Updates & Transparency

So I know it’s been a very long time since I’ve updated this blog, but I’ve decided to make a quick update to offer some transparency on the current status of Ashwood and my writing, in general.

Ashwood was originally published by indie publisher Distinguished Press in September 2015. Like many small, indie pub houses, DP closed shop soon after Ashwood’s publication. It was then picked up by another indie publisher, FantasyWorks, and re-published under them in September 2016. Sadly, they too fell on hard times and had to close shop. This is the unfortunate fate of many small publishers. The publishing industry isn’t doing very well right now, even for the largest publishers so you can imagine how hard it is for newly budding indie houses. I knew the risks going into it when I first signed on with an indie house, and while it’s certainly disappointing it’s not unexpected.

As of the time of this posting, you can still get a copy of Ashwood here for the time being:

Amazon
CreateSpace
Kinokuniya NYC

As FantasyWorks phases out though, the supplies will dwindle so I’m going to look into self-publishing Ashwood in the future, and am still planning for a sequel, which will likely also be self-published. As much as I would like to avoid the self-publishing route, at this point I feel it’s the best option to keep Ashwood out there and accessible.

Lately my focus has been on producing game design content for tabletop and digital game companies. These freelance opportunities have been filling up my schedule since I made it into the Final Four of Paizo’s RPG SuperStar contest. Between this and working a full time job, I haven’t had a chance to keep up with this blog nor produce much fiction in the MG/YA literary arena. Please note, that I still absolutely love writing kids lit and plan to continue to do so, but I also very much enjoy game design writing and eagerly accept exciting contracts when they pop up. And luckily for me, they’ve been popping up quite a bit.

I currently have several freelance game design projects I’m committed to, but I plan to get started on the Ashwood sequel soon, as well as launch Ashwood as a self-published product. That said, I doubt I will continue to use this blog much, so if you’re looking for updates on Ashwood or any other of my works, please follow me on Twitter (@CJMalarsky) or Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/AuthorCJMalarsky/) – both of which I update much more frequently than here. Twitter and Facebook is simply easier for me to maintain than a blog.

Thanks for reading!

Announcement: New Publisher

A number of exciting, new things are going on right now, the most important of which is that Ashwood is getting a new publisher. Due to unforeseen circumstances the original publisher, Distinguished Press, had to close their doors. But when one door closes, another opens and I am happy to announce that Ashwood will be re-published under Fantasy Works Publishing.

During this transition Ashwood will be unavailable for purchase. That said Kinokuniya has asked me to come back to their NYC branch as a guest speaker for their next "YA Talk" event. This event is scheduled for Saturday, March 26th at 3pm and signed print copies of the original Ashwood will be available. More information about the event will follow soon.

If you haven't yet had a chance to get your hands on a copy yet and are eager to do so, Kinokuniya will be the exclusive seller until it re-emerges under the Fantasy Works brand.

Please stay tuned for future publication announcements. 

Big Announcement: 3-Book Deal with Distinguished Press

It is with great joy that I announce my 3-book deal with indie publisher Distinguished Press for my YA Horror series, "The Ashwood Trilogy".

The staff at DP are an amazing group of people and I am thrilled to be working with them. This is a dream come true made possible through Brenda Drake's #PitMad event on twitter. Thank you, Brenda and thank you, Distinguished Press!

The first book in the trilogy, Ashwood, is tentatively scheduled to be released September 4th, 2015.  I am overjoyed with this chance to share this story with the world and can't wait to tell you more about it in the months to come. More updates will follow.