Another Star Wars book!

Plus cats

💻 what I'm up to 💻
Remember how last month I was like “this bear stopping by was a lesson in what I can and cannot control?” Looool. Hours after that newsletter landed in your inboxes, one of our cats, Kairi, hurt her leg. She was running to hide under the bed because our other cat, Ahsoka, had zoomