The Poltergeist’s Ship is almost here!
So I thought I’d answer a few questions about Afterlife Calls and what I’m up to beyond that.
If you’re a Hollie and Fayth fan, scroll to the end for an update on their adventures.
For the TL;DR, my new Facebook profile pic sums up the vibes of what’s to come.
When will The Poltergeist’s Ship be released?
I don’t have an exact date yet, but it’ll be out by the end of July.
Where can I preorder it?
All the usual places 🙂 You can find a full list here.
If you’re in a position to preorder, they really do make a HUGE difference to a book’s success, along with early reviews.
The general rule of thumb is to get 50 reviews as quickly as possible, then retailers will start to promote a book for you.
Books become unescapable because of momentum, but getting that initial momentum going is harder than ever in a world filled with noise.
So your preorders and reviews on sites like Amazon, B&N, and Apple really do make a gigantic difference, especially for smaller authors like myself.
Where’s the book cover?
Don’t get me started. I’ve lost enough hair in the last 3 years as it is. It’ll be soon. If any of my hair is to survive.
Can I join the ARC team?
So many of you have been in touch to say how much you love Afterlife Calls (thank you!) and if you can be on the ARC team. So I decided to open sign-ups early.
Sign up to get an ARC of The Poltergeist’s Ship here.
Please note I can’t give you a date for when they’ll be ready, but it’ll likely be late June.
Do I need to sign up again if I was on the list for Hollywood Romance/The Mean Girl’s Murder?
Yes please!
I have a different list for each pen name.
Rejoining keeps the list fresh and ensures we have the most up-to-date details for you.
Is The Poltergeist’s Ship a standalone or continuation?
A bit of both. I see it as book 1 in season 2 of Afterlife Calls.
It will reference previous events, but there’s an 8-month time jump between books 5 and 6. There are also new characters, lore, and locations.
Why has The Poltergeist’s Ship taken so long?
On top of my recent health flare-up, and cover design stresses, I’ve been fleshing out the new lore, characters, and locations.
The lore is one of the hardest parts for me (I did a whole podcast episode on how much I hate it!) and it’s also what the plot for every single book from here to the end of the series hinges on. So I’ve been doing some heavy mental lifting while battling brain fog. Don’t recommend.
How many books will be in season 2?
5, the same as season 1. Season 3 will be the same.
How many books will be in the series?
15 in total. For more insights into how I structure the series, check out this video.
When will Afterlife Calls 7 be out?
I’m aiming for early next year to release The Dead Man’s Blood. Right now I have a rough first draft of it, but there’s still a long way to go.
You’re in the perfect place for updates on it, so keep an eye out 🙂
What about the other books in season 2?
I have a very early draft of book 8 (let’s call it version 0.5), and plots/opening scenes for books 9 and 10.
I’m hoping all the upfront work I’ve done will mean I can release them faster, but I’m also very aware that they could become famous last words.
Are you planning any more books in the What Happens in Hollywood Universe?
Yes and no.
There will be no more novels with Hollie, Fayth, Astin, Liam, Tate, Jack, or Trinity at the centre.
I may or may not do a short story collection at some point, or put them on a streaming platform like Ream.
Those stories are currently half-finished (keep reading for the reason why).
I have other romance books planned, but, to be honest with you, Afterlife Calls is half the length of the What Happens in Hollywood Universe, but outperforms it by more than 50%.
And in a cost of living crisis, when I’m only a small-time author most people have never heard of, I have to prioritise the series that performs the best.
So if you’d like to see more romances from me, please, please spread the word about the What Happens in Hollywood Universe and tell people why you love it on social media, or leave reviews for later books in the series.
(What Happens in New York may have 4,000 ratings/reviews on Amazon, but most have fewer than 20, let alone the much-coveted 50 ???? )
I really can’t emphasise the difference those 5 minutes of endorsement from you (yes, you) makes.
It holds a lot more weight when you share why a book is great than when I tell people why my book is great.
And it holds more weight with retailers.
What about your upcoming poetry collection?
After spending far too long doubting my own abilities, I decided 2024 is the year I’ll finally release a poetry collection.
If you’re a fan of the brutal honesty of Halsey or Taylor Swift, stay tuned…
More details on that when I’ve emotionally recovered from The Poltergeist’s Ship.
Happy reading!
Kristina
