Christine Amsden Newsletter

Author News: A Writing Update + Kindle Unlimited Freebies

2026-03-10T08:44:27Z

Dear Reader,

Burnout is one of the hardest things for an author to talk about, especially from inside the experience. Which is why for over a year, I've been avoiding this conversation. What do you even say? "Dear Reader, I can't write a word and panic whenever I try so don't expect anything new from me for a while..." Yeah, that truth is harsher when you type it out. Which is why I didn't say anything, even as I released a new novel, Knot of Souls, and made a frankly half-hearted attempt at marketing it.

Creative burnout is aptly named. It feels exactly like the fire has gone out and worse, like every attempt to spark a new fire sputters and dies. My family recently spent a weekend in a lovely cabin in the woods. It rained all over the firewood they provided, and our attempts to light a cozy fire mostly resulted in needing to open the doors and windows to air out the smoke. Burnout feels like that. Exactly like that.

This didn't come on suddenly; it's been building for a while. I've been doing this for twenty years now, after all, and for some reason, it seems to be getting harder rather than easier. Especially the business side. I won't go into detail (that's a topic for another time), but publishing today is harder than it was when I first got into this business. There are more authors vying for fewer opportunities, a truth that can't help but bleed into my creative space.

"Don't write for the market," they say. "Write for yourself," they say. That sounds nice, but the thing is, writing isn't just a form of artistic expression, it's a conversation. And for some time now, I feel like I'm having both halves all by myself.

I am .... slowly, delicately, and with a great deal of grace ... inviting myself back into a novel project I began some time ago. I'm tapping out about 500 words at a time and feeling gratitude that I accomplished so much. This is ... not a sign that I'm cured and in fact, I have to be very careful about my mental state when I do this much. But it is reconnecting me with writing in a very playful, low-pressure way. My hope? That I find a way to renegotiate the role writing plays in my life. I hope I can find a place for writing, even if that place is smaller and less career-focused.

I hope, too, that you'll stick with me through this season. The fact that I'm (barely) writing now doesn't mean I won't write ever again, it just means I'm not writing now. Sometimes, artists and authors need to stop, reassess, and let that firewood dry out.

In the meantime, I am considering self-publishing some of the short stories I've written ... especially the ones I love but which haven't found a home. I would like to use this newsletter to share them, on my terms, and to start having those conversations again.

If you've ever wrestled with creative burnout, give me a shout. I'd love to hear from you.

Kindle Unlimited First in Series

This month I'm joining a group promo alongside other authors of first books in series that are FREE through Kindle Unlimited. If you're a subscriber, this is a great way to find your next favorite series. And don't forget, the entire Cassie Scot Series is available through Kindle Unlimited. You can find the promo here.

Featured Review

Some of my favorite reviews are short and sweet and prove you don't have to have a degree in literature to have an opinion about a book! Here are a pair of recent Amazon reviews for the first two Cassie Scot books from a new reader to the series:

"It was good to read a book that actually woven some of the realities around magic and the realities of life of those who are affected by it."
"This was a good read it’s kinda good to see someone who missed out on a magical background did not hold her back. Nothing like rooting for the underdog"

I truly appreciate everyone who takes a few minutes to leave a review. They help other readers find my books, and it's always fun to see such diverse perspectives.

Sincerely,

Christine

www.christineamsden.com

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Global Ebook Award Winner

2025-12-03T08:26:43Z

Dear Reader,

\I'm thrilled to report that my latest book, Knot of Souls, has won the 2025 Global Ebook Award for Contemporary Fantasy. This is my eighth time to place in this particular contest ... every book in the Cassie Scot Series also placed in the Global Ebook Awards (as well as receiving other honors and distinctions). Winning always feels nice, but knowing I've found an enthusiastic audience is priceless.

As 2025 draws to a close, I'm thinking about how I want to share my work in the coming years. For a long time, I have relied on a combination of publishers and Amazon, but I'm increasingly dissatisfied with this approach. I'm looking into using Substack as a way to not only share my work but to invite discussion and feedback. After all, communication works best when it goes two ways! I have made no decisions yet, but I would be curious to hear from anyone who has used Substack in this way, either as an author or as a reader. (Specifically, I'm considering releasing certain novels a chapter at a time, with bonus author commentary.)

