The Tiny Ghost Newsletter, edition #2, Feb 26, 2022
Dear Glamor Ghouls, Little Monsters, and Tiny Ghosts,
We're super excited to announce this week that we're lucky enough to be publishing Xan van Rooyen's 'My Name Is Magic,' which will be released in September of this year. I can't begin to explain how excited we are about this title. Xan has written a witty, down to earth, wildly entertaining, urban fantasy all about finding strength from within, with a diverse range of captivating characters, set against a backdrop of fantastical Finnish mythology. This book is perfect for fans of magical schools, who are looking for a new, inclusive adventure to embark on.
Fifteen-year-old Taika Turunen is the descendant of some of the most powerful mages in Finland—in fact, they can trace their ancestry back to the legendary hero Väinämöinen himself! But despite their potent lineage—and their name—they are utterly bereft of magic.
Forced to attend Myrskyjärvi International School for the Magically Gifted on account of their mom being principal, Taika has a hard time making friends, and an even harder time fitting in when they can't complete even the simplest of spells. Sometimes Taika wonders if not having magic has something to do with the fact they’re neither a girl nor a boy, if life will ever get better, or if they’re fated to be Taika the Talentless forever.
Life goes from bad to worse when Taika sees a liekkiö—the soul of a murder victim—and recognizes the spirit's voice begging for help as that of their former BFF and major crush, Natalie Khumalo, whose absence from school has been blamed on a stomach bug. When Taika discovers the stomach bug story has been a cover up for multiple student disappearances, they must take the lead in a race against time to save friends old and new before a powerful cabal of chaos mages can use the most magical students at Taika's school to unleash the legendary Sampo, an artifact capable of either renewing the waning magic or destroying everything Taika holds dear.
To rescue Natalie, Taika will have to journey to the liminal space between worlds where they’ll be forced to battle mythical monsters and their own flagging self-esteem. In doing so, Taika might just discover that magic—and love—comes in many different forms.
There is lots to look forward to when it comes to 'My Name Is Magic"'. We'll be unveiling the cover in the coming months and launch the presale. So keep your grapes peeled for further announcements. And you can head to Goodreads now to add 'My Name Is Magic' to your reading pile!
In other news, it's been two weeks since the launch of our first title and we have been completely overwhelmed by the response to 'The Alpha's Son'. Not only was the book a #1 best seller in its subcategory on Amazon, it's (at the time of posting) still the #1 New Release in Teen and Young Adult LGBTQ+ Fiction. We had high hopes for our first release but all of our projections have been blown out of the water and we're so thrilled. Even more thrilling, however, has been the response online. We've seen everyone who is posting about the book, helping to spread the word, and generally being little internet legends, and we're so thankful! Seriously, thank you. It means so much to know people are excited about what we're building here, we're simply blown away!
There are a few more big announcements coming up in the next couple of months. We're cooking up some really exciting things, so stay tuned.
Thanks!
Josh