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Books and Art Collide!
It's a good time to be a reader!
Ariel Barbera
January 22, 2026
Jumping into the new year with two newsletter updates this month!
So, let’s get to it!
Fire in Flight Updates
Fire in Flight has had a successful Kickstarter campaign so far! With roughly two weeks left to go, the project has made over $500. Meeting the goal will give my sister and I the funds to print advanced copies (to which those copies will be going to anyone who’s backed the project).
Rewards include physical copies of the book (signed and featuring interior artwork), stickers, art prints, and bookmarks. If we reach any of the stretch goals, we’ll add some free additional rewards to everyone who has backed a physical tier!
If you’re interested in supporting us and getting a signed copy, visit the Kickstarter campaign!
The campaign even has some small rewards tiers, including the $5 sticker tiers!
Copies will be sent out near the beginning of March! Fire in Flight officially releases on May 5, 2026, so by pledging to the Kickstarter, anyone who backs the project will receive a copy of the book two months ahead of the release!
In addition to the Kickstarter, everyone who’s signed up to the newsletter is getting a first look at Fire in Flight’s ARC application!
An ARC is an “advanced review copy” of a book. For those who sign up, a free copy of the eBook will be sent to readers via email, and in exchange, ARC readers will leave a review on Goodreads, and other sites like Amazon and social media.
Interested in becoming an ARC reader? Then follow this link, and read over the form!
Which leads me to my OTHER good news! Fire in Flight is officially up on Goodreads! So if you use the app to keep track of all your books, be sure to add Fire in Flight to your reading lists!
Interior Artwork
I’ve mentioned before that Fire in Flight will feature some interior artwork (put together by my sister, of course). So, guess who gets to have a first look at one of the pieces! You do!
Fire in Flight is split into three “acts,” and each act gets character artwork featured with it. “Act I - A New World’s Flame” features the main character, Matt, in his vigilante attire!
Interior artwork by Isabel Barbera
So excited to feature the artwork in the book! The other two acts and characters will be kept a surprise, however. Can’t spoil it!
(But if you back the Kickstarter or sign up as an ARC reader, you’ll get to see them even sooner)!
Book Shoutouts
Our Funny Love Story - Byrd Koto
Time for another book shoutout! Our Funny Love Story by Byrd Koto releases March 2, 2026! It’s available for pre-order now!
A comedy of errors, until fate reveals its twisted sense of humor.
Kamada Eizo, a web novelist fresh from college, lands his dream—a flagship fantasy serial with an ambitious publisher. His breezy charm is a front, concealing desperation to claim a life that could be taken from him.
Miyamoto Ran detests liars. Grim and uncompromising, the editor stakes his future on one goal: unearthing the lost work of an author who vanished eight years ago. Securing Eizo’s success is his only path to that prize.
Polar opposites—and fueled by a misdelivered package—they clash at every turn, trading barbed banter and tit-for-tat one-upmanship until a high-stakes deadline forces an uneasy truce. Yet, as they draw closer, Ran begins to see through Eizo’s mask, sensing that the fragile connection they share is built entirely on carefully wrought artifice. But for two men who have had the story of their lives once stolen, how far will one go to win it back, even if it means silencing the other's voice?
The Eternal Dusk
Did you know my sister has her own webcomic? It’s called The Eternal Dusk, and it’s available to read on WebToon, ComicFury, DeviantArt, and Instagram!
Gemini Valley Publishing
Books born from the stars!
Gemini Valley Publishing is an independent publisher of speculative fiction, co-owned by Ariel and Isabel Barbera.
Be sure to check back for new titles and updates over the course of the year!
Website Link
Visit my website and follow my other socials to stay updated!