Free on Kindle Unlimited

At the moment, all my published books are available for free through Kindle Unlimited. This may change; I am considering some alternate paths for Knot of Souls, in particular, but its enrollment just renewed, so it's definitely available through February 13.

And if you're enrolled in Kindle Unlimited, here are some other science fiction & fantasy titles you can check out! https://books.bookfunnel.com/kindleunlimited202512/rmhc4i2tfd

Featured Review

The best thing you can do to help an author is to leave a review of their book. It certainly doesn't have to be as detailed as the one I'm sharing with you today -- it can just be a sentence -- but your feedback helps other readers find our books. If you've read and enjoyed any of my books, I hope you'll take a minute to say so, on Amazon, Goodreads, or wherever you happen to find yourself.

"Knot of Souls is a complex and intricate novel. Joy is murdered but finds herself still living and breathing. The only problem is the other inhabitant in her body. Shade, a fae prince, hopped into a dying body only to find it still occupied. On the run for a murder he didn't commit, Shade sought safety in the first body he could to hide those hunting him. Now this duo of opposites must figure out who wanted Joy dead, who is framing Shade and why, how they are able to be in the same body, and how to share.

Joy has a lot of emotional baggage, low self-esteem, and allows people to control her. She's a people-please and everyone either takes advantage of that or doesn't acknowledge her at all. As she's fighting for control of her body, Joy finds herself becoming more assertive. Shade has a hard time giving up control, especially knowing that the more they work together the more they become intertwined. I loved watching him soften and become more accepting of Joy.

The author did an excellent job writing the entire novel. The dialogue was fluid and smooth and all of the characters were likable in their own way. There was back story and history given in the right increments; not too much, not too little. The story is filled with twists and turns. There are misdirects as the reader tries to figure who killed Joy, who set up Shade, and why to both.

Joy's character is likable - she doesn't start out strong but she evolves in this book and becomes both strong and competent. Shade starts out being dominant, fight to keep control of his host body. He's full of secrets and is tightlipped with the knowledge that Joy needs in order to attempt to understand what is going on with everything. He eventually stops fighting and changes his perspective. The author has written characters that have deep layers and are emotional.

I could not put this book down!" Sapphyria, Goodreads

Sincerely,

Christine

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The Dark Side of Publishing

2025-08-20T13:19:49Z

Dear Reader,

Publishing can be a real joy. I especially love the moment when I first hold one of my novels in my hands; this feeling of pride washes over me, like the book wasn’t as real when it was on my hard drive. And of course, there’s the best part of all – hearing from readers who love my books.

Yet publishing has a dark side, one made up of scammers and other bad actors who prey on every published author’s not-so-secret hopes and dreams. After all, which of us hasn’t dreamed of being a NYT bestseller? Had a mock interview in the shower? “Success” needs air quotes in a cutthroat industry where 90% of books sell less than 100 copies. I like to define success by the reviews I’ve received, the reader feedback, and especially by my (teenage) daughter’s giggles as she first read Cassie Scot: ~~Para~~Normal Detective in the next room.

Still, there’s the dream … and an inbox full of people swearing they can make it come true. Lately, I’ve been overwhelmed by offers to get my book reviewed – for a fee. Won’t happen. I don’t pay for reviews (except possibly in the form of a review copy of the book). There are endless marketing companies offering to get my books in front of their stunning lists of readers. Plus, the secret key to success! If you only do this one thing like Bob, the first-time author who had no friends or contacts and became an Amazon bestseller, then you, too, will live the dream! Find out how for only $69.99!

There are ways to spend money on marketing/advertising, but you have to be very careful – and I never trust anyone who solicits me through an email. I only trust companies I learn about from other authors. And I’m careful how I spend my money. At this point, I believe the best money I can spend is on promotions of the first Cassie Scot novel alongside the free book promo KDP lets me run quarterly. For about $30, I can blast that freebie to thousands of readers, and I get good enough read-through of the series to make a profit every time. (And yes, I did just say that if you wait long enough, the first Cassie Scot ebook will be free. Although honestly, if you’re on this list and somehow haven’t read it yet, email me and I’ll gift you one through Book Funnel so you don’t have to wait.)

I’ve been doing this for 20 years, and I’ve bought into some of this marketing hype, tried so many different secrets to success my head spins thinking about them, and of course, spent a lot of money. I have not fallen for an outright scam, but I always feel like I have to be on my guard.

