Musings & more….
Here is the reminder I promised! My annual birthday giveaways go live over on my Facebook page, starting at 2 pm PDT on October 11, 2022 (aka tomorrow). As always, these are flash giveaways and therefore only open for an hour. I have four scheduled, 2 pm, 3 pm, 4 pm, and 5 pm all PDT (Pacific Daylight Saving). Please check your time zones!
It’s going to be fun!!
[A explanatory note from MCD]: I’m trying to step back from social media (etc) for the next two to three months so I can focus on writing, specifically writing Endings and Empathy (Amplifier 6), which will be my next release. I’ve put together a bit of a ‘cheat sheet’ – if a cheat sheet involved a bunch of links – so if anyone seeking a quick answer pops over here, hopefully, they can find it below and not wait on a direct answer from me, which might be delayed in coming.
CURRENT RELEASES
Instincts and Impostors (Amplifier 5), eBook and paperback – AUDIOBOOK NOW AVAILABLE
Recon Mission: Bee (Amplifier 5.5) aka Samantha’s novella, eBook and bundled with A5 paperback – AUDIOBOOK NOW AVAILABLE
UPCOMING RELEASES
Archivist 0 (narrator: Amber Lee Connors): late January 2023
Archivist 1 (narrator: Amber Lee Connors): late February 2023
Archivist 2 (narrator: Amber Lee Connors): late March 2023
CURRENTLY WRITING
Endings and Empathy (Amplifier 6) – first draft
(TENTATIVE) 2023 RELEASE SCHEDULE
(no preorders available yet)
Endings and Empathy (Amplifier 6) – March 2023
untitled (Archivist 3) – June/July 2023
CURRENTLY IN THE STORE
Amplifier Series limited edition postcard/bookplates sets (USA and Canada)
UPCOMING THINGS OF INTEREST
(more info to follow when it comes available)
A Tenth Anniversary Kickstarter for Dowser 1! The campaign will go live in the second week of January 2023 for a limited edition hardcover, paperback, and eBook, plus a brand new Dowser Series short featuring Jade, Kandy, and Kett. The actual anniversary is at the end of June 2023 but it will likely take longer for the hardcovers to be printed, etc. Lots of stretch goals, including all new Dowser series audiobooks. (yes! Finally!)
Also! The entire Dowser series is being rebranded to help celebrate the Tenth Anniversary. Those new covers will be available in June 2023 as well
Spill the Tea 2023: join Hailey Edwards and Meghan Ciana Doidge for afternoon tea in Vancouver BC, Canada on Saturday, May 27, 2023! FUN! FUN! Tickets now available! Click here for more info.
ALL LINKS OF INTEREST IN ONE PLACE
Freebies and Extras (including download and character illustrations/bios).
Adept Universe Reading Order (including full printable list). This info can also be found in the front and back of every book.
F.A.Q
(autumn 2022 edition)
Are there going to be any more Dowser Series books? The Dowser series is the entry point to the Adept Universe, which now contains over 40+ stories. I encourage you to read beyond Jade’s books, you might find other stories you like just as much. The Dowser series itself is comprised of three trilogies, ending with book 9. I have no plans to write a fourth trilogy, but there is a short/novelette/novella coming to help celebrate the Tenth Anniversary of the release of Cupcakes, Trinkets, and Other Deadly Magic (see above). The anniversary is in June 2023 and the Kickstarter will be in January 2023.
Do you have any burning questions? Post them below and I’ll add them to the FAQ because I honestly can’t think of anything else I need to answer!
WHERE ELSE TO FIND/CONTACT MCD
I updated my desktop image yesterday (so that all I see is the Amplifier Series while doing anything on my laptop)(because I’m currently SUPPOSED to be writing book six and ONLY writing book six 😂). And I thought you might be interested in seeing it, hence this post!
Me: what has happened to the A on my keyboard? I just bought it!
Also me: *double checking when said purchase was actually made* Oh … well … I mean, Jan 2021 really isn’t that long ago.
Me again: Hmm, I have been exclusively writing two series THAT ENTIRE TIME with an Amplifier and an Archivist. That MIGHT have something to do with it …
😂
A quick thank you for the fantastic release day for Recon Mission: Bee (Amplifier 5.5). Most of you seem to be enjoying the glimpse into the world of the Amplifier through a different perspective.
It’s been a crazy thirty days for me – with two releases (the first was Instincts and Impostors) and a big marketing push on the Amplifier Series, specifically the freebie run for The Amplifier Protocol (offer ends Oct 15).
October is my birth month – yes, as always, there will be ‘flash’ book giveaways over on Facebook on October 11, usually starting at 1 pm. I’ll try to post a reminder here – and also Thanksgiving (yum!!). So … generally my fav month of the year! I’m going to be pulling back from a lot of the ‘extras’ I’ve been doing throughout 2022 for the next two to three months so I can finish up the Amplifier series with the focused attention it deserves. But I will try to blog, as these posts generally reach the most readers (I believe).
A quick reminder that I try to keep my To Be Released list as updated as possible (I’ll update it now) and I also mention what I’m working on in my (somewhat irregular) newsletter (subscribe here).
Thank you so much for your continuing support!!
Now I need a hot chocolate and to dig back into the first draft of Endings and Empathy (Amplifier 6)!!
At the beginning of September 2022, I rolled over my three-year anniversary of having drug (and therapy) resistant chronic migraine. The ‘and therapy’ addition is my own, the diagnosis is via my headache specialist and took over two and a half years to get – because that was how long it took me to go through every therapy and drug currently avail in Canada (there is another new drug pending approval, and I’m on a waitlist for it).
Yes, I’m in constant, unrelenting daily pain. Some days I’m quite functional and the pain is at a low simmer. Some days I’m lucky if I can string two sentences together (literally, in conversation, and on the page). Those two extremes are rare. Usually, I fall somewhere in the middle, aka functional for a few hours scattered throughout my day.
One of the most difficult struggles I’ve had with chronic pain is the inability to maintain a schedule. And even when I try to arrange my days, or even get a few days to flow in a row, it feels like the smallest addition/complication can throw me off.
Take today for example. My pain is present, closer to distracting than a low simmer, but I’ve worked through worse many times before. I have a massive to-do list which is almost entirely my own fault – I decided to release two books with only thirty days in between and somehow convinced myself that I could also write the next book (Amplifier 6), run a large scale promo on another book (Amplifier 0), and overhaul my ‘store’ at the same time. In the background, I’m also budgeting/arranging my upcoming Author Tea with Hailey Edwards (May 27, 2023 in Vancouver, BC), brainstorming/budgeting for a Tenth Anniversary Kickstarter for Dowser 1 (Feb 2023 for the Kickstarter, June 2023 for the anniversary), and getting the audiobooks for Archivist series going. Also, I’ve been asked to send in proof of my Medical expenses for 2021 to Revenue Canada. Add in (attempting to get) daily exercise and a daily walk with Molly (approx 2 hours of each day).
And I was doing okay with all of it, prioritizing.
Then yesterday Michael cranked his neck and went down for the day. I lost the writing but stepped up with the household stuff (though I forgot to let the chickens out of the coop until 11:30am, yikes) yet still managed to knock several items off my to-do list.
But today the gutter installers are here. Getting new gutters on the cabin before the rain sets in is going to be great! I will no longer get soaked coming and going from my office. But Molly Millions isn’t pleased. I’ve had to put her bark collar on her (which I hate almost as much as she does).
And now I’m way off – no story in my aching head, no motivation in my aching body, and utterly frustrated by my inability to get into, then maintain, a groove.
I used to be so resilient. Way, way back when (when I was still a screenwriter/indie filmmaker) I once had a (male) film/literary agent cite my ‘focus and drive’ as ‘not necessarily a good thing.’ And even then daily pain was almost a constant in my life (bursitis, tendonitis, and headaches).
