Hidden Queen Tourvelogue
It’s March 20, and I am flying home from the UK after three weeks of almost constant travel. I left home on February 28, just a couple weeks past my 51st birthday. I was heading off on a grand adventure, but there were still demons to fight.
After successfully ending The Demon Cycle, I started work on a new project, The Nightfall Saga, set in the same world, but with new (and in some ways more ambitious) characters set to explore not just their monster-infested world, but more importantly, themselves.
The first book was hard. First books are always hard, but they can be harder still when you’re trying to talk about hot-button issues that have brought down better people than you when handled carelessly. I’ve always tried to thread that needle in my work and this was no different, but the issues were even more raw than those I touched in the original series. Legacy. Neurodiversity. Gender, itself.
It didn’t help that I was trying to make this art amid a global pandemic, while the civil rights marches of our time took place literally right outside my door. Under the constant drone of police helicopters hovering over my apartment building to keep watch on the crowds in Grand Army Plaza. It was hard to care—or think anyone else cared—about my stupid monster books while the world was on fire. But I pressed on and—eventually—came out with a book I was truly proud of.
The Desert Prince was exactly what I wanted it to be, a fast-paced, compelling story that skated along the razor’s edge of the discourse. Olive Paper and Darin Bales are not the heroes their parents were. I never wanted them to be. But despite the incredible powers each was born with, their struggles felt every bit as human.
Alas, Desert Prince released in August 2021, in the heart of the pandemic. Stores were still mostly barren of customers, and streaming services were filling the gap. Social media algorithms were suppressing my posts—even to people who had purposely followed me—in favor of suggested content and viral posts that gained traction by being increasingly unhinged. My publishers, too, were struggling just to reach the readers I already had, much less reach out to the new audience I felt these books would speak to. All the major brick & mortar booksellers had merged into a near monopoly, and changed their practices so that many of the ways publishers once got readers’ attention no longer worked.
And of course I couldn’t tour. Who was going to attend live events in the middle of a pandemic? Was it ethical to have them at all? I really wanted to go out and talk about this book, but fate had other ideas.
We did the best we could, producing a beautiful book and doing virtual events and anything else we could think of, but sales of that first book were nothing like those of the previous Demon Cycle novels. Indeed, the thing I heard most from readers was, “I didn’t know you had a new series,” and those words cut deep.
But I pressed on, writing The Hidden Queen, a book I love even more than The Desert Prince. My editors and early readers agreed. The books were good. I just needed to get the word out. So I resolved to do everything in my power to right the ship and get the series back on course. There’s a limit to what authors can do to move that needle, but touring is one of the few that is shown to work… sometimes. Still, I wanted to talk with readers about these books IRL at last, so I promised myself I would say yes to every appearance humanly possible to promote The Hidden Queen in 2024.
But there was another motivation, another truth, beneath that intersection of art and commerce. After spending over a decade building a relationship with my readers here on this blog and in the wider world of social media and public appearances, I felt that connection fraying. Fading away.
Authors are often introverts, and talk of how draining public appearances can be on the social battery. That is absolutely true in my case. But public appearances can also be refreshing and validating. A chance to remind authors that there are real people on the other side of the Big Piles of Words we like to build in privacy. People we care about. People who care about us, or at least the fictional characters and worlds we create.
Appearances also give us chances to spend time with other authors, the only people to truly Get It when we want to talk about what weird fucking jobs we have. We talk about writing, sure, but also what it’s like to effectively run a small business, with our own creativity as the product. We give each other promotion and marketing tips. Gossip about what publishers are really like to work with. Support each other.
Authors live in our feels. We kind of have to, in order to channel them all onto the page. Many of us are neurodiverse, or anxious, or processing things we’re not ready to talk about openly. It’s nice when we find each other, and have a reminder that it’s not just us living with all the ups and downs and changing vibes of the characters we write. Sometimes you need someone to hold your hand, and sometimes you just need them to nod and make you feel Seen. I’m incredibly lucky to have author friends like that in my life, and to have gotten the chance to see some of them again on this tour and put our heads together for the first time in years. I’ve also made some new author friends for the first time in years, and it is glorious.