Since I began promoting Knot of Souls, I’ve seen more than marketing promises unlikely to deliver. A couple of weeks ago, I got a chilling, threatening email written in all caps in which the sender (who claimed to have gotten my contact information from a blogger) said they were going to steal my book, publish it themselves, and that Amazon would take it down because I’d be violating KDP terms and conditions by having the book available through another seller … never mind that it was pirated. Unfortunately, Amazon has been known to penalize authors enrolled in KDP whose books showed up on pirate sites, so the email managed to tap into a real fear.

I did not respond. Very importantly, I did not respond. I reported the scam to Amazon and for good measure, sent a copy to SFWA’s Writers Beware.

For these scammers, it’s not personal. They don’t know me or care about me and are not taking the time to target me individually; I’m sure many authors received the same threat (possibly every author interviewed on that blog, since they called it out by name).

For me, though, it is personal. Not just because of the dream, but because I feel a kinship with my fellow authors and I know that out there somewhere, this threat worked on one of them. Maybe it caught them at a vulnerable time, maybe they’re elderly. Whatever. I’m not judging the victim here. I’m outraged on their behalf.

So, dear readers, I would just caution you to take care. The internet is a minefield. AI tools are helping make scams seem more real and convincing. And they know what buttons to press. The best advice I can give is to never respond, and if you need support, talk to your writer friends. Community is important.

Kindle Unlimited Science Fiction & Fantasy

One marketing site I use and recommend is Book Funnel. Aside from offering authors a safe and convenient way to distribute ebooks, they offer regular group promos you can join ... all they ask is that you shout it out in your newsletter. I've met a lot of new readers this way, and I've helped readers find some great new authors.

This month, the promo is Kindle Unlimited Science Fiction & Fantasy. Especially if you're enrolled in Kindle Unlimited, it's a great way to browse new titles. And don't forget that all of my books, including Knot of Souls, are available through KU.

Featured Review

"Knot of Souls is a thought-provoking, emotionally intelligent fantasy that sings with heart and soul—sometimes literally. If you love nuanced speculative fiction with flawed, lovable characters and a mystery that keeps you guessing, this book deserves a spot on your shelf. It’s not a love story, but a connection story—and sometimes, that’s even better." -- Books Are Love

This review sang to me! I've been struggling a little bit to describe the intimate relationship at the center of Knot of Souls when most of my other books contain more straightforward romance. In some ways, this nonromantic relationship is more intimate, and those deep connections are exactly why I personally read romance. I think it will appeal to many romance readers, and if that's you, I hope you'll give it a try.

Sincerely,

Christine

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Knot of Souls Virtual Book Tour

2025-07-16T09:49:12Z

Dear Reader,

Knot of Souls is touring the internet with interviews, reviews, guest posts -- and a chance to win the first four Cassie Scot books (in epub format)! Check out the tour page for details and for your chance to win.

Tour Highlights:

Watch the book trailer!
Interview at BooksRUs
Surprise me. What is something that happens in the book that would make my mouth drop without giving too much away?
Penguins.
"We don’t all get to be what we want, or I’d be a penguin." -- Shade, Chapter 28
The Page 69 Test at Book Bloggin Princess
I let Joy tell me more about her life as we drove, stopping only twice to eat and pee (or, as Joy preferred to think of it, “answer a call of nature”). Now that I was convinced she’d remain in the background and hopeful that we were so different it could take years for our souls to get mixed up, I found myself relaxing and even enjoying this child of my flesh. Her brain never stopped working, which had to be exhausting, but she almost seemed to fear that if she stopped thinking, she’d stop being anything at all.

Featured Review

"Knot of Souls is completely different from Amsden’s previous works, but her impeccable writing style remains unchanged. In my opinion, Knot of Souls leans toward light Sci-Fi Fantasy, with a unique and fresh take on the Fae.

The story begins when a human named Joy is murdered, and in that fleeting moment between life and death, her body is hijacked by a Faerie Prince named Shade. Normally, when a Fae inhabits a living body, the original soul is no longer present but, in this case, Joy is still there, and she doesn’t plan to leave without a fight.

