Furthermore | January 2026
Gearing up for the release of my fourth book
Welcome to my first newsletter of 2026! I missed December and am late for January (it’s the 31st! It still counts as a January newsletter!) because I was on deadline, but I’m still holding out hope that one day these sorts of things won’t slip through the cracks when I’m on deadline. We’ll see. At the very least, it’s good to have goals.
My year has been off to a great start. I spent most of January at the Washington coast, where I turned in my next book, and I’ve been knee-deep in promo for The Sun and the Starmaker ever since. I always feel a bit chaotic in the lead up to release, and when a reader recently said to me that they’d see me on tour “in a few weeks,” it was like a jump scare. The time has gone by so quickly.
As I look toward the release of my fourth book, my main goal is to set myself up for a good tour. I haven’t had travel this demanding since before my injury, and while I’ve recovered from my concussion, I still have a constant headache that tends to get worse with changes to my schedule. I’m so excited to hit the road and meet readers (and I’ve been blown away by how many of you have already rsvp’d to see me!), and I’m doing everything I can over the next few weeks to keep myself healthy and energized.
An unexpected consequence of writing The Sun and the Starmaker with a brain injury is that I feel very calm about this release. It’s the exact book I want to put out in the world, and I gave it my absolute all. I couldn’t have made it any better unless I’d opted to wait until I was recovered to start writing again (but truthfully, I’m not sure it would be “better.” Just different.) I wrote the very best book I could, and I’m excited for it to find its readers.
I’m not sure I’ve ever been as proud of anything as I am of this book. It was so hard to write, and on most days, I didn’t think I’d ever be able to finish it, let alone get it in shape to publish. The fact that it’s going to be out in the world still feels a bit unbelievable to me, and I’m sure I’ll be crying lots of happy tears in the coming weeks. I already feel like Starmaker is a huge success because it exists—everything else is the big, beautiful cherry on top.
For Starmaker’s release, I’ve partnered with the Concussion Research Laboratory and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Sports Concussion Program for my preorder campaign. Every preorder will help fuel the discoveries that improve the lives of brain injury survivors across the globe, and we have just over three weeks left in this campaign.
It would mean the world to me if you’d preorder, share, and help me spread the word about this initiative—it’s deeply important to me, and the work that these organizations do quite literally gave me my life back. I was treated at UPMC, and I’m forever grateful every day that there are people who have dedicated their lives to the research and treatment of concussion.
I always assumed that I’d stop talking about my concussion once I recovered, but that doesn’t feel true to myself right now. I’ve heard from so many people who have seen my posts on Instagram and were inspired to seek out new doctors/treatment and are finally on the road to recovery. It’s difficult for me to put words to how fulfilling that is for me, how deeply it affects me each time someone reaches out. I talked with my doctor a few weeks back and he said that dozens of people have made appointments at UPMC after seeing my Instagram posts, and I’m realizing that sharing my experience is making a difference. It’s raising awareness. And I feel very strongly about continuing with that, for now at least. 💜
I’ll be using the next few weeks to get lots of writing done, lots of Starmaker promo made, and gearing up for the release of my fourth book. I can’t believe it’s almost here.
In Case You Missed It:
I’m going on tour! Tickets are going fast, so please get yours sooner rather than later if you’d like to attend one of my events. Some events require paid tickets (that include a book) while others just need an RSVP—all of the details can be found on each event page, included below! I’m so, SO excited to hit the road and talk about The Sun and the Starmaker. I hope you can join me!
*Just a note about the California event: the location has changed, and the event will now take place at the Folsom Barnes & Noble. Stephanie will still be there with me, and the event is still at 6pm. I’m sorry for any inconvenience this may cause, and I hope those of you who were planning on coming to Roseville will be able to make it to Folsom!
If you want a signed, personalized copy of Starmaker, February 10th is the final day to get your preorder in! I’ll be heading into Elliott Bay that week to sign all your books, so the 10th is a hard deadline. And just a reminder that if you do preorder through Elliott Bay, you’ll receive an exclusive art print as well as an enamel pin! And of course, a portion of all preorder proceeds will be donated to the Concussion Research Laboratory.
Please include how you’d like the book personalized in the order comments at checkout.
A Moment of Gratitude:
January has been calm, and I was able to spend most of the month at the coast, where I got a ton of writing and administrative tasks done. It’s so nice to have weeks at a time when I can work without distraction, and it’s also somewhat rare. I loved being able to start the year that way, and I’m grateful for all the inspiration and energy it gave me. I’ll definitely be carrying it with me into the busier months ahead!
That’s all for now, but I’ll be back on February 17th with a quick email celebrating Starmaker’s release.
As always, thank you so much for being here. 🤍
Love,
Rachel