I left New York for twelve days traveling carry-on only, but my pack fu was strong. First stop was Seattle for Emerald City Comiccion, where I got to spend time not just with authors, but much of the US publishing team, as well as booksellers I had not seen in years. There were old friends and new, and started the tour on an incredibly joyful and renewing note. Had real author quality time with Terry Brooks, Robin Hobb, Kat Ogden, Shanna Germain, Katherine Arden, Shawn Speakman, Madeline Roux, Django Wexler, Danielle Jensen, and first met the wonderful Saara El-Arifi in addition to countless other meaningful interactions.
Del Rey gave out free copies of The Desert Prince at my booth signings. It’s one of my favorite marketing schemes. At certain times each day, they give out free paperbacks of the first book in a series, with the author on hand to sign them. It’s a great way for fans to find authors at events, and a wonderful way to find new readers. If a real fan comes up with books of their own to sign, I always give them a free one anyway and ask that they give it to someone they think might enjoy it.
The next year, some of those new readers come back with a stack of books for you to sign, and a friend who would like a free book. That is the Best Feeling. Either way, you feel like a rockstar, because people are always happy to line up for free books.
After that I was more or less on Pacific time as I flew to San Diego for my first solo appearance in perhaps 7 years. It was at the Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore, the first US bookseller to offer baby author me support, way back in 2009 when The Warded Man was first publishing. The manager Patrick sent me a case of books to sign and ship back so they could have autographed copies on hand for launch. It was a show of support at a time I really needed it. I have done many events at Mysterious Galaxy in the years since, and it felt like a safe space to try solo public speaking again for the first time in at 7 years.
Hoo boy, was I nervous! It’s different when you’re at a con on a panel with a group of other authors. I’d argue it’s less pressure, because a lot of it is just listening as other authors talk, and the con has a built in audience to some extent, so you don’t feel like it’s all on you to fill the room, and gives you an opportunity to win over readers who might not have heard of you.
But this next event was all on me. Would anyone show up? Would they have a good time? Would they walk away not just having bought a book, but feeling energized to tell their friends that Peter Brett is a nice guy and his books are pretty good? Would I remember all my writing anecdotes from countless other tours well enough to deliver them on command and land the punchlines?
One time, when I was a kid, I was supposed to have a big birthday party in my basement with all my friends. I was wearing a suit. But there was a blizzard, and no one showed up. I remember the slow realization that it was happening, and I have been running from that feeling ever since, even as I dance around the room with it.
People showed up! Some new faces, but also readers I knew well. People I’ve interacted with in person and online for years as we’ve all changed and grown. People I didn’t realize I’d been missing terribly.
Still my nerves were all over the place, right up until that huge surge of adrenaline that comes before I walk out in front of a crowd. Suddenly I can just live in the moment, looking readers in the eyes and asking what THEY want to talk about. Being genuine in my interest and answers. All the funny anecdotes, bits of wisdom and craft techniques (and their accompanying jokes, honed over years on the road) came right back to me. I used to have a pretty tight ten to open events with, but it was out of practice. Still, even when I stumbled, it didn’t matter, because no one comes out to an author event hoping the author will fail. I could feel the crowd’s support, and it made everything easier.
The signing after the talk is just as important. It’s when every attendee gets a bit of face time, and the energy exchange is mutual. Readers tell their own stories describing their relationship with my work. Sometimes they give me fan art, or come in Demon Cycle cosplay. Others show off tattoos, or children (some now half grown) named after my characters. Some just say “thanks, loved the books.” Others want selfies. With me, of all people! I was such a loser in High School.
