday Eve! Tomorrow is the day! The Sea Prince releases tomorrow, at long last. My earliest notes on this novel are from 2009. So technically, The Sea Prince is older than Princes of Air. The concept, anyway. It’s really kind of bizarre to think that, after so many false starts, broken plotlines, and rewrites, this novel is finally going to be published. It’s a very different book from when it started, way back in 2009. But in some places, it’s very much the same.

And tomorrow, you get to read it!

One of those things that changed is that in the original manuscript from 2009, Nika had a cat. There were plot points as to why and how the cat was important, but in the latest rewrite, I decided that the cat didn’t make any sense. So there’s no cat in The Sea Prince. However, about halfway through The Coral Throne, someone asks Tarjiaan why the Wave Runner doesn’t have a ship cat, because it’s traditional for Meradonese ships to have one (or more). They take Tarjiaan and Nika to meet their cat’s litter… and one of them bonds immediately with Nika.

(song cue!) And the cat came back! She wouldn’t stay away….

Nika isn’t the only one to come away with a cat, though. Tarjiaan is also adopted/claimed by an opinionated and unique calico cat. For the record, I already adore Tripod:


Tarjiaan heard a yowl, and looked down to see a cat at his feet. This wasn’t a kitten — from its size, it was at least a year old, with a smooth coat of many colors completely unlike the fluffy forest cats. It yowled again, then jumped, and Tarjiaan scrambled to catch the cat before the animal could set its claws into Tarjiaan’s coat and the skin underneath.


“I apologize, Captain,” Mentiras said. “This is Tripod. He was born on the Endurance, and placed with us… well, you see why.”


“I see,” Tarjiaan said. The reason for his name was clear — Tripod was missing his right front leg. “What happened to him?”

“The ship physician said it was a birth injury.” He reached out and scratched Tripod’s ears. “We’re not sure of his bloodline — the Endurance’s queen went missing when they were last in Sualiman, and she came back gravid. Tripod was runt of the litter, and no one thought he was going to survive. He doesn’t seem to have any trouble getting around, but the Endurance’s captain didn’t think that he was suitable to be a ship cat.”

Tarjiaan shifted the cat in his arms and started scratching him behind the ears. “I think Tripod disagrees,” he said. “I think he’s decided he’s not only going to be a ship’s cat, he’s going to be the captain’s cat.” He stopped scratching, and Tripod twisted and reached up with his front paw, catching Tarjiaan’s sleeve and dragging his hand back down. “Oh, I see! You’re already letting me know you’re in charge?”


Tomorrow, you get to meet Tarjiaan and Nika and Daanir, and fall into their world. I can’t wait!

Promotions

Free Books!

For the month of June, come find a selection of free steamy books! Click the graphic and take a look!


Stuff with Fantasy Bookish Solstice!

Coming June 14th is the Stuff With Fantasy Bookish Solstice event, where every book is 99 cents. I’m not sure how many books are included in this sale, but it certainly looks like a lot!


Preorder Now!

To end the war with the Empire, all Prince Tarjiaan has to do is deny his heart and marry the Emperor’s granddaughter. Peace is assured…

Or is it?

The Sea Prince sets sail on June 10th!


Now Available!

Kidnapped from his home and sold as a slave in Rome, Raven-Prince Lorcan must survive in a world where entertainment is murder, diplomacy is betrayal, and love is a commodity. And where a raven who is only supposed to ever have one mate will somehow find two…

Read it before Raven’s Flight comes out!

Image of a book cover. Cover is red-orange, with an abstract design over which there is a raven in flight. Text reads Book One in the Blood of the Raven series. Raven's Fall. Wings of Blood and Desire. By Blood Betrayed.  Elizabeth Schechter

Work in Progress

The Coral Throne
(The Coral Throne, book 2)

52080 / 100000 (52.08%)

Appearances

Meet and Greet for The Sea Prince book release
Spellbound Bookstore
June 15th
12:30PM -2:30PM
Sanford, FL

***

Enchanted Knights: Summer Solstice
June 21st, 2025
Oviedo Mall
Oviedo, FL

***

3rd Annual Summer Artisan Market
June 29th, 2025
Brannon Center
New Smyrna Beach, FL

***

Smut Lovers: The Conference
September 17th – 21st, 2025
Orlando, FL

***

Necronomicon
September 26th – 28th, 2025
Tampa, FL

***

Page and Pen Festival
October 4th, 2025
Oviedo, FL

Posted by EASchechter in a-writers-life-is-never-dull, accountability, forthcoming works, Happy Book Day, happy-happy- joy- joy, promotions, publishing, Release date, Self-publishing, The Coral Throne, The Sea Prince, upcoming books, upcoming work, WIP, wordcount, 0 comments
Sumer Is Icumen In

Sumer Is Icumen In

Sumer is icumen in,
Lhude sing cuccu!
Groweþ sed and bloweþ med
And springþ þe wde nu,
Sing cuccu.

