Open me for more about the Shooting Stars cover reveal, ways to get a FREE audiobook, and how to make a human difference in a growing AI publishing landscape! ✨
Greetings Gentle Reader from the Land of Whimsical!
This newsletter is packed full of excitement, including but not limited to THE COVER REVEAL FOR SHOOTING STARS! 🥳🤩💖 It’s always such a fun newsletter when we get to hype up our founder, and the woman who’s been working tirelessly behind the scenes to make this whole operation! And you’ll be able to MEET Micheline and get your books signed at the Nelson Market from July 24-25th!
And keep reading to more about how to listen to Kaitlyn Carter Brown’s Trickster in the Palace & Other Tales audiobook for FREE!
THE MOMENT YOU’VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR…
Drumroll, please!
🥁🥁🥁🥁
After five long years…
…the Shooting Stars cover reveal is here!! 🥳🤩
SHOOTING STARS IS FINALLY HERE!! After many long years, Micheline Ryckman’s conclusion to her Nine Realms duology has made it to completion! 🥹
With cover character art by Ireen Chau, and background art by Megan McCullough, we CANNOT STOP staring! And look at Talia and Jarrett! Don’t they look so unbelievably cute?! And a show-stopping cover isn’t all we’ve got for you… The exclusive edition will include:
- dust jacket art,
- hardcover art (by Micheline Ryckman),
- sprayed edges,
- interior illustrations (by Micheline Ryckman),
- and a bonus chapter!
- Not only that, but it will have stunning preorder incentive gifts!
Here’s what this sweet portal fantasy adventure is all about:
A girl thrown between worlds. A prophecy untold. An unexpected romance. A quest for home.
Stargazer and artist Talia Benson never wanted an adventure. The titles of student, dutiful daughter, and crazy cat lady suited her just fine. But when she’s swept into an unknown world where sentient animals exist, monsters roam, and angelic beings sway fate, she’s forced to adjust to adventuring as she embarks on a quest to return to her quiet Canadian life.
Jarrett is the best runner in the Nine Realms. Well, maybe not the best––still, he’s proud of the reputation he’s built for himself. But with only a squirrel for company during his extensive travels, his social skills have grown rusty. At least, that’s what he tells himself when he impulsively delays an important mission to help a strange, vibrant girl find her way home.
Unbeknownst to most, turmoil brews in the otherworldly Nine Realms. The guardians have seen a shift in the heavens. Something has changed, a prophecy unleashed. A darkness is coming, throwing Talia, the runner she’s failing to suppress her feelings for, and their growing band of fantastical friends into the center of an oncoming war.
And not JUST for Shooting Stars! For the first time, we’re also including the first book in series, Charting Stars, in the fun!
Look at their coordinating sprayed edges! My heart! 🥺💖✨
If you want to get a set and also have the exclusive edition of Charting Stars, you better hurry! There are only THIRTY (30) available! Once they’re gone, they’re gone.
PREORDER YOUR COPIES HERE!
All preorders of Shooting Stars and Charting Stars will also include their own preorder incentive gifts!
Shooting Stars will have:
- 2 character art postcards,
- 1 character art sticker,
- a bookmark AND
- 1 bonus surprise gift!
- The preorders of the exclusive sprayed edge edition of Charting Stars will also come with a character art postcard and 1 bonus surprise gift!
- AND they’ll all be signed right in the book by the author!
All the art on the preorder incentives was done by our beloved Micheline Ryckman, the author! 🥰🥰
Every release, our team always seems to outdo themselves! Highly recommend getting your copies to add to your shelf and stare at with heart eyes ASAP! These won’t be here forever! 🫣
PREORDER YOUR COPIES HERE!
Come visit us at the Nelson Farmers’ Markets!
For a chance to save more with our in-person book sale rates, AND meet the Whimsical team, come see is in two weeks – we’ll be boothing THIS WEEK on July 24th and 25th at the Nelson Farmer’s Market! Not only will we have special promos and at the markets but you will also be able to meet our resident artist and founder Micheline Ryckman and get your books signed!!
And… there’s more! At this market we will also have limited pre-release copies of E.P. Stavs’ “The Crafting Con” in paperback available for purchase! 💖😉
We can’t wait to see you all! 🥳🥰
Shipping Update
Now for the disappointing news; unfortunately, due to the nature of recent country relations, the cost of shipping has rocketed up. We have been trying our best to keep them low and reasonable, but in the last couple of months we have had to work toward new rates to help cover the costs of shipping and handling. These new rates will be reflected in all future orders from Whimsical Publishing, as of July 9th, 2026.
You Can Still Listen To Trickster in the Palace & Other Tales For Free!
The hype for Trickster in the Palace & Other Tales never dies!
Get the ARC of the Trickster audiobook on NetGalley, today!
