First up, super mega congrats to our final SPIRIT'S END raffle winner... LEAH! Hooray! I'll be doing the drawing for the GRAND PRIZE, being signed copies of all 3 trade paper back Eli books plus a $50 Amazon.com gift card, this evening at 5 EST. Everyone who posted on the original thread and helped spread the word is still eligible, even if you already won something (if you win twice, I'll give you the grand prize and pick a new winner for the other signed copy), so keep your eyes peeled and thank you again to EVERYONE. You all made this my best launch ever, and Eli loves each and every one of you!
And now, at long last, we come to the end....
What a long way we've come, eh? Even though I finished writing Spirit's End last year, today feels like the real end of things, and while I'm very happy with the way I ended his story, it's still bittersweet. I've been working on Eli's world since 2006. That's a long time to spend with anyone, much less a relationship as intimate as author and main character. Not to sound schizophrenic, but I still think in his voice all the time. Same with Miranda. You just can't be with people, even imaginary ones, for this long and not come out different.
With the publication of Spirit's End (which I will always think of as The Other Side of the Sky, my title for it), a huge chapter of my life has come to an end. Of course, I'll still be promoting and talking about these books for years, but my career is already moving on. There are new books to be written, new characters to love and fight with. But no matter what books I write in the future, no series will ever take the place of Eli in my heart. Eli Monpress will always and forever be the one that made it. He was the one who charmed his way into my agent's heart, and then my editor's. His story was the one that got me my great dream of being an author, and while it feels strange to be grateful to a fictional character, I am. I'm grateful for everything.
Most of all, though, I'm grateful to my readers. Eli might have charmed his way into a book contract, but it was all of you reading and spreading the word and posting reviews and generally being amazing that let me continue Eli's story to the end. So thank you, all of you. It's said that a writer is only as great as her readership, and I really believe that's true, because there's no one I'd rather have at my back than you awesome people.
So many of you have written to thank me for writing Eli, and every time I get one of those letters, all I can think is no, thank you. Thank you for reading, thank you for making other people read, thank you for buying my books and making it possible for me to live this dream. I am nothing without all of you, and so, here at the end, you're the ones I really want to thank. Thank you for everything, thank you this amazing ride, thank you from the bottom of my heart. I hope more than anything that Spirit's End lives up to your wildest expectations, and I hope you know that it never could have been without you.
Thank you.
Yours forever,
Rachel Aaron
And now, at long last, we come to the end....
With the publication of Spirit's End (which I will always think of as The Other Side of the Sky, my title for it), a huge chapter of my life has come to an end. Of course, I'll still be promoting and talking about these books for years, but my career is already moving on. There are new books to be written, new characters to love and fight with. But no matter what books I write in the future, no series will ever take the place of Eli in my heart. Eli Monpress will always and forever be the one that made it. He was the one who charmed his way into my agent's heart, and then my editor's. His story was the one that got me my great dream of being an author, and while it feels strange to be grateful to a fictional character, I am. I'm grateful for everything.
Most of all, though, I'm grateful to my readers. Eli might have charmed his way into a book contract, but it was all of you reading and spreading the word and posting reviews and generally being amazing that let me continue Eli's story to the end. So thank you, all of you. It's said that a writer is only as great as her readership, and I really believe that's true, because there's no one I'd rather have at my back than you awesome people.
So many of you have written to thank me for writing Eli, and every time I get one of those letters, all I can think is no, thank you. Thank you for reading, thank you for making other people read, thank you for buying my books and making it possible for me to live this dream. I am nothing without all of you, and so, here at the end, you're the ones I really want to thank. Thank you for everything, thank you this amazing ride, thank you from the bottom of my heart. I hope more than anything that Spirit's End lives up to your wildest expectations, and I hope you know that it never could have been without you.
Thank you.
Yours forever,
Rachel Aaron
This made me smile and want to cry at the same time. I stumbled upon Eli by crazy random happenstance last year and was so instantly hooked that I forced my best friend, father and even my boss to read them, and Eli charmed all of them as well. As I'm reading Spirit's End now (I'm nearly done, but dumb things like work and school and sleeping keep getting in the way) I can't help but wonder what I'll read next, because even though I just discovered Eli last year, and even though I read a whole lot of books all the time, I consider Eli to be up high on my list of favorite series.
ReplyDeleteEven though I haven't read Spirit's End yet I know I will miss Eli and friends as well. The series reignited my interest in fantasy again - honestly I hadn't read a lot of fantasy for a long time before I was drawn in my Eli's eyes on the cover of The Spirit Thief...such a charmer! :-)
ReplyDeleteI just finished reading Spirit's End as soon as I got the e-copy of it this morning. I forget how I came across this series, but I'll never regret reading it. A fabulous series with great characters that made me laugh out loud and bring me to tears. Although I can't really say I'm happy seeing the end of Eli's story, I enjoyed the journey and the final chapter that was shared with us. I think Eli will fit right in with the new order of the world.
ReplyDeleteI know this book was just released, but I'm already anxiously awaiting the next story you have in store for us. I have no doubt it will be as great as this one (probably even better (although how can you beat Eli Monopress? (I'm sure you can find a way) ) ).
:) Thank you so much for writing this series. It was a wild ride and I had a ton of fun.
Awwwwwwww you guuuuuuuuys! *blush* You're too good!
ReplyDeleteWe will all miss him!
ReplyDeleteI just finished it, and though even the first Eli book was amazing, I can see your growth as an author clearly throughout the series. I can't wait for your next book!
When will the book be available in the Kindle store? I haven't been able to find it...
ReplyDeleteWoohoo! Thanks! :)
ReplyDeleteI pre-ordered the Spirit's End. I read like crazy but for some reason, I went through two weeks without reading a single book. There wasn't anything I wanted to read and just kind of lost my craving for reading. But then I got an email from Amazon saying this book has been delivered to my Kindle. I dropped everything and started reading. Wow wow wow! That broke me out of my reading slump. I want to read more but more like Eli Monpress. It is bittersweet. Thank you for writing such a wonderful series. I hope you will write more short stories. I would love to read more about what happens a year later. I love Eli but I absolutely adore Miranda.
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