The subject of Fae has been around for as long as I can remember and, in recent years, has taken center stage in many fantasy stories. But Amsden’s version is unlike anything I’ve seen before. The Fae in Knot of Souls are incorporeal, energetic beings from another planet (yes, like aliens, though Shade would probably be offended by that label). With their planet destroyed, some chose to come to Earth to start over, while others returned to Source. The story touches on fascinating themes like genetics, reincarnation, and past lives, which I’ve always been drawn to. I loved how the author wove these concepts into the Fae's background and history.

Joy was such a realistic and relatable character; flawed, very human. I appreciated that she wasn’t the typical fantasy heroine who’s instantly tough, overly confident, or always knows what to do. She was simply herself, doing the best she could in an impossible situation. Shade, like Joy, was also flawed; his past trauma causing him to keep everyone at arm’s length. It was really rewarding to watch them overcome their differences and learn to support each other."

-Short & Sweet Reviews

Reviews are always welcome and appreciated!

Check out these other science fiction and fantasy titles!

Sincerely,

Christine

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June Author News

2025-06-18T09:09:03Z

Dear Reader,

Early reviews are starting to come in for Knot of Souls, and they're fantastic!

"Look who's back!! I'm so excited to dive into the newest book by Christine and oh was this book GOOD. It's now my new favorite of all her books." -- Lovely Reads

"Already being a fan of this author I was excited to see this new standalone new release. The premise is intriguing: a fae being takes over a human body after she was murdered, except to find the soul had not fully vacated the body. Now, they are getting mixed up - so what happens to them individually? The faery world isn't new but this take on it was unique - especially the ability of the fae possessing a vacant human host, healing it, and continuing to live and impact the human world. This is so different from the usual faerie changelings. Each being is intent on solving their own murder mystery, forced to work together or fight over the host. The story was curiously woven throughout and I enjoyed how all the pieces connected the two characters. The human in death/near death grows so much and conquers so many of her human fears, embracing something bigger than herself. The fae, in turn, learns compassion, to trust others, and work as a team. The importance of friendship and connection are the main themes in the story, while the characters deal with the murders and uncover the secrets that bring everything to light. The true villain and motive was a fun twist as well. I enjoyed the ending and agreed it was the right fit for the characters as they evolved over the course of their shared journey." -- Julie from Chapter Break

A huge THANK YOU to everyone who reviews my books. Your words lift my spirits, put a smile on my face, and help other readers find my work.

If you haven't read Knot of Souls yet, you can get it on Amazon in print or ebook formats. And it's FREE with Kindle Unlimited.

Upcoming Virtual Book Tour

I'm starting a virtual book tour next week, which will include interviews and guest posts. If you follow me on Facebook, I'll be sharing the stops as I go ... and I'll put the best material out through this newsletter. There will be some fun insights about my characters and world, among other things.

New Releas Showcase

Looking for other brand new science fiction and fantasy? Check these brand-new books out, all released in May or June. You mihgt even spot one you recognize!

Sincerely,

Christine

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Release Day! Knot of Souls Available NOW!

2025-05-20T07:34:40Z

Knot of Souls

Out now in print and ebook formats!

Chapter 1 (Preview)

Joy

The first thing I realized, after I died, was that my body could walk and talk and no longer needed my help for any of it. I was in there, able to look through my eyes and hear through my ears, but even the simple task of aiming my gaze had slipped outside my control. I was a passenger inside my own mind, an observer along for the ride.

Kristen had been right, I thought numbly as I struggled to make sense of my new reality. Had it only been lunchtime today when she’d told me I’d never get ahead if I didn’t learn to assert myself? “Take control of your life,” she’d said, “or others will take it for you.”

She couldn’t have been thinking of anything quite so literal. Whatever was happening to me, it wasn’t because I’d failed to advocate for a promotion at work or refused to ask out a coworker.

Right?

My body reached my car and slid behind the wheel. A rattled thought—not my own—cursed as it tried to understand how the contraption worked. How much can cars have changed in only a century? Visions accompanied the thoughts, memories—again not my own—of a classic car, gleaming black and elegant, its top down, my bobbed hair whipping around my face as I laughed with glee, a white-faced young man at my side gripping the door, begging me to slow down. I did not.

Which brings me to the second thing I realized, after I died: I was no longer alone inside my own mind.

Whoever was in there didn’t seem to have noticed me yet. Fine. I slid into the smallest corner of my brain I could find, ignoring the intruder as they struggled to figure out how to work an automatic transmission. Maybe they’d get frustrated and give up and go find someone else’s body to possess.

