My New Year's Resolutions for 2022!

 The past two and a half years of my professional life have been dominated by The Raven and the Dove, so it's almost strange to sit here now and talk about bringing the series to an end--strange, but exciting. 2022 will be all about sending these characters off with a bang, and hopefully introducing you to a few new ones.

I have no idea how much I'll be able to accomplish over the next twelve months, surely not all of the ideas swirling around in my head, but here's a look at everything I hope to put into motion, assuming my daughter naps long enough to give me some precious time at my computer 😂

Fingers crossed!

My New Year's Resolutions for 2022!

1. Publish The Godborn and the King!

The Godborn and the King goes on sale May 23, 2022 and it's available to pre-order now :) Don't forget to check out the pre-order giveaway if you haven't already -- I revealed the character cards of Brighty and Rafe on Instagram, and I'm just thrilled you guys are loving them so much! 

In my 2021 wrap-up post yesterday, I spoke a little bit about how much it meant to me to finish this manuscript. There were times when I literally thought I would never get through it. Times when it took me an entire week to write a single page. Times when I wrote complete chapters in the dark on my iPhone while I held my sleeping daughter. But there were wonderful times too, times that reminded me how much I love this job, how much I adore these characters, and how important it was to continue doing something I love. It's easy to lose yourself in the title of "mom", but this manuscript with all its challenges and joys, allowed me to hold on to a piece of myself. It's going to be especially emotional to finally share it with all of you, and I really hope you love it. I put my heart and soul into this book. 💙

As far as what's to come, I'll be revealing a full book description soon. The paperbacks and hardcovers will be available to pre-order in the late winter/early spring. I'll be sharing teasers. The third and fourth books will both be coming in audio. And there are a few other ideas percolating. If they come to fruition, you'll be the first to know!

2. Write (and hopefully launch) a new romantic comedy series!

It's been a hot second since I published a book under my pen name, Kay Marie. But after spending the past few years in a world of magic, prophecies, dragons, and dire world-ending conflict, I'm ready for something a little more fun. Bring on the romantic comedies! 

I've mentioned before, but my next series will be a play on The Bachelor - and I can't wait! It's a second chance romance featuring the new female lead on a hit dating show whose ex-boyfriend just happens to be the executive producer of said show. The two face-off behind the scenes, but the more they're around each other, the more old sparks begin to fly anew :) 

The sequel will be a fake relationship romance, and then I have three more books planned in the series (all standalones) -- an enemies-to-lovers, a friends-to-lovers, and a brother's-best-friend. They're going to be SO FUN to write, I can't wait! My goal is to get something published in the fall/winter, but we'll see how much my little nugget lets me get done. 

Along these lines, I'm thinking of switching up some things on social media and my website -- ie, launching a new Instagram handle, making a new separate website, maybe a new Facebook page. It's easier for me to keep everything together, but I think it will be easier for you, the consumer, if I separate them a bit. More info to come!

3. Publish more audiobooks and hardcover editions!

 

This one seems pretty simple, but I think it's been one of my resolutions for the past three years -- fail! Ha! 

As far as hardcovers, I really want to get them designed for all my backlist titles published as Kaitlyn Davis. I'd love to get some lovely artwork commissioned for the naked covers to make them extra special. I don't think I'll get them all done this year, but hopefully I can work on a few because I simply adore having these fancy editions of my books. 

I'd also like to explore a special edition of The Raven and the Dove featuring some of the lovely artwork I've commissioned for the series. I'm looking into a few different options to see if anything makes financial sense, so we'll see what happens. 

As far as audio, I mentioned above the third and fourth books in The Raven and the Dove are coming! After that, I'm turning my sights to my To Catch a Thief series. I'd love to have audio editions of all three of these books available by the time I launch my new book under my pen name. 

4. Work on private passion projects (that may or may not see the light of day)!

Having less time to write might make it seem like I should stay focused solely on the three goals stated above, but I realized over this past year struggling to balance mom life and work life that I need to leave room for unexpected inspiration. I had so little time to work compared to what I was once used to that when I sat at my desk, there was so much pressure to just get it done, I sometimes locked up. But taking a day or two to brainstorm a new project, or maybe write a picture book, or draft up a short story, allowed my creative juices to flow. Too much focus can be a bad thing, I think, in this line of work. I need to leave room to follow my heart and joy as well, while still keeping momentum with the things I know will be shared with all of you. 

And those are my goals for 2022! 

Hopefully my daughter learns to nap a little better so I can get all (or at least some) of this accomplished. I think it's going to be a wonderful year no matter what! 

Well, assuming you guys don't kill me for the ending of The Godborn and the King ;) 

Jk...or am I?

😂

All authors are, or should be, readers. So, as is tradition, let's close this out with...

My 2022 TBR!

      

      

      

Happy new year! 🎉🎉

New Look for the To Catch a Thief Series!

I'm so excited to announce that the To Catch a Thief series got a little makeover! 

I absolutely adore this series and these characters, and I missed writing them, so I did the next best thing and revamped the covers 😂😂I have issues--I know. BUT I'm so in love with the recent trend of illustrated romance covers, I had to jump on board. 

