This May I took some chances, tried on a devil-may-care attitude. The biggest one was going to my first in-person book event. I was nervous about it for at least a week beforehand. What if I didn’t sell a single book? How would I interact with people who stopped by my table? How would I handle it if I went through my whole sales pitch and people still walked away?
Turns out I had a wonderful time, sold 16 out of the 20 Rune’s Folly books I brought with me and all five of the Eye See You anthologies I had on hand, met some incredible people from my local community, and did not die when people passed on buying. It felt like a big risk, but it paid off and has inspired me to be a little more bold when it comes to my books. I’m doing another event in July! Details up ahead.
But first, indulge me!
The Midnight Vault has reopened! I am so, so thrilled to be a part of this new collection of short stories spanning speculative genres and taking inspiration from The Twilight Zone. For a Muse of Fire is one of those hard-to-classify stories. It straddles the categories of horror, suspense, and allegory, with strong themes of vengeance and the power of art.
It’s a definite departure from my usual fare, but I feel particularly proud of this one. Since I’d never seen one before, I watched several classic Twilight Zone episodes to prepare. I wanted to get in the right headspace and understand the vibe. Then I spent at least a week coming up with an idea and plotting it out before I even started writing so I could get at that Twilight Zone twist. It’s a delight seeing the final result alongside other writers I deeply admire and a huge bonus for it to be in such a beautifully designed volume inside and out.
So much gratitude to J. Curtis, Shane Bzdok, and Bryan Pirolli for their incredible effort in bringing The Midnight Vault to life.
Get it from Tiny Worlds Publishing now!
Journey to Publication Day
I’ve had my head down since the beginning of April working hard on the developmental edits I received from my wonderful editor at City Owl Press. It’s been an intense journey so far, but I’m really, really pleased with how things are coming along.
One of the areas that I’ve been focusing on the most is fleshing out the love story between Etta and Ambrose. I realized I needed to get more vulnerable, more open with the way I describe romance and falling in love. This is a romantasy after all! The fantasy half was there, and after these edits are finished, the romance will be much richer and more believable.
And guys, check out this super cute editing tracker that the amazing Keith Long put together for me so I could finally wipe away the last of the AI-generated images from my newsletter.
Published in May
The first episode of Dark as Dawn | Bright as Night dropped last Sunday and episode two comes out tomorrow!
I’m so thrilled to re-release DD|BN for a wider audience. What can you look forward to over the next several months?
Brand new, beautiful illustration by the very talented A. C. Sanders.
A horror-tinged folklore vibe
Gods and demons behaving badly
Setting as character: moody PNW, ancient Druid isle
Family saga x epic adventure x coming of age x romantic tragedy
17 bingeable episodes to help keep the atmospheric and unsettling feels alive and well this summer
Substack Gems
What I read and loved in May.
Mermay: a triptych by GrousyGirl: Drips in atmosphere and sings along, mesmerizing, until it pulls you under with a darkness you didn’t see coming through all the beauty.
The Salt Window by Daniel O’Donnell: A dark, sparkling jewel of a story.
The Monkey Haints of Big Bend Tunnel by Jared: I’m all about the circus vibes right now and this scary story based on real-life folklore scratches a particular itch.
First Branch by Keith Long: The first in a series spanning centuries, this story sets up the peculiar, awful tales that take root around a particularly terrible tree.
Eyes Wide Open by Katharine Kapodistria: Another in the stories inspired by real-life folklore, this watery ghost story sticks with you.
HINDSIGHT by Edward.Marlo.Ruiz: A strange and wonderful dark fantasy with imagery to inspire revolutions.
Sleep Tight by Sean Thomas McDonnell: The classic horror setup of a creak on the stairs elevated to literary horror.
Where to find me!
In the Seattle area? Here’s where I’ll be with my books in the coming weeks.
Tides & Tomes | Tacoma, WA | Sunday, July 19, 5pm-9pm
PNW Witches Market Mabon Festival | Kirkland, WA | Sunday, Sept. 13, 12pm-5pm
Bothell Art Walk | Bothell, WA | Thursday, October 8, 5pm-8pm
Book’d & Tatt’d Halloween Party | Olympia, WA | Saturday, October 17, 11am-4pm
And that’s it for May! Hungry for more Only Child Originals? I’d love for you to join me at my witch’s table where things are sometimes dark, sometimes scary, but always served up with heart. 🖤
Congrats on a successful event! That’s so cool!
Thank you for the mention and congrats on the success of you in person event. I would be rattled by nerves, and totally awkward. Hehe. Way to go!