“So tedious is this day
As is the night before some festival
To an impatient child that hath new robes
And may not wear them”
–Juliet, Romeo and Juliet
So tomorrow’s the day.
I’ve wanted to be a novelist since I was 11. I’ve been working on this book for six and a half years. And tomorrow, it becomes real. Really, truly real.
Is it okay to admit I sort of don’t know what to do with that?
Like, it’s been coming on for so long that it still, somehow, doesn’t quite feel real. Remember when I talked about my path to publication? Six and a half years later… it’s actually happening. Six and a half years is a not-insubstantial portion of my life. 20%, really. I’ve been working on this book and trying to get it out in the world for 20% of my life. Here’s a little trip down memory lane:
It also doesn’t always feel real because anxiety keeps me so wound up about so many things that I sometimes lose sight of how incredible a thing this really is. I have a book. Out there, in the world. Being read. Fortunately, there are a lot of great people in my world who keep reminding me, when I lose sight of this achievement.
And I really, really love this book.
From Unseen Fire has been described, more than once, as I, Claudius meets Game of Thrones, and when it comes to the epic scale, cast of characters, and the overall aesthetic, that’s about right. I would add, however, a third work — and one book blogger made this comparison, which delighted me — Pride and Prejudice. That comparison, I think, grafts in the sense of family, social commentary, and partnership-love that the other two works in the Venn diagram lack. I’m not a grimdark writer; I’m essentially an optimist, so my book lives somewhere a little different than what’s been the trend in epic fantasy. I love what I put together. I love the book I wrote. I love that it’s going to be out there, in the world, real.
I also love making aesthetic posts, so here’s some of those for you:
Alright. Time to finish Book Two.
FROM UNSEEN FIRE releases tomorrow, April 17th. It’s available in hardcover at Amazon, B&N, and your local indie store, in ebook from Amazon, Kobo, GooglePlay, and iBooks, and in audiobook from Audible. Follow Cass on Twitter and Instagram for more information, and join her online celebration event for release day giveaways and more!