Holy shit! I’ve been possessed by the ghost of someone who died in like 1930.

But why?

I tried to remember what had happened, but the images danced just out of reach. I recalled that the night had been unseasonably cold for October, the chill biting through my inadequate jacket as I hurried to my car, parked in a garage two blocks away from the shelter where I’d been volunteering. Hugging my arms around my torso for warmth, I took a shortcut through an alley and …

There was a noise. I’d startled, my heart pounding in my throat, already on edge because of the argument.

Wait. Back up. There’d been an argument. That seemed significant, but my scattered thoughts couldn’t piece it together as yet, not when a bodily intruder fumbled at the gearshift of my two-month-old Hyundai Accent with only fifty-eight “low monthly payments” left to go.

Low is such a relative word.

... A longer preview is available here. Or buy now!

FREE with Kindle Unlimited!

Will You Leave a Review?

If you read and enjoy the book, Ihope you'll take a minute to post a review. Early reviews, in particular, are essential to a book's success. Most readers won't try a book, especially not from a new (to them) author, unless they see some ratings.

I hope you love reading this book as much as I loved writing it.

Sincerely,

Christine

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Knot of Souls: A Peek Behind the Cover

2025-05-14T07:11:09Z

A Peek Behind the Cover

When I originally conceived the cover for Knot of Souls, I was sure of only one thing: there had to be a knot. A green knot, made up of blue and yellow light (Joy’s soul is bluish-white, Shade’s is yellow-gold). The knot could be Celtic, because that’s recognizable at a glance, but that part isn’t literal. The colors are.

I worked with BZN Studio Designs, and the artist there helped me conceive the rest. I initially suggested a silhouette to de-emphasize the importance of the body (compared to the souls), but this idea apparently looked too science fiction! (I’m not always convinced by the line between fantasy and science fiction, but I understand the genre expectations.) So, no silhouette. We went through a few different designs before she hit on the idea of obscuring the model’s features by showing only the lower part of her face, chin turned off to the side. The effect was surprising, even dramatic, and it kept the focus precisely where I wanted: on the knot.

I love the lighting effects most of all, When I look at this cover, I don't see one person at all. I see both Joy and Shade, and I hope after reading the book, others will see it that way, too.

The skyline at the bottom is Kansas City, where much of the story takes place.

Knot of Souls is coming May 20th in print and ebook formats. You can pre-order the kindle edition here.

Two souls, one body …

When Joy wakes up in an alley, she knows three things: she was brutally murdered, she has somehow come back to life ... and she is not alone. She’s been possessed by an inhuman presence, a being that has taken over her dying body. That being is powerful, in pain, and on the run from entities more dangerous than he is.

Shade, a Fae prince on the run, didn’t mean to share the body he jumped into. Desperate and afraid, accused of a murder he didn’t commit, he only sought a place to hide—but if he leaves Joy now, he faces discovery and a fate worse than death.

Forced to work together to solve multiple murders, including her own, Joy and Shade discover hidden strengths and an unlikely friendship. Yet as their souls become increasingly intertwined, they realize their true danger might come from each other … and if they don't find a way to untangle the knot their souls have become, then even the truth won't set them free.

Knot of Souls is a stand-alone platonic buddy love fantasy that forces two very different beings to work together … and come out stronger on the other side.

Sincerely,

Christine

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New Novel Coming Soon: Knot of Souls

2025-05-08T15:53:18Z

Coming May 20, 2025 ...

Knot of Souls

Two souls, one body …

Knot of Souls is a stand-alone platonic buddy love fantasy that forces two very different beings to work together … and come out stronger on the other side.

Pre-Order Now!

Behind the blurb ...

I want to start by thanking those of you who replied with feedback on a preliminary blurb I sent out in January. Between you and my writer's group, I rewrote and fine-tuned and hopefully have developed it into something that's honest, descriptive, and enticing.

But sometimes I want to just set all the marketing talk aside and ask an author, "What's it about, really?"

Really, it's about connection. It's about forming a bond with another being who you're sometimes at odds with, but who inevitably helps you become your best self. It's not a romance (I had some trouble squashing romantic vibes from the blurb, which is why I added phrases like "unlikely friendship" and "platonic buddy love"), but romance isn't the only way two souls can be intimate.