What the actual fuck, y’all? Is this real life? It’s so humbling hearing how all those feels I poured into my books over the years touched people’s lives. I may be an introvert most of the time, but it’s easy to stay engaged, because each and every reader sincerely moves me. I do my best to make sure everyone feels Seen, even the shy ones who need an extra invitation to look up and chat a bit while I scrawl my name in their books. When people gave me gifts, I made sure to have gifts like Shirepost Mint Warded Klats and Badali Warded Demon Cycle Jewelry to give in return.
I left San Diego the next day for Dallas, Texas driving out to the Southlake Town Square Barnes & Noble for an event. Del Rey had never sent an author to that B&N before, so we didn’t know what to expect. The nerves were back!
Southlake Town Square turned out to be fucking fabulous. It’s this town-sized shopping center with dozens of stores and restaurants, its own streets, plazas, and parks, not to mention its own Hilton Hotel. Damn, Texas! Y’all weren’t kidding about that everything’s bigger business. The bookstore was huge!
But would anyone come? Eeeek. I was dying. I decided to sneak into the bookstore early and just shop around a bit, get a sense of the place and if anyone was coming. Then I heard cheering from across the street, and looked up to see a table of people waving at me from their ouside restaurant seating. I went over, and they said they were just meeting for dinner before the event, and I started to unclench. Then I went inside, meaning to snoop, but was immediately recognized by readers lingering around before the event. The booksellers found me and took me to see the event space, and there were already people waiting. I started talking to them as the others in the store drifted in, informally starting the event like 45 minutes early.
Still, we were all still buzzing by the regular start time, and the hour flew by. At the signing people came up with tattoos, cookies, and stories of driving long hours to get to the event.
Even more, a few random people who had just been browsing the store when I began my talk wandered in close to listen, and bought whole sets of books. The new trade paperback editions of the Demon Cycle have all just come out, and the set is gorgeous. In addition to a genuinely lovely evening, we moved some paper, and then I walked literally across the street to one of the best TexMex restaurants I have ever been to. Such a win. Check with the store if you’re in the southwest and are interested in signed books.
Next day I was back in the airport, and starting to feel it. Packing and unpacking every day, checking in and out of hotels, stressing over car service apps and security/boarding at the airport, then the adrenaline high and subsequent crash of events, not to mention crossing multiple time zones starts to get to you. I flew to Atlanta for the next event in the suburb of Decatur, and discovered my adorable sexy botique hotel was a landmark building, famous for having the longest running strip club in Atlanta in on the lowest level. The club has a long and storied history including endless celebrity visits.
As you know, I am a great lover of history, and resolved I should at least stick my head in, after my event. The talk was at EagleEye Books in Decatur, a smaller store in a smaller shopping center. I would have had the usual nerves, but I was starting to get too tired to be anxious. (A mixed blessing on book tour.)
The crowd was smaller that night, but there were friends waiting among them, and everyone seemed to be a dedicated reader of my books. One drove 7 hours from Kentucky to attend! Others had driven 4+ hours for the event. Each way! It was a more intimate night, but the energy was still amazing. Eagle Eye has signed books in stock!
Back to the airport the next day to fly to DC for AwesomeCon, feeling dehydrated and exhausted, but that was just a travel day. Once I got to the hotel I was able to go buy some salads and other supplies and had a solid 18 hours of quiet time to rest and recharge.
Lots of amazing readers and author friends were at AwesomeCon . I was able to spend some quality time with R.R. Virdi and Aparna Verma, going to see Dune 2 and getting up to signing antics at a nearby B&N, in addition to the usual panels and post-panel signings.
Loyalty Bookstore sponsored the signing events, and should still have some of my signed books in stock if you ping them and ask.
Then ~3 hours on the train back to NYC, and another 45 minutes on subway, and I had 46 hours at home. Just enough time to unpack, launder, repack, see my trainer once, and remind my family I still love them before I was back at the airport on my way to Scotland to kick off my UK Tour.
The Hidden Queen officially launched on the 14th, but I took a red-eye on the 12th to arrive in Glasgow on the morning of the 13th, running on ~4 hours of mediocre plane sleep and determined to stay away through an evening event at a favorite stop of mine, Waterstones Sauchiehall St.