Hence my realization today. Life is constantly chaotic – random injuries, taxes, gutter installers, barking/anxious dogs – but chronic pain makes those things much much more impactful than they are on a ‘regular’ life. At least, on the fairly ‘regular’ life I felt like I once led.
I know there is a lot of literature about ‘spoons’ and only having so many to allot to each day, but I can’t seem to rectify that concept with my own expectations, my own wants/needs/dreams.
Anyway, this was just a long post to say a short thing:
I see you. I know you. I am you.
Take care of yourself. And I will try to do the same.
Love and Light,
Meghan
A quick post to let you know that I’ve updated the Adept Universe ‘Official’ Merch page to include more logos and more ways to get your hands on merch, etc. Click the previous link and scroll to get all the info and links in one place, or keep reading for more background info.
For USA Readers, T-shirts are still available in the fitted premium style (my fav)(but the fit is SMALL), and I’ve also added a standard T-shirt and a tank top, plus a tote bag.
For UK readers, T-shirts are now available in standard and tank top.
For my fellow Canadians and other international readers, I have yet to find a single printing place that ships worldwide of a high enough quality to pass my personal inspection. So I’ve added download options for all the designs/logos. I’m charging $3CDN/per logo because, not including all the credit card fees, etc, that is approximately what I make when someone buys one of the T-shirts (etc). You can simply download the logo, save it to your computer, and then upload it to your own favourite printing place. I put some printing tips on each individual product page.
The download logo option is available to anyone who wants a logo to create their own – personal use only – merch, such as other styles of T-shirts or cellphone covers. Copyright Meghan Ciana Doidge 2022. This was the only way I could think of to keep everything equitable for my lovely readers.
For all of the above, I’ve also added three new designs based on three of the Amplifier Series oracle cards. The sunflower, apple blossom, and dandelion were the three logos selected by the reader-run Facebook fan group. All three look great but the Apple Blossom is my fav. The dandelion is definitely a subtle print.
CLICK HERE FOR THE T-SHIRTS AND OTHER DEADLY MERCH PAGE
And! I have also made a (very) few sets of Amplifier series postcards and bookplates available. These are very limited because I don’t have enough bookplates to do more right now. I’ve included shipping in the price. Please read all the shipping caveats, etc, on the bottom of the sales page.
Click here to purchase a postcard/bookplate set for shipping to CANADA or the USA.
Click here to purchase a postcard/bookplate set for INTERNATIONAL shipping.
Warning: If you purchase the wrong item, for example, the USA/CDN shipping and your address is in Australia, I will refund your order. I don’t have enough buffer in the price I’m charging to absorb the extra shipping cost and I don’t want to charge more because these things are meant to be fun, rather than money makers. Thanks for your attention in advance!
I hope you find these pretty things fun!!
If you’ve read Instincts and Impostors (Amplifier 5), you might have noticed (via the back matter) that I have a short novella (22k) releasing at the end of September – Recon Mission: Bee (Amplifier 5.5), narrated by Samantha/Zans! Yes! There is an excerpt from the first chapter in the back of Amplifier 5 Zans’s adventure runs concurrently to Emma’s newest challenge (so hopefully it answers some lingering questions!)
Releasing September 29, 2022
PREORDER NOW AVAILABLE
– AMAZON – KOBO – APPLE BOOKS – BARNES & NOBLE – SMASHWORDS –
Synopsis: Concerned that we hadn’t heard from her in over a year, Fish had dragged me all the way into the middle of Russia to follow up a lead on the whereabouts of our telepathic team member. Amanda, aka Bee. But what was supposed to be a simple reconnaissance mission — gathering intel so we could formulate a plan that might need to involve the rest of the team — went sideways within twenty-four hours.
Because even though the bonds that held we Five together in life were tied so tight that the death of one of us might mean the death of all … I was apparently the only one who took the responsibility that came with those ties seriously.
***
Recon Mission: Bee is a 22k novella in the Amplifier series, which is set in the same universe as the Dowser, Oracle, Reconstructionist, Archivist, and Misfits of the Adept Universe series.
