August 2022 Newsletter
be a part of the giant
Want to be a part of making Obsidian Giant great? This is the section that will tell you how to do that each month.
Do you hear voices in your head as you read?
Are those voices ones that you can bring to life? This is the extension of an open call for anyone who thinks they’d be good at reading audiobooks! We have several submissions already; however, we wouldn’t be doing our due diligence if we didn’t see what all is out there. We also wouldn’t be giving all of you a chance to be a part of the Giant! We’re looking for multiple voices, both male and female. A voice that’s great for Brim might not be what’s needed for Darkehand, so please reach out, even if you think someone else may have applied!!!
The excerpts have been chosen and sent out to those who have already applied. Here’s how it will work:
1. Step one is to email us at marketing@obsidiangiant.com.
2. We’ll send you the excerpts.
3. You record yourself reading the excerpts.
4. You send them back to marketing@obsidiangiant.com (or I’ll set up a drop box if files get too large).
5. We review all the submissions and choose the best person for each.
6. You record the whole book and get paid. We’ll also be available as a reference for other publishers and authors you may want to work with. That last part is true even if you aren’t chosen for one of our current books!
what we’ve been up to:
Nobody puts Jay behind a table
OK, so I guess I shouldn’t misquote Dirty Dancing because Jennifer Gray had to cancel due to Covid exposure. That just means I can use it again in December when she comes, right?
Steel City Con was amazing, as usual. The highlight of the weekend had to be the multiple RETURNING CUSTOMERS! That’s every author’s dream, and Jay was reveling in it. Not only did we have people who had bought the books at previous conventions come back for sequels/other stories, we had people buy a book at the convention one day, then come back the next day when they couldn’t put it down and wanted the sequel!!
Jay standing on the chairs instead of sitting in them was pretty awesome. People kept thinking he was a statue and jumping when he moved. Nothing increases sales like an intimidating Godmer looming down upon people!
And now, without further ado, except for that ado, here are some pics from our SCC experience!
Emma and Jay at the table picture!!! (It just wouldn’t feel right without one)!
Sentient alien trees can read, right?
Who hasn’t wanted to hit a man over the head with a giant hammer from time to time?
Pretty sure this actually was the Jurassic Park guy, and the best way to stay incognito at con was to dress as the Jurassic Park guy…
We will absolutely pretend that Emma did not try to steal the female IT clown’s purse…
Guys, check out @Miss_Stone_fn_art on Instagram! She is rad, and her videos are on point. Pretty sure Jay and Emma want her to dress up as every character he writes.
I never noticed how much Emma likes to take pictures with men in hats… and now I have the “we can dance if we want to” song stuck in my head.
Not entirely sure who would win here…I know I wouldn’t want to be in the vicinity, though!
All three of them have magical abilities…
And…favorite convention interaction goes to…
Evie!! We had some amazing conversations with Evie at our table, and they happen to be one of those repeat customers we were talking about! In addition to that, Evie took so much time and effort to write the most amazing review Obsidian Giant has ever received. I can’t even begin to describe how amazing it was to see such a detailed analysis with all of the positives and negatives included, so I’m going to post parts of it below! Evie, we can’t wait to see you again and hear about how all of your creative endeavors are progressing!!!!!!!!
“When the details are explained I was literally stunned by how much of a movie the book began to feel now.”
“Another bit I enjoyed was the descriptions of the land and creatures, because it put me right there in the moment so much that I literally swore I could hear the Silvercats in the brush or the Nightbirds in the sky; the Horrators were terrifying and I love them.”
“…the detail of their battle made me feel as if I could truly feel the tremble of the tremors from their blows. It has been so long since I read a book with such engaging combat.”
“…was such a strong way to end the first book and I honestly felt satisfied with that, but then I remembered there is a second book and got it the next day; what can I say, you just cannot put a good book down until you finish it.”
“The prologue fills in the gap of what happened after book one like an episode recap and I can see this as a series on television, but I think it fits as a movie better with how packed it is, so being able to make a movie-esque book with a television-series feel altogether is not easy, but it fits so well.”
“I already heard book three is in the works and that it is more of a prequel to it all, but another book is still more and it counts. I will be as patient as it takes, but this author and those involved are getting added to my personal top ten list of book series I enjoy.”
what is coming up next?
Writing does seem like witchcraft sometimes
I mean, how does he get past chapter 1? Because of this, and because he writes books with some witchy business going on in them, we can’t wait to set up for the 2022 Bitchcraft Fair!
Save the date: Sunday, September 22nd (you may want to keep the previous day open as well, see below)!
This is one of my favorite conventions. Located in downtown Pittsburgh at the David L Lawrence Convention Center, it’s easy for most people to get to as well. There aren’t a ton of famous people or any rooms to play video games in, but this convention celebrates small businesses, women, alternative spiritualities, and all things outside of the box in a way that makes me all warm and fuzzy inside!
Need Halloween decorations? Why buy an overpriced plastic spider mass produced in a factory at Walmart, when you can come here and find handcrafted EVERYTHING!? Jay’s books are a hit with this crowd, especially Bloodsisters. Leah will have some jewelry hanging about as well. Tickets are only $12 in advance and $15 at the door. The food is good, the drinks are better (and themed!!!!), and there are activities such as tarot, palm reading, astrology charting, seminars, etc. What more could you ask for?
Two Days in a row!? you guys are crazy!
Hey, that’s two days that we can spread the word about OG and how awesome these books are. You know how I said to save Saturday, September 24th, too? This is why:
Do you like music?
Do you like festivals?
Do you like music festivals?
Do you know what’s even better than a music festival?
A music festival with books!!!!
I’m not sure how many books will be there, but ours will be! Obsidian Giant was invited by the organizers of the 2022 New Castle Music Festival to be a part of their Vendor Fair!
Honestly, I was excited as soon as I saw there was a band called The Book Club. As you can see from the poster, this isn’t just music. There will be a large vendor area where OG will be hanging out until about 7pm. The food trucks, music, and comedy go until 10pm! We’ll likely stick around and catch some of the acts after the vendor area closes. Unfortunately, Jay won’t be there for most of it because he must keep his regular job until the world realizes how incredible his books are. I think we can talk him into coming after work to autograph any purchases made throughout the day, though!
So just to recap, your calendars should say:
9/24: Music Festival, Cascade Park, New Castle, PA, noon-10pm
AND
9/25: Bitchcraft, David L Lawrence Convention Center, Pittsburgh, PA, noon – 6pm