If you’re not familiar with old songs, Sumer Is Icumen In is the oldest recorded song. Some people may have been introduced to the song through the movie The Wicker Man, but it’s far older than that — first written down in the mid-13th century. It’s in Old English, and roughly translated, the first line means “Summer has arrived.” It’s very pretty, and meant to be sung in six parts, as you can hear below.

@rashaanroriallwood The buck farts—excuse me? and yet this is one of the most sophisticated musical pieces from medieval England. Sumer is icumen in is a 13th-century English canon from a manuscript believed to have originated at Reading Abbey around 1260. It’s the earliest known six-part polyphonic composition in Western music and combines earthy realism with intricate counterpoint. The cuckoo sings, the lambs bleat, the bulls leap—and yes, the buck passes gas—all layered in a joyful round celebrating the arrival of summer. I’m singing and playing it on clavichord, bringing this medieval loop to life 800 years later. #sumerisicumenin #medievalmusic #clavichord #earlymusic #readingabbey #englishcanon #medievalcanon #13thcenturymusic #polyphony #loopculture #historicalperformance #oldmusic #musicology #earlynotation #britishlibrary #middleenglish #medievalvibes #ancientmusic #oldinstruments #folkloremusic #musicnerd #buckefarts #cuckoosong #historicalinstruments #counterpoint ♬ original sound – RashaanRoriAllwood

(And yes, there is indeed a lyric about bucks farting.)

Why am I writing about incoming summer? Partly because it’s Memorial Day today, which is the unofficial official start of the the summer season. School in Florida is out this week, and the spring quarter of college ends, too. June starts in six days….

And I have about half a book to finish writing, and I’m not completely certain it’ll happen. I think I’m still a couple of chapters from the hinge point of The Coral Throne, which is also when I’ll reevaluate my total word goal (the hinge is the halfway point. I think the wordcount will be going up by 10K or so.) Which puts me into a Nano situation — can I write 50K words in a month? Tune in and see!

Right now, I still think that this will be a two book series. I really do. We will see if the book agrees with me.

I find that I’m looking forward to July and August, and taking some down time. There are so many books I want to read, and I’m planning on reading as many as I can once The Coral Throne is a draft. Top of the list is For Whom the Belle Tolls by Jaysea Lynn — my paperback is just sitting there waiting because I can’t spare the attention to read it. Also in the pile is Wooing the Witch Queen by Stephanie Burgis, Till Death by Kellan McDaniel, and both books in the Royals and Romance series by Sara Raasch. I started The Nightmare before Kissmas, (Royals and Romance book 1), and it’s adorable. Then I had to put it down because finish writing the book, Liz.

Fall quarter starts up in September, and that’s when I’ll get back to King of Swords. Unless something happens to punt it back in the queue, that is. Flexibility is key when you have several irons in the fire.

Also in my queue this month is a long-awaited call for submissions for the Lord Ruthven Bulletin, the journal put out by the Lord Ruthven Assembly. I’ve never edited a journal before, but as President, that’s one of my duties. It’ll be an adventure and a learning experience (oh, no, not another learning experience!) That’s something I hope to have at least a draft on by the end of Q2… which is the end of June. When I’m trying to have a book done.

Back to work!

Stuff with Fantasy Bookish Solstice!

Coming June 14th is the Stuff With Fantasy Bookish Solstice event, where every book is 99 cents. I’m not sure how many books are included in this sale, but it certainly looks like a lot!

Preorder Now!

To end the war with the Empire, all Prince Tarjiaan has to do is deny his heart and marry the Emperor’s granddaughter. Peace is assured…

Or is it?

The Sea Prince sets sail on June 10th!

Now Available!

Kidnapped from his home and sold as a slave in Rome, Raven-Prince Lorcan must survive in a world where entertainment is murder, diplomacy is betrayal, and love is a commodity. And where a raven who is only supposed to ever have one mate will somehow find two…

Read it before Raven’s Flight comes out!

Image of a book cover. Cover is red-orange, with an abstract design over which there is a raven in flight. Text reads Book One in the Blood of the Raven series. Raven's Fall. Wings of Blood and Desire. By Blood Betrayed.  Elizabeth Schechter

Work in Progress

The Coral Throne
(The Coral Throne, book 2)

44831 / 90000 (49.81%)

Appearances

Enchanted Knights: Summer Solstice
June 21st, 2025
Oviedo Mall
Oviedo, FL

***

3rd Annual Summer Artisan Market
June 29th, 2025
Brannon Center
New Smyrna Beach, FL

***

Smut Lovers: The Conference
September 17th – 21st, 2025
Orlando, FL

***

Necronomicon
September 26th – 28th, 2025
Tampa, FL

***

Page and Pen Festival
October 4th, 2025
Oviedo, FL

Posted by EASchechter in 2025 plans, a-writers-life-is-never-dull, accountability, Draft by the Solstice, progress, promotions, Raven's Flight, Ravens Fall, Release date, summer, Tales from the Arena, The Coral Throne, The Sea Prince, upcoming books, upcoming work, WIP, wordcount, Write Faster!, 0 comments