Due to a trick of Daylight Savings Time, there were only 4 hours time difference between NY and the UK, and I needed all the help I could get.
I had a few hours to spare that day, and confidence was high. I mapped the local bookstores and used them as an excuse to walk around town, stealth-signing books. The big Waterstones is a historic building, and the booksellers there have always been incredibly supportive.
For some reason, my books do better in the UK than in the US by a pretty wide margin. I have theories as to why, but it’s all just guesswork. Regardless, the crowd was larger than US events, a trend that continued throughout the tour, driving off that blizzard birthday feeling. Anyway, what a great night. I even went to sleep by midnight and took a pill to make sure I stayed that way.
I had time the next morning in Glasgow for a full Scottish breakfast, which was slightly different from the full English breakfast I adore. They gave me haggis in place of the blood pudding, which is a plus in my book, but left out the beans! Plus removed.
Then it was off to Edinburgh, with several stops along the way to meet booksellers and sign stock, leaving a trail of signed books like the Johnny Appleseed of fantasy.
Forbidden Planet Edinburgh said I was the fastest signer they had ever seen. Toppings staff were delightful, and they let me pose on a rolling ladder like Belle from Beauty & the Beast.
We stayed in by far the fanciest hotel of the tour, and the event that night had close to 50 people. The Blackwells in Edinburgh is such a beautiful store, and Matthew was an amazing host. They had couches up front for readers to lounge while I gave my talk.
I had a lovely conversation with the attendees, answering questions and telling stories, and then had the fun idea to take a timelapse of the signing and make a reel / tiktok of it. Watching it is 22 seconds well spent, I think.
The next morning, we drove ~3 hours to Waterstones Newcastle, where a tidy queue had formed for a lunchtime signing. That filled a solid hour, once again with a mix of familiar readers who feel like extended family, as well as readers I was able to meet for the first time.
Then we did some more stock signings, and drove another 2 hours to Leeds, where I had 90 minutes at the hotel to take a shower, shave, put on clean clothes, and slap myself awake. Jet lag always hits hard on day 3.
But Waterstones Leeds! Y’all were fantastic! We had a huge crowd with beloved friends, and amazing cosplay. And I didn’t have to handle the talk solo, as I had the pleasure of being interviewed by the amazing author Charlotte Bond also known for the Breaking the Glass Slipper Podcast.
Charlotte really did her homework before the interview, reading all the books, asking if there were any topics in particular I wanted to discuss (there were), and writing amazing questions. She even sent most of them in advance! Shockingly professional and a delight to talk to, as was the crowd during Q&A.
After dinner with friends, I had a hard time sleeping in Leeds. Some of it was jetlag and adrenaline waves finally catching up to me, and some of it was that Leeds is a bit of a party town, and goes from social drinker to sloppy drunk in the 2-4am range on a Friday night.
I was plum knackered by the time we checked out the next morning for the 4+ hour drive out to Great Yarmouth for SF Weekender.
I’d barely had time to stretch my legs and use the loo before I found myself on stage, being asked smart questions about gender and neurodiversity in my books by Dr. Tim Rideout, another devastatingly well-prepared interviewer who challenged me to be my best and I love him for it. It didn’t hurt my confidence that I saw a pair of Damaji’ting cosplayers in the front row. <3
More chances to meet longtime readers and entice new ones, plus I got to spill a whole kettle of hot tea with the amazing and delightfully rotten Sarah Pinborough. For once, I could curse like a New Yorker with another author while we compared all the notes before she went on a live “Just a minute” panel to the joy of a packed room full of cosplayers.
Overnight accomodations in the caravan park were comfortable enough, but again, the jet lag was real, and I was starting to feel sick from the daily adrenaline waves. I remembered the feeling and knew it for what it was, but it still had me walking around in a bit of a daze.
