Hello Again,
There’s a lot of buzz about the possibility of a movie version of The Green Ember, but there is more to be excited about right now! I’m writing to say that my new book, Ember Falls (The Green Ember Book 2), is available for preorder from Amazon. It will ship September 13th! (Cool people say “drops.” Trust me, I heard someone in California who was certifiably cool say this.)
You can get it in handsome paperback or in VERY handsomer hard cover. Or get both?
(Writing Tip: Use “very” ALL the time. Emphasize it with all-caps. Add dozens of exclamation points!!!! Congrats. You are a very gooder writer now.)
If you are a hard cover lover (<—weird word combo), you will be happy to hear that we’ll begin shipping The Green Ember in hard cover at Amazon for the first time on September 13th. You can preorder that now too.
Kickstarter backers, your books (and associated swag) are still on schedule for getting to you in mid-August. I think you’ll be happy with the abundance.
Fun fact: Did you know that the word “abundance” came from a culture of people called the Weenahrohstees who cherished hot-dogs above all other sustenance? In the great bun famine of 1973, they lamented. All these hot dogs and no buns. #Sad! Then a cargo ship carrying 800,023 hot dog buns wrecked and every one died. But the good news was that the buns survived and floated magically to the island of the Weenahrohstees. They had so many buns, they immediately ordered a huge, island-wide dance. It was called, you guessed it, the bun dance. For years after, they organized “a bun dance” on the anniversary of their windfall. That’s how we got our word, “abundance.” We went to the island, killed all the inhabitants, stole their hotdogs, and dragged off several of their favorite words (including “abundance”). #Winning
Speaking of shipments and death, it’s unbelievably nerve-wracking to wait for a first look at our books. Our first experience in printing The Green Ember has left us scarred and scared. The hard covers were nearly all askew and far below our standards and we ended up fighting with the printers about it for months. But, I’m very happy and relieved to say that Ember Falls looks amazing!
Andrew Mackay (publisher/cover designer/etc.) and Zach Franzen (illustrator and cover artist) did a magnificent job. I think this book looks even more attractive than The Green Ember. I’m so grateful!
I hope you will preorder a copy today and tell your friends about it. We just want to find those folks who read the first book and wanted more. It’s harder than you would think!
Here’s a suggested social media post to copy and paste, if you need some help:
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Facebook, etc.:
Like me, many of you loved #TheGreenEmber, & now Book 2 is almost here! Ember Falls is available for preorder now! http://amzn.to/2aFa25h
Twitter:
Like me, many of you loved #TheGreenEmber by @SDSmith_. Now Book 2 is almost here! Preorder Ember Falls now! http://amzn.to/2aFa25h
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I would love it if you tagged me on Facebook or Twitter. Cheers!
Finally, I wrote something recently about my motivation for storytelling. It’s short and to the point. In case you missed it, I hope you’ll check it out: A Cathedral of Words.
Thank you, my friends!
Sam
Great news! Are you doing an audible version again?
Yes! Joel Clarkson is working on it right now and we are aiming for a September 13 release.
Thank you. I found out about this release through a Facebook ad, and I am so grateful I did. My nine-year-old son asked me every day for weeks to check and see if Ember Falls is available yet. I kept telling him that it looked like it would be a while, but he kept asking. His birthday is on September 14th, and even if he can’t get the book in hand on that day, he will be overjoyed knowing it is coming in the mail. Thanks so much!! He loved loved loved the first one. He reads voraciously, and he said it was his favorite book ever.
Hi, Mandy. Thank you for commenting! I’m so happy to hear that. I hate to use FB ads, but it does seem to be a way to connect with folks who enjoyed the first book.
I am SO honored that your son loved the book so much. What an encouragement! Please say hello to him for me and thank him for the kind words. I hope he enjoys Ember Falls and has a wonderful birthday.
God bless now,
Sam
I can’t wait to get my hands on “Ember Falls”! I love “Green Ember” and have been eagerly awaiting the sequel. I’ll probably read it in two days or less when I get it. Keep up the great work! (By the way, the “abundance” thing cracked me up.) Thank you so much for the great stories.
Thank you, Ian, for the encouraging note. I hope Ember Falls holds up for you.