And I'm so glad I did, because THESE COVERS ARE AMAZING!

Obviously, you just need to see them for yourselves. So, without further ado....

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HERE THEY ARE!! 

💙💗💚

  

What do you guys think?! I hope you're in love, like me! 

I have to give a quick shout out to the wonderful cover designer, Red Leaf Book Design -- thank you so much for designing these fabulous new covers for my series!! 

As a reminder, the To Catch a Thief series is currently available on Amazon and is FREE in Kindle Unlimited! You can learn more here:

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon AU | Amazon CA

That's all for now! Thank you!

💙💗💚

A look back at 2019...

The end of 2019 marks the end of an incredible decade for me! 

 

Ten years ago, I was a college student dreaming of becoming an author, hoping to land some sort of job in publishing after graduation, and unsure of my place in the world. Flash forward to now, and I'm a full-time author with 20 novels and 6 novellas under my belt. My books have been reviewed by USA Today and Publishers Weekly, featured on a B&N end cap, and turned into audiobooks. One was selected as a Top Kindle Book of its year by Amazon, and one is currently being translated into a foreign language. I've sold hundreds of thousands of copies, and have interacted with so many amazing readers. Not to mention I got married to the love of my life, we bought our first home, and we became doggie parents. I truly feel so blessed! 

It's been such a wonderful, tiring, crazy, fulfilling, and unbelievable ride. I can't thank you all enough for coming along with me :) I wouldn't be here without you!

This past decade has been unreal, and 2019 was the perfect way to close it out. Here's my Instagram Top Nine for the year--I'm so happy to see so much love for The Raven and the Dove on there!

Without further ado, here are...

My Top Five Author Moments of 2019!

1) Finishing my To Catch a Thief romantic comedy series!

I launched this series in 2018 with the first book, Hot Pursuit, and in 2019 I published the final two books in the series, Stolen Goods and Off the Grid! I'm so pleased with the wonderful reviews all these books have received :) Romantic suspense was a new genre for me, and I had so much fun crafting these quirky tales filled with a little baking, a little thieving, a little mayhem, and a lot of love!

2) Finishing my Once Upon a Curse series and publishing them in audio!

Okay, okay...the end of this series was a longgggg time coming—I know! Gathering Frost went on sale back in 2015, then Withering Rose in 2016, and then I left you all with a cliffhanger until this year. BUT I'm happy I waited! Instead of rushing, I let my inspiration guide me and I was able to finish these stories the way they deserved to be finished, and now these fairy tale retellings have an extremely special place in my heart.

3) Working on multi-author anthology and contributing to the Kingdom of Sand and Wishes boxed set!

I'm an introvert by nature, so it's very easy for me to sit in my home office all day, interact with zero people, and focus on my writing. However, it's been a goal of mine for a few years now to branch out of my comfort zone. When the opportunity rose to join this box set, I pounced! Working with my fellow authors was a fabulous experience, and I would love to do something like this again in the future!

4) Selling my first foreign translation rights to an international publishing house!

This is something I am SO SO SO excited about! I haven't mentioned it very much because I still sort of don't believe it's real, BUT I sold the foreign translation rights to one of my books to Eksmo Publishing in Russia. They're going to translate the book and sell it overseas...AHH! How cool is that?! I don't want to say anything more until I'm holding the book in my hands, but I had to share a little teaser :) I'm currently in talks with a few more international publishers, so hopefully this is just the beginning!

5) Revealing the cover for The Raven and the Dove!

The Instagram cover reveal for The Raven and the Dove is probably my favorite cover reveal ever! The response to the gorgeous art and the book itself were so incredible, I still get overwhelmed just thinking about it! I truly can't wait to share this world and these characters with you in 2020. The story came straight from my heart, it's my most ambitious fantasy series yet, and I think you will all just love it.

And those are my top five moments of the year! :) Like I said, 2019 was a great one!

Since I'm a reader first and a writer second, I also want to include...

My Top Five Reads of 2019!

1) The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

My dad recommended this to me ages ago, and I finally got around to reading it this year. All I want to know is...why did I wait so long?! This book is phenomenal! I love ancient mythology, and this book did a better job than any other I've read of bringing the old legends to life. Even though I knew how the story ends, I was breathless in anticipation, hoping somehow the tragedy would be rewritten. I can't recommend this enough!

2) The Wicked King by Holly Black

I enjoyed The Cruel Prince...I LOVED The Wicked King! Wow. This was one of those stay up until 4am sort of reads. I couldn't put it down! Jude and Cardan had me utterly engrossed. Their characters and the whole world of faerie were phenomenal!

3) Muse of Nightmares by Laini Taylor

Honestly, Laini Taylor could write a grocery list and it would probably be one of my favorite reads of the year. She is an unbelievable writer. I adore everything she's ever written, and this was no different! If you've never read anything of hers, drop what you're doing and go pick up one of her books! You'll thank me later :)

4) Whatever You Do, Don't Run by Peter Allison

I went on safari with my family this year, and this was the perfect book to read before the trip! Peter Allison worked at one of the camps where we stayed, so reading these stories and then seeing the animals/places in real life was a wonderful experience! If you've ever been curious about safaris, I highly recommend this book. It's entertaining, educational, and guaranteed to make you smile.

5) Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

This is another book that's been on my TBR for a while, and I'm so glad I finally picked it up this year! The old cover really didn't interest me, but when the publisher repackaged it with this amazing art, I had to grab a copy immediately. I'm so glad I did! I'm a total Simon Snow fan and I can't wait to read the second book in the series!

And that's all for 2019!

Happy new year!! See you all in 2020!

A Look Back at 2018...

At the end of every year, I love taking a look back to appreciate and remember all the things I've accomplished before moving on to a new year full of new goals :) 2019 is shaping up to be a busy one—I'm hoping to publish four full-length novels and possibly 2-3 novellas! Crazy!! Before the rush begins, I want to remind myself of all the fabulous things 2018 held. 

Here's a look at my "Top Nine" for 2018 from my Instagram page, @KaitlynDavisBooks!

A lot of my top moments are featured here! 

There were personal celebrations—my sister's baby shower, my husband's 30th birthday, and a flashback to my first ever check from writing. 

And there were professional highlights as well—Hot Pursuit went on sale, Midnight Fire and Midnight Ice both had some love, The Raven and the Dove inspiration board got lots of people hyped for the upcoming novel, and I got a pic with all 16 (!!) of my published full-length novels and some novellas too. 

2018 was a GREAT year!

A huge THANK YOU to all of my amazing fans and my truly incredible family for giving me the support, encouragement, and confidence to keep following my muse and chasing all my dreams!

Here's a closer look at...

My Top Five Author Moments of 2018!

 

1. Shatter went on sale, completing the Midnight Ice series! 

This happened alllll the way back in January, which seems like a million years ago! Writing this series was such an amazing experience full of old friends and new. I loved revisiting the original gang from Midnight Fire while at the same time falling for Pandora, Jax, and, yes, even Sam :) The final book was a wild ride that took me for a loop! Thank you to everyone who went on the adventure with me!

   

2. Midnight Ice got brand new covers!

Along the same lines as number one, the Midnight Ice series got brand new covers, and I decided to put all four books into Kindle Unlimited, which has been a great experience so far! I adored the original covers for the series, but they weren't quite landing the way I'd been hoping. The response to the new covers has been fabulous and I'm so happy I decided to update them. Pandora looks badass with her blue flames, the colors are bright, and they fit the series perfectly!

3. Hot Pursuit went on sale, launching my brand new To Catch a Thief series!

I'm obsessed with this series at the moment! Rom coms are just so much fun to write—I find myself goofy grinning into my keyboard all the time :) This series has all the entertainment and swoon of a romance, mixed with the action and adventure I love to write, which is a win-win all around. I can't wait for Stolen Goods to go on sale in a week!!! Off the Grid will be right around the corner, so stay tuned!

  

4. The A Dance of Dragons novellas were turned into paperbacks!

The A Dance of Dragons series has been published for a long time, but for some reason I never got around to formatting paperbacks for the novellas until this year! It was one of those "to do" list items that got pushed back, and back, and back, so I'm happy I finally found the time to format these editions. I love having copies of Leena's story for my bookshelf and I hope you guys do too :) 

 

5. I published Daring & Defiant, a first-in-series anthology for my YA novels!

It's a little hard to believe I have enough YA series published that I could make an anthology of all the first books, but somehow, I do! I'd been meaning to publish a discount box set for a while, and when I found an amazing designer to create the cover, I decided to go for it! Hopefully people enjoy the easy access to all my fantasy books :)

So there you have it, my 2018 highlights!

As I said before, I have a lot planned for 2019, and I'll be sharing those highlights with you in the new year with a resolutions post! So many exciting things to come—the end of a series, the start of a new series, and the publication of a long awaited sequel!! Stay tuned :)

Since reading is also a huge part of my life, here are...

My Top Five Reads of 2018!

1. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

A beautiful portrayal of a World War II story I hadn't read before—the story of the women left behind while the men went to war. The novel follows two sisters, one young/rebellious and one a mother just praying for her family to survive. The ending made me cry! A beautiful, moving tale I highly recommend!

2. The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by MacKenzi Lee

One of the most fun books I've ever read! I was laughing the entire time! There's love, adventure, pirates, alchemy, and just about everything else you can imagine. I highly recommend!

3. Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young

I think I described this as the viking love story I never knew I needed, but am so freaking happy I found! The enemies-to-lovers romance kept me glued to the pages. Pair that with lush descriptions and fascinating world-building, and I was hooked!

4. Big Sexy Love by Kirsty Greenwood

If you're looking for a romantic comedy with as much heart as it has laughs, look no further! This story had me cackling, swooning, and crying along with the protagonist. It's a romance that will stick with you long after the final page is read :)

5. The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson

I'm not usually a huge fan of non-fiction, so when I find one that I literally can't put down, it's got to be good! The history of the World's Fair in Chicago paired with the stranger-than-fiction story of the serial killer acting behind the scenes of such a grand event was fascinating to read. History buffs will love this book!

And that's all folks :) 

Happy new year!! See you all in 2019!