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Do you have Discord? Oh, m’dears, I am giddy. I have been saving up a nice treat for you, and I can finally share the news. As you know, Travis Baldree is our narrator for the Amaranthine Saga. Currently, the first three books are available in this format. The quarantine rather disrupted Tantor’s production schedule, so Bk4: Mikoto and the Reaver Village and Governed by Whimsy: The Anthology have been patiently waiting their turn. And … it’s their turn! ::twinkle::

Why you really want Discord. As it happens, when the publisher/author allows, Travis streams while he works. He’ll begin streaming my books next week, so I’m inviting you all to join us on the Cryptid Audio server. Maybe you’ll only be able to sneak a few peeks. Maybe (like me) you’ll be camped out for every single session. Here’s the link: https://discord.gg/duzCS2D

Keeping it simple:

• Get Discord (desktop edition is spiffy, but of course there’s an app, too)
• Click the link to join Cryptid Audio
• Choose a nickname for use on that server (especially if you want me to recognize you) – to do so, click the Cryptid Audio drop-down menu (top left on the desktop edition) & select “change nickname”
• Choose a role (as a “Listener,” you’ll receive a notification when Travis begins his sessions)
• Show up & join the #listeners-lounge to chat
• When it’s showtime, Travis will show up as LIVE & sharing his screen. I usually pop out the video so I can also chat, but I’m on a laptop, so I have the luxury of space.
• Schedule! Travis generally works from 9-11am & from 1-3pm PACIFIC. But sometimes he starts early, so make sure to secure “Listener” status if you want a ping when he’s starting up again.
• He’ll be reading Mikoto & the Reaver Village AND Governed by Whimsy: The Anthology (first four Songs of the Amaranthine tales) back-to-back, but not necessarily in that order. (I’m hoping for the short stories first, but it’s pretty much up to the publisher.) We’ll know Monday.
• Monday, you say? My books are scheduled to begin on Monday, May 24.
• How long? Oooh, I think Travis said he has 8-10 days blocked off? Maybe? He works every day, so that means the sessions will include one weekend.
• Leveling Up. There’s a sort of mini-game that runs on the server. If you chat, you gain XP, and when you attain sufficient XP, you level up. Whenever that happens, Travis will congratulate you. And this is quite wonderful. Chatting is highly encouraged.
• Fair Warning. You can definitely chat with me during these sessions, but I have DMs and Friends Requests turned off. I mostly use Discord to stay in touch with my kids. If I started chatting with my readers, too, I’d never get any writing done! ::twinkle::

Release Dates. Governed by Whimsy: The Anthology will release in audio format on August 10, 2021. And Mikoto and the Reaver Village is scheduled to release a week later, on August 17, 2021.

Reminder! Travis also reads Bard & Barbarian, my Patreon exclusive story. Narrated chapters post every other Wednesday over there.

If you have questions that google/faq lists can’t answer, nudge me in comments or email me (if that’s more comfy). Now! Let’s flood Travis’s server with new members! ::twinkle::

Captured on Film. After a lengthy delay, Captured on Film (Songs of the Amaranthine, #6) is beginning to crop up in other venues. It’s live on the Barnes & Noble site, which means the wait is (or nearly is) over for those still waiting to meet the Dare brothers. **ADDENDUM: Yep, it’s live on the Kobo site, too!

This means that by the end of the month, I’ll be able to share quotes or character art or some of the other fun stuff that’s come my way since Songs 06 first released. ::confetti toss::

Running Low. I hadn’t realized how low my stock of books had run until I filled a couple of orders and took the next-to-last copy. Time to place an order with the printer! I was low on bookplates, too. (Oops.) A quick check confirmed that I was out of large blue bubble mailers (the kind that neatly fits 4 books). PLUS … I’ve started get orders for All The Books (5+). So I did some quick measuring and will soon add boxes to my repertoire. Once those come in, I’ll have to snap a photo for you.

If you’re interested in ordering signed copies of any of my books (under any of my pen names), you can see the rundown on my Signed Books tab. I currently have at least one copy of everything, with more books arriving in a week or so.