Oh, my! We (my boys, 12, 10, 9, 5) are super excited for this! I just saw the swag posted by a friend and am SUPER bummed I missed it. Please, please sell those amazing mugs somewhere!!
We pre-ordered today and will let our pals know, too! Lots of us out here who cannot wait! Thanks so much for putting great stories out there for us. Blessings!
Hey Molly,
Thanks for preordering the new book. I hope you all enjoy it. I hope we can do another sale on mugs!
Grace and peace to you.
-Sam
We got our copy today! We sat down immediately to read the first chapter. The kids can’t wait to hear more and are already making guesses as to what will happen! Thanks for the wonderful read!
Thank you, Bethany! I hope you enjoy it. 🙂
Wow! My 4 kids and I just finished reading Ember Falls, and it was one of our favorite books EVER!!! We love The Green Ember and The Black Star of Kingston, but Ember Falls …. AMAZING! This is one we’ll be reading over and over. No pressure, but we can’t wait until the next book comes out!
Hi Jenny,
Thank you so much for the encouraging words! (I think it’s a better book too.) 🙂
I will keep on working!
Sam
I thought I would wait until the end of the book, but just want to say halfway through how much the boys and I are enjoying Ember Falls. It takes all that was good in The Green Ember and makes it even better. Really powerful – can’t wait to see how it all ends!
Thank you for all of your hard work!
Thank you, Kelly! I hope you enjoy the rest.
Oh my goodness, we LOVED Ember Falls! This was a read-aloud that we did as a family, and at a few points in the book I looked up at my husband and my boys and they were either bouncing up and down, sword fighting, cheering, or sitting wide-eyed and frozen in anticipation! What a fantastic story, full of hope and surprises. Hands down our favorite book ever, and we read a LOT. Thank you! We eagerly await the next book!
I’m so happy to hear that, Kelly. Thank you for sharing this with me. It’s very encouraging!
We are so thankful you have shared your talent in story telling. We have thoroughly enjoyed your books. Our family just finished Ember Falls this morning! It was a favorite of all. We have girls ages 11 and 9 and our boys are 7, 4, and 1. They kept pleading for just one more chapter. They hope you are busy working on the next book. They would like to know about how long it took to write Ember Falls. In the meantime they are headed outside to work on a catapult they started building last night.
Thank you so much, Jodi! I’m so glad they enjoyed it.
It took around a year to write. And I am working on the series, for sure. But it will be a while, I’m sorry to say, before the next book is out. I want to get them right.
Will you be doing any more sequels after the “Ember Falls”
And wow your books are amazing. Cant stop reading them!!!
Keep up the good work.
Julian
Thank you, Julian!
YES. I am working on more books in the series. I wouldn’t leave you hanging like that!
Sign up for my newsletter to stay in touch about when the next books will release.
https://sdsmith.net/sign-up-for-updates/
when the book ended like that i was pretty sure you would more books
🙂 God protect me!
Hi My name is Iona and I am 12. I just finished The Green Ember and Ember Falls. I loved them so much because of the action, suspense, bravery, sacrifice, drama, friendships, humour, deceit, and treachery! My parents were on a mission trip in Europe, and Ember Falls took my mind off their absence into a whole new amazing action-packed world! I have always wanted to become a famous Author of a fantasy children’s book. May I use your story as an inspiration? Thank you!
From Iona Canlis
Hi Iona!
I’m so pleased to hear that you enjoyed my books. (Have you read The Black Star of Kingston yet?) I’m so glad the books were there for you while your parents were away. Of course you may feel free to use my books as inspiration. I would be honored!
God bless you and your work!
Hi
I am Bella and I am twelve. I would just like to say that your books have really given me inspiration for me writing books. I really enjoyed reading them. They were suspenseful, heroic, thrillin, and just over all amazing. I would like to know if you are planning on writing a third book. [SPOILER REMOVED].
Thank you so much for your wonderful books
Bella Hark
Hi Bella!
Thanks for your note. I’m glad you’re enjoying the books. I’m sorry about the hard parts!
All the best to you as you craft your own tales. Very exciting. I hope you surpass me!
God bless you!