Amanda Hocking

Okay. Here’s the deal. I’ve been waiting to break the news to you guys until I had everything squared away, and you might be upset at first, but honest, this is really good news.

Here’s the bad part: I’m not going to be releasing Lost Without You. I’ll explain more about that in a minute.

Because the really good news is that I’m going to be releasing Virtue in it’s place, and Virtue is about a million times better than Lost Without You. I wanted to be sure that Virtue would be ready for release this month before I announced it, and it will be out by Memorial Day.

AND I updated the Upcoming Projects tab to include all the books I’m releasing in the next year (including the release dates for Hollowmen and Swear.)

The thing is – Lost Without You sucks. I wrote it like seven years ago, and I have a really strong emotional attachment to it for a a couple reasons. So I was blinded by how terrible it was until I was editing. When I started talking about publishing it, I didn’t realize how bad it was.

It really wasn’t until a couple weeks ago that I was going through it for the fifteenth time when I was like, “Wait. This is really quite bad. I can’t force this horrible mess on people.”

And I know. I shouldn’t announce projects until they’re absolutely ready to be published, because things can change. But it’s hard when people are like, “What’s next?” And I think, “Alright, what am I thinking of next? I don’t know. How about this book?” And then people start asking me questions and getting all excited about it.

The problem is that I keep forgetting that people actually want to read my books now and care about when they come out. I’m used to talking to myself and nobody giving a damn. It’s quite an adjustment.

But back to the good news (and trust me, this really is good news): Virtue will definitely be out by the end of the month. Eric claims its the best thing I’ve ever written and the most engaged he’s ever been in a story. So… that’s something. Also, I got to work a unicorn into the storyline, which is something I’ve wanted to do since the day I was born.

So, you’re asking yourself, what is this Virtue you speak of?

Well, here’s the basic idea: I wanted to write a fairy tale. Also, I wanted to write a book that if it had a film adaptation, it would require the work of the Jim Henson Company. But it’s a fantasy with romance and action and good vs. evil and a unicorn.

Here’s all the info:

Virtue

In a world filled with magic, love might be the final answer in the eternal battle between good and evil. When Lux is tasked with retrieving the virtuous Lily for his master, his entire world is put in danger. Lux must battle goblins, demon dogs, and sea dragons to rescue the one he loves, and that’s only the beginning… 

Virtue is a fairy tale for young adults with action, suspense, and romance. It contains mild language and some suggestive dialogue. Recommended ages 14 and up.

Click here to read an excerpt
Click here to listen to the soundtrack