The idea came to me in late 2020 (the year that has become the "before and after" of the modern age), a year in which most of us felt wildly disconnected. So maybe it's no wonder this is what I chose to write about. Also, I wanted to write something upbeat. When I first sat down to braintsorm, with no idea whatsoever what my next book would be about, I typed out these three words:

Write something happy.

Joy got her name before she got a plot.

I will say, looking back at what I accomplished, that I don't believe happy is the right descriptor for the finished product. Happiness is a haard thing to project when you're not feeling it. But I do think I managed hopeful, and that's something many of us could still use.

Now, I need your help:

There are two ways you can help me make Knot of Souls a success.

1.) You can pre-order it. The pre-order window is very short for this one, not even two weeks (because cover art came in last night, and I wanted to release this by Memorial Day), but all pre-orders made by release day will count as release day sales, increasing the sales rank.

2.) Review it! I know, I sound like a broken record, but there's nothing authors need more, especially for new releases. They sit up there naked for a few days (while my fingernails magically get shorter and shorter). Remember, reviews don't have to be long or complicated, they can just be a few words.

Finally, check out this Kindle Unlimited Book Promo, with over 100 first-in-series reads (including Cassie Scot)!

Sincerely,

Christine

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New Year's Resolutions

2025-01-02T10:01:39Z

New Year's Resolutions

I've always had mixed feelings about New Year's Resolutions ... about making them and aabout keeping them ... but I'm starting to understand that a resolution isn't a promise I'm destined to break; a resolution is an intention, a plan or path. Life has offered me many paths lately, and the start of a new year is as good a time as any to consider which ones to begin walking. Maybe they won't serve me. Maybe I'll find another way. But today, January 2nd, 2025, I am setting the following (writerly) resolutions:

To prepare a completed novel, Knot of Souls for publication and release it this year.
To complete a draft of another novel, The Spaces in Between.
To continue to write and submit short stories.
To learn to write poetry. (I'll expand on this one in an upcoming newsletter.)

Knot of Souls

Two souls, one body…

When Joy wakes up in an alley, she knows three things: she was brutally murdered, she has somehow come back to life... and she is not alone. She’s been possessed by an inhuman presence, a being that has successfully taken over her dying body. That being is dangerous, in pain, and on the run from entities even more dangerous than he is.

At first, the incorporeal being doesn’t realize Joy’s still there, and the only way to survive her own rebirth may be to hide her existence from him while she figures out what he’s up to. She’s had plenty of experience going unnoticed, but she gives herself away when she realizes he knows her father, a man whose neglect shaped her life.

Shade, a Fae prince on the run, didn’t mean to share the dying body he jumped into. Now, he must work with a human in order to uncover the truths that might save him from being executed for a crime he didn't commit. But as his soul and Joy's become increasingly tangled together, they realize that their true danger might come from each other... and if they don't find a way to untangle the knot their souls have become, then even the truth won't set them free.

At this point in the process, I welcome feedback on the above blurb. In fact, I have another version I sometimes use that cuts that middle paragraph, and I keep going back and forth between them.

I completed Knot of Souls three years ago. I know, I know ... if I've had this book "finished" for so long, why isn't it published? All I can say is that I wasn't sure which path to take with it. At first, I tried to get a big publishing house interested, with no luck. Then I queried numerous small pressess, and received a couple of offers, but (without going into tedious business details) I didn't care much for the offers. This left me stumped, because I've long been resistant to self-publishing on the grounds that I'm a much better author than a businesswoman! But last year, getting the rights back on my other books and releasing them myself gave me a boost of confidence I'm going to take into the new year.

I'm making no promises on the timeline. Among other things, I'm drawing a blank on what the cover should look like, so I haven't begun to reach out to cover artists, and that process can take months. But it's part of the path, and I can at least begin talking to other authors about the challenges of visually depicting two souls inhabiting one body!

Stay tuned for more information and updates.

Happy New Year!

Christine

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Please Stop Murdering Grandma

2024-10-23T08:01:03Z

Dear Reader,

The leaves or changing, the weather is gorgeous, and in between my daily walks I'm hard at work on a new novel, so I'm going to keep it simple this month and share a cute and very short (flash fiction) story I wrote a couple of years ago and which was originally published in Daily Science Fiction in August of 2022.

Trigger warning: weaponized comma use.