Releasing September 29, 2022
PREORDER NOW
– AMAZON – KOBO – APPLE BOOKS – BARNES & NOBLE – SMASHWORDS –
MCD’s FYIs: The paperback will be combined with Amplifier 5. No preorder available. The audiobook is actually done (AND IT IS FANTASTIC!), but I might hold off releasing it until I’ve released the audiobook for Amplifier 5 in midOctober. Click here for the full reading order of the Adept Universe.
GIVEAWAY CLOSED. FORM LINK REMOVED. 75 WINNERS HAVE BEEN MAILED THEIR PRIZES!! THANKS FOR PLAYING ALONG!
Happy Release Day, Instincts and Impostors (Amplifier 5)!
[I was hoping that all the postcards and bookplates I took way too much time designing would show up before I needed to post this giveaway, but alas, they haven’t, so you will have to imagine what they look like based on the image below.]
This is a bit of a different release day giveaway. I like to keep things interesting, of course and always, but also shipping is so crazy expensive right now it makes sense to spread the giveaway expense out through multiple winners. And I think it will be fun!
If you want to win a random Amplifier Series postcard and an autographed bookplate* please fill out the Google Form link below. I will randomly send out postcards, etc, until I either run out of energy, stamps, or postcards. You won’t know if you’ve won until you get mail!
Caveats: addresses collected on the Google form will all be deleted once the giveaways have all been mailed out. Forms filled out improperly will be disregarded. Open internationally. Up to 75 winners will be selected randomly.
*Postcards will not be autographed (so they are usable). Bookplates are usually pasted/stuck into paperbacks in lieu of an autograph.
The Amplifier Series is set within the larger Adept Universe but can be read separately. The main series starts with Demons and DNA (Amplifier 1) but there are two prequels (bundled together) as well. Click here for the full/recommended reading order of the Adept Universe.
[UPDATED for the release of Endings and Empathy (Amplifier 6)].
For download:
Wallpapers: Emma and Paisley
Emma’s ginger snap recipe (also found in the Adept Universe Cookbook)
For fun:
Character sketches: Christopher, Emma, Aiden, Opal, and Paisley.
A list of Emma’s tea per book.
Take the Amplifier Series Quiz!
More info/expanded universe:
Full Reading Order of the Adept Universe (click the MASTER LIST if you want to see all the shorts, etc, included).
The Adept Universe Booklist (with printable reading order and graphics)(as of Sept 2022)
The timeline of the Adept Universe (as of Jan 2022)
How to stay informed:
How to subscribe to MCD’s blog – get an email every time I blog, approx once a week, occasionally more around new releases. Note the photos/screenshots are older (the blog looks slightly different) but the instructions still work.
How to subscribe to MCD’s newsletter, plus troubleshooting – get an email approx. once a month, occasionally more if I have something interesting to share, and occasionally less if I’m being lazy.
Follow MCD on social media – desktop: see the sidebar for links. Mobile: scroll down below blog posts for links.
Grab a download code for Idols and Enemies (Amplifier 4) and the Music Box (Amplifier 4.5) below!
Please read through the instructions if this is your first time participating in one of my mass audiobook giveaways. The USA codes tend to go quickly, but you can also grab a UK code (you just need to set up another account).
This is a first-come, first-win deal. The giveaway remains open until all the download codes have been claimed.
If you listen to books via Audible USA (or a country other than the UK, such as Canada), then claim one of the codes below, click the link, and paste the code into the box that appears. You might need to sign in to your account, or create an account if you are new to Audible.
Please comment below and let everyone know which code you took (by number and country).
Link: https://www.audible.com/acx-promo
Available codes:
If you listen to books via AUDIBLE UK (or a country other than the US), then claim one of the codes below, click the link, and paste the code into the box that appears. You might need to sign in to your account, or create an account if you are new to Audible.
Please comment below and let everyone know which code you took (by number and country).
Link: https://www.audible.co.uk/acx-promo
Available codes:
Thanks for playing along with me and helping celebrate the upcoming release of Instincts and Impostors (Amplifier 5)!