Are you interested in listen to the audiobook of this delighftul collection FOR FREE? It’s currently still available on NetGalley! You get a free, book and we get a review! 😎 It helps out our small family-owned publisher continue to support all of these amazing author’s’ stories! Thank you so much to all of our ARC readers!
Go apply for your ARC copy and enjoy the fabulously narrated adventures of our Instanolde favourites from Kaitlyn Carter Brown and Erik Homme!
How to Make a Human Difference In a Growing AI Publishing Landscape
If you don’t know the story of our publisher, let me give you a little refresher. We were started by Micheline Ryckman, who before becoming an author, was an artist. She grew the original Whimsical platform off of her amazing bookish illustrations and has worked with authors you’d recognize (such as Stephanie Garber). When she decided to move into creating her own publishing house, having beautiful art front and centre was a huge priority! Take a look at any of our book covers (or our goodie loaded pre-order campaigns) to see that mission loud n’ clear!
Now, especially with the rise of AI, our publisher has been dedicated to keeping all of our art (and stories!) exclusively human. That’s what set us apart as a publisher in the first place.
As readers you’ve probably been scrolling on social media and seen people discussing AI in the publishing industry. Some are saying that it’s “inevitable” and that publishers should hurry up and embrace it before they fall behind. But it’s not readers who are setting this fear mongering narrative.
A lot of readers are upset when these announcements are made and have been openly wondering if there’s anything to be done: And we’re here to say there is!
*YOU* are the ones who run the publishing industry. Sure, you’re not a CEO, but you’re the consumer. All of these decisions are driven toward what they believe will bring in the most profit. Unfortunately, humanity and morality are not often a factor. Even with humanity aside, we fully believe AI won’t make the best stories.
As the consumer, don’t let people think you have no power! Voicing your frustrations and talking with your wallet helps show companies what you prioritize.
Some ideas:
- Promoting and explicitly highlighting human-made books on your platform (Publishers pay attention to booktok and bookstagram!)
- Messaging publishing houses with your thoughts as a reader (remember to always be kind and respectful!)
- Not watching a new AI-generated movie adaptation or other AI-generated media
- Not buying AI-generated books (money talks!)
- Following and supporting human artists in the bookish community
It sometimes can feel hopeless out there, but the book community is one that’s always brought people together over a shared love of the human experience put into word. It will take a lot to take that from us.
Read More on Our Substack
All About Our Upcoming Releases
Don’t forget! The Crafting Con is still available for preorder! This book is unlike anything Whimsical has ever put out before. It’s our first contemporary romance and it takes a take on nerd culture that is so much fun for anyone who loves anything books, cosplay, and cons!
It’s going to come with super cute preorder incentives (and this GORGEOUS exclusive edition we’re all drooling over) anddd two surprise bonus gifts! You won’t know unless you order before release!
What book details and preorder incentives, you may ask? Well! Here’s what this gorgeous book is going to have:
- Shimmery sprayed edges
- Hardcover art
- Exterior AND interior dust jacket art
- End page artwork
- Interior illustrations
- A bonus chapter
- Character art postcard
- Character art bookmark
- “The Geek Life” sticker
- Signed bookplate from the author, AND
- 2 surprise bonus gifts
Whew… isn’t that awesome!? 💕💕 We are super excited for you to read this book, and we know you’re gonna love it!
Not convinced? Well, check it out it’s 5 start average rating from the reviews on NetGalley, or check out our endorsement reviewers’ thoughts below:
“The Crafting Con is a delightfully swoony second-chance YA romance and love letter to all things fandom and cosplay! I adored this book from the very first chapter, and found myself connecting with Ava and her stubborn determination to fight for the people in her life that mattered to her and were still there. I loved this!”
~ Kat Kinney, author of “Light My Pyre”“Where do I even begin? The way I love this book… love isn’t even the right word. The characters grabbed me, heart and soul, from the start. From the first page I was utterly invested, staying up late to finish– and I could already read it again! I absolutely need this book on my shelf! E.P. Stavs has a natural talent when it comes to writing; her voice, and that of her characters, soars. The Crafting Con is a geeky gem, and I can’t wait for people to fall for the characters the way I have!”
~ Shelby Elizabeth, author of “Don’t Hate the Player”
Perhaps that will convince you? 😉😉
Preorder “The Crafting Con” here!
Don’t forget all of this fun!
Wrapping up our time together in this newsletter, here are some important dates for you to remember!
- July 24th – 25th: Whimsical will be at the Nelson, BC Farmers’ Markets
- August 3rd at 10:00 AM. PDT: Meet the new author, K.T. Bird live chat on Whimsical’s Instagram
- August 18th: New Whimsical Title Reveal
- August 25th: Trickster in the Palace & Other Tales audiobook release date
As always, thank you all so much for supporting our journey thus far. We’re a small team and we appreciate and see all your comments, messages, and orders. As a family run press, it means the world!
Until next time,
Whimsical Publishing 🩷🦩
