Note: The recording above is a reading of this newsletter — there’s no different content, and it’s not produced, so you’ll hear the occasional stumble, or sounds of daily life in the background. If you’re someone who needs or prefers to hear their news, then I hope it’s helpful.
Hi there! I’m Amie Kaufman, NYT and internationally bestselling author of The Isles of the Gods, Illuminae, Aurora Rising, These Broken Stars, and many more books besides. This newsletter is the place to learn about my latest releases or events, and to follow along behind the scenes as I find my way through writing, and through life.
Hi, my friends.
It feels like no time at all since I last wrote to you, but I look back and realise how much I’ve done since then. Book festivals, flights, overseas visitors, oh my! This month I’m talking about celebrating, and why it matters that we do.
In this letter:
What I’m celebrating (and why)
My next projects for 2025
Book recommendation
Monthly giveaway
This month, I’ve been thinking a lot about celebrating. Not just the milestone moments, but the quiet wins too.
Those of you who follow me on instagram will know I have a habit of doing this — my Tiny Triumph posts invite everyone to share their latest little wins, and we all cheer for them together. Never miss an opportunity for a little bit of joy, right?
It’s so easy for artists (though I think this is true for all of us) to keep moving the goalposts on ourselves. We finish the draft—but we’re already thinking about edits. We edit—but our eyes are already on publication. The book comes out—but we’re already thinking about our next project. It's easy to glance back and realise we never actually paused to say: That was a big deal. You did it!
I was like this early on, especially when I was working full time and writing full time. There wasn’t a moment to breathe, let alone celebrate. But I should have made the time—if you don’t, you teach your brain not to aim for those wins. After all, where’s the reward when it does?
These days we keep champagne in the fridge at all times, so we can break it out at a moment’s notice. I make a fuss when friends hit goals. I cheer in the group chat when someone shares good news. And today, I’m making a fuss for myself, because Lady’s Knight is out in the world!
Ways I plan to celebrate the launch of Lady’s Knight include (but are not limited to): a fancy brunch, a Japanese head spa (look it up and thank me later), an indulgent hair appointment, and a night out at the planetarium and the amazing food hall next door to it.
I'm so proud of this book. It's fun and funny, it’s warm and witty, and at its heart, it’s a soft place to land during a hard time. It’s cozy fantasy with a queer, fiercely feminist heartbeat, and Meg and I wrote it for anyone who needs a break from the sharp edges of the world. If that’s you, I hope you’ll find comfort in its pages.
The best thing about this past month is that my beloved co-author Meg Spooner was here from the US, and we got to start our celebration early, with launch events at Melbourne Writers Festival and Sydney Writers Festival—huge crowds, long signing lines, and readers who brought so much energy and joy into the room. If you were there: thank you. You made it unforgettable.
There’s more about Meg’s and my time together over in our joint newsletter, which is sent out sporadically, and is worth subscribing to! In this case, it involves a story about a possum, and a peek at the chapter titles of Lady’s Knight. Which, though I say it myself, are really very funny.
If you’d like to grab a copy of Lady’s Knight during launch week, or recommend it to a friend, here are all the links you need:
🇺🇸 You can buy from Amazon or Barnes & Noble or Bookshop or Books-A-Million or Epic Reads!
🇬🇧 You can buy from Waterstones or Amazon or Blackwells or Bookshop or Foyles or Hive or WH Smith!
🇦🇺 You can buy from Booktopia, or Amazon or Readings, Dymocks or QBD! (And I’m not meant to tell you this yet, but heads up: if you buy from Dymocks, there’s a gorgeous sword necklace available as a gift with purchase, so make sure you ask for it!)
📙 And finally, you can add the book on Goodreads right here. (This is, of course, free, and really helps signal your interest and support!)
With Lady’s Knight officially launched, we’ve been diving back into its sequel, and we’re aiming to finish the draft by the end of June. There’s something special about returning to a world you’ve already lived in and loved, and I can’t wait to share what comes next.
I’m also working behind the scenes on some truly stunning special editions of Illuminae. You can check out the Book Addiction special edition, and the Litjoy Kickstarter too. I can’t wait for you to see what we’ve been cooking up!
Looking a little further ahead: the rest of the year will be full. I’ll be focusing on my PhD, and I’ll take you along for ride as we do. Toward the end of the year I’ll also be drafting a new novel, and as the end of drafting draws near for Lady’s Knight 2, I can feel my brain starting to get ready for that next adventure. My ideas are starting to form a not-so-orderly queue!
This month I’m reading Effortless by Greg McKeown for I think the third time. I loved his book Essentialism, and this one is just as good. It’s an easy but thought-provoking read that offers really practical, actionable advice for making all the stuff you have to do a bit easier. And perhaps making sure you really do have to do it. I’ve read it on paper and am re-reading now via audio. It’s read by the author, and I love the way he narrates it.
Those of you who are fans of the Pub Dates Podcast or who want to hear more about Lady’s Knight will be delighted to know we’re back behind our mics for a special episode to celebrate launch. You can find it here. You should also check out our latest newsletter—in it, we share some of the pitch document we created for Lady’s Knight!
Aussies, I want to remind you about Chapters for Change, an amazing readathon that supports literacy projects in Cambodia. I’m proud to be part of the prize offerings this year - the highest individual fundraiser will be flown to Melbourne (with a friend!) for dinner with me. Registrations are open now! You can find all the details here.
This month, I’m giving away a finished copy of Lady’s Knight, signed by both me and Meg Spooner. To enter, just leave a comment and tell me something you’re celebrating—big or small. I want to cheer for you!
One answer will be randomly selected, and I’ll reply in a comment to let you know to check your email!
That’s all from me this month. I hope you have a chance to pick up a copy of Lady’s Knight, and I hope you love it as much as I do. Happy reading!
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