"Oh my god! Okay, it's happening!! Everybody stay calm!" – Michael Scott, The Office

Happy Tuesday and cheers to Shattered release day!!

Celebrating - Today is the day! 🥳 

I hope that the thrill that comes with publishing a new book never goes away -I love it! Leading up to a release,  I’m a bundle of nerves and excitement. As the day gets closer, I’m in denial. It’s easy to question key decisions and worry we missed something. Anxieties aside, Shattered Are the Fallen released today and I couldn’t be happier.

Breathe in. Breathe out. 

And here is what early readers are saying!

“Despite their dire situation, I am so happy to be back with the Mansion Mi’Cra crew. I’ve watched them grow and develop so much since Fractured and Broken, that I truly feel like they’re family now(albeit a bit of a messed up one lol).”

"I love a story where two powerful groups of people who would otherwise be enemies need to work together to get sh*t done!"

“Shattered immensely satisfies, while continuing to surprise and weave Caet's story together, I love this series!”

“What do you do when the sky is dark and running out of air, monsters run rampant through the streets, and Caet is missing? Cook and drive a truck, according to Sar.”

My editor also had some nice notes, aside from having eternal beef with Nan and calling her one of the villains in the Fractured Realm…

“It’s been a long time coming, but we finally get the payoff on an agonizingly slow burn. That, some revelations regarding Nan’s nonsense, and a classic Ciar twist at the end make for an incredibly satisfying book 3!”

What she calls nonsense I refer to as questionable decisions to protect the ones she loves. Why did she do it that way, who knows?! Will we ever find out? Maybe…😂 What’s even better is that the slow burn she is talking about is not who you likely think it is, but a pair she refers to as the true slow burn. And she’s not wrong…but did you pick it up? Do you know who it is? IYKYK 😉

Adapting - Change can be hard, but try to welcome it ♥️

While writing Shattered last year, I had a completely different editorial team lined up. Then, life happened and circumstances changed. In the shuffle of it all, I found Emmaline Eble, who has edited books like Black and Blue Widow by Rhiannon Rollness, Kissed by the Gods & Unwritten by the Gods by Caty Rogan, and Revelations by H. A. Ryans. Emmaline is efficient, thorough, and thoughtful. She did not hesitate to (gently) suggest necessary changes. As an added bonus, she specializes in working with neurodivergent authors. As someone with dyslexia and ADHD, I was blessed to work with her. I wrote Shattered with blood, sweat, and tears. Emmaline polished it up in a way I couldn’t have expected and am forever grateful for. 

Overcoming - It takes a village!

We are our own worst critics. Imposter syndrome takes over all of us. I’m grateful to those I have in my corner that help me through it.  Emmaline has pushed me through several crash outs, especially about Fractured. I used to look back on my first book, Fractured, and criticize myself. Until I started working with Emmaline, I followed suit.  During one of my crash outs, Emmaline said, “Or—and hear me out—you could simply be impressed with yourself that you wrote an award-winning debut and its sequel on a wing and a prayer. Because it’s impressive.” (For context, I was beating myself up over how I would have done things differently. In retrospect, my debut was never going to be perfect). 

That contribution  positively pivoted my perspective on my debut baby. Reflecting back now, I am so excited to publish the third book. Shattered is a truly satisfying penultimate book in the Fractured Realm. Pasts are revealed, prophecies arise, monsters are created, and the final villain rears their head. The ultimate objective is to  make moves that finish a long game even Nan couldn’t completely foresee.

Taking a breather

Everyone needs to remember to relax and take a deep breath, but I’m currently failing to meet those standards.I have some big writing plans and goals for 2026. With that said, I still prioritize time for myself, and you should too. It’s critical  to reset your nervous system, in whichever ways make sense for your life.  My self-care involves reading a cozy book, hanging with the kids at home, or doing absolutely nothing. I savor  my “potato days”. (I like the way that term sounds better than couch rotting 😌)

Behind the scenes

2026 is going to be a very interesting year with my writing and publishing roadmap! I’ll be working on the final book in the Fractured Realm, as well as the first book in a new dark/gothic fantasy romance. I found my footing with the Fractured Realm, and I can’t wait to start a new series with my  absolutely amazing editorial team. More information to come soon!  

Until then, happy reading!

~ Ciar

PS. Reviews and ratings mean the world to indie authors. If you read and enjoyed Fractured, Broken, and/or Shattered, it would mean the world to me if you could post a review either on Goodreads or Amazon. 

Thank you so much!