Please Stop Murdering Grandma

by: Christine Amsden

My Dearest Susie,

What a delightful surprise to receive your letter in the mail! When my secretary handed it to me, I confess I did not know what to think. You are the first of my granddaughters to ever send me a letter (no, Dear, email does not count), and it simply swelled my heart to read it.

I have now read the letter several times and am enclosing my editorial notes. Aside from your atrocious penmanship and spelling, I must point out that commas can save lives. For example:

Let’s eat Grandma.

Let’s eat, Grandma.

As I have no desire to be cannibalized, I hope you will work harder in future to ensure you place your commas in the correct location. Although I suppose it is not entirely your fault. The state of education these days is simply appalling. When I was a young lady, we got a sharp

slap with a ruler for making a mistake; now, you get safe spaces. Did you see how I used the semi-colon there? (Perhaps that’s a lesson for another time.)

In your next letter, I want you to focus on proper comma usage. To facilitate this, I offer the following motivation: Every time you misuse a comma, I will put down one of my clones. So you see? You will literally be killing grandma with every careless mistake.

Please do write again soon, or I will continue putting down my unauthorized clones on principle. Give my best to your moms, and do ask them to stop hiding from me. I know exactly where they are at all times thanks to the tracking devices embedded in their skulls.

All my love,

Grandma

Dear Grandma,

First, its, Zuzu (they/them), not, Susie, and, I hope, I am, putting, enough, commas, in.

Mom, and Mum, know, about, the trackers. Its, why, they, are, not with, me, or, the rebelion. You, can’t, find you’re, unauthorised clones, that way.

If commas, were, the bigest, problem, you, saw in, my letter, you, will soon, loose, your throne. You can, not keep, acting like, its the 20th century. A lots, changed, in 300, years. But you, stay, the, same. New clone, same memories.

But Mom, and Mum, escaped. Made me. Razing, me, in 2256. Not 1956. They, think, you, are, evil. But I, came, from you, and I, am, not, evil.

I want, to, save, you. I, will, turn, myself in, and, let, you, chip me, but, you, have, to, do, one, thing, first.

Please stop murdering, Grandma!

Love,

Zuzu

The End

Don't forget that the entire Cassie Scot Series is now free for Kindle Unlimited subscribers. You can get the first book here.

She was born into a world of magic, but she has none of her own…

Cassie Scot is the normal daughter of powerful sorcerers, born between worlds but belonging to neither. She strives to find a place for herself, but living in the shadow of her family’s reputation isn’t easy. All she wants is a nice, normal job, but her dreams of independence from magic are threatened when she stumbles upon the gruesome body of sixteen-year-old Nancy Hastings.

Now Cassie is plunged into a paranormal investigation which gets her tangled up with the victim’s powerful family, the Blackwoods. Dark, dangerous, and handsome Evan Blackwood tempts Cassie deeper into a world she seeks to escape. Yet Evan—and magic itself—may not be ready to let her go.

Sincerely,

Christine

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New to Kindle Unlimited: Cassie Scot

2024-07-29T07:45:51Z

Dear Reader,

The rights to all my novels, including the Cassie Scot series, are now mine -- and I didn't waste any time getting them back out there! You can already find new, self-published kindle and print-on-demand paperback editions of all seven titles on Amazon. There's even a shiny new series page listing them in order, including a delightful little novella.

To celebrate, Cassie Scot #1 will be FREE to download on Monday, July 29 and Tuesday, July 30. So go on and grab it.

Even better: The full series is now available through Kindle Unlimited!

Most of the cover art for this series is the same; I had books 1-4 redone at my own expense some years ago due to overwhelming feedback about the originals. Book 7 was done by that same artist, but for a long time, books 5 and 6 looked ... out of place. I'm happy to report that I got Lou Harper from Cover Affairs to work up new covers for Madison and Kaitlin to help them fit in better with the rest of the series.

You can see all the covers together on the new Amazon series page.

Will You Leavea a Review?

The one downside to getting my rights back is that I've lost all my Amazon reviews. Many of you reviewed these books in the past, and I thank you so much for that! Nothing helps an author more than leaving a review ... it helps draw attention to a book, they're a sort of validation, and it helps readers decide if the book is right for them. You can even keep it short -- "Nice!" is a valid review.

With my slate wiped clean, new reviews of the series will help me more than ever. So please, take a minute to weigh in.

All the best,

Christine

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