Another ~4 hour drive back to London, slam into St. Patrick’s Day parade traffic. I ended up getting out and walking the last blocks to the hotel. Alas, they didn’t have a room ready for me to freshen before my 2pm event, so I had to make do with the lobby restroom, then tried to be constructive, hitting Waterstones Piccadilly and Hatchards for solo stealth signing before going to Forbidden Planet. I had to wade through thick crowds of green-clad revelers, and skip across gaps in the parade to get to the stores and back, by which time I was late and ended up having to hustle a bit to get to FP in time. Showed up dazed and sweaty, breathing hard and exhausted. My author bestie Katherine Arden, fresh off a tour of her own, found me there, and she could at least say she Got It, which I needed to hear.
But the adrenaline high is real, and Forbidden Planet signings are always a glorious shitshow. There were 65 people queued up, many with huge piles of books, and there was nothing for it but to dive in. The timelapse of this one is bonkers, the manic energy captured so amazingly by Johnathan Hill’s Demon Cycle inspired violin masterpiece, Odyssey.
Forbidden Planet was amazing, but the adrenaline crash afterward was brutal. Thankfully Katherine, my agent Joshua, and my old college friend and webmaster David were on hand to shuttle me off someplace where I could stare into space while they put food and coffee in front of me.
This statue of the moon goddess Selene protected the front of my hotel like a ward circle. The drunken St. Patty’s sidewalk revelers stopped abruptly a block away. Coincedence? I think not.
Of course then it was back to work, stealth signing at Foyle’s with Katherine and then finally checking into my hotel, changing and going right out to dinner with a diverse assortment of London friends who turned into an amazing social stew.
After that I hid in the hotel, exhausted but not tired. I just couldn’t people anymore. I took a blazingly hot shower and then dumped out all the bags I had been living out of for a week, reorganizing everything, and my mind along with it.
The next morning started with my final and most epic timelapse, a private signing at Goldsboro Books. At writing, there were still some embossed, signed and numbered copies available. I autographed a mountain of 350 books in just under 40 minutes. I know I keep hyping these timelapse videos, but this one is metal af.
After that my publicist and I snuck off to do stealth signing at Waterstones Trafalgar Sq. and Waterstones Covent Garden. From there we went to a lovely luncheon with the HarperCollins team, which I always love, then had a ~2 hour drive to another absolutely wonderful event at Waterstones Canterbury. I had passed tired, and lived permanently in a place beyond it now.
Next was Forbidden Planet Southhampton, followed by another proper british queue ready for my lunchtime event at Waterstones South Quay, which was filled with emotion and amazing readers.
Only one more to go.
But this one, I wasn’t worried about. It didn’t matter that I was tired. I was ending the tour in conversation with my good friend Joe Abercrombie, who I haven’t seen in far too long.
Joe is quick of wit and always goes for the laugh, and that was exactly the energy I wanted to close out on. Joe and I had a half hour to catch up privately in Waterstone Yeovil’s back room before coming out and mostly just shooting the shit in front of a crowd. Joe had some smart questions prepared, as did the crowd.
Sometimes the discussion got serious, but we always threaded in punchlines, and by the end, my face had that achy feeling you get sometimes when you’ve been laughing all night.
There were even treats! author E.L. Armstrong baked warded caramel shortbread cakes to share and they were amazing.
Damn, UK. You still know how to show this silver-haired American dad a wild rippin’ time. I’ll miss you until next time. <3
I get six weeks off, but the tour isn’t over! Flying to Zagreb, Croatia for SFErakon in May, followed soon after by Phoenix Fan Fusion.
I’ll be at Pyrkon in Poland in June, and then Rose City ComicCon in September. GameHoleCon in October and then back to Poland in December for the Warsaw Fantasy Fair. Somewhere in there I am supposed to go to France and Germany, too. News on that when I have it.
In the meantime, please enjoy the new book. It’s very dear to me, and I hope it will be to you, too. Thanks for coming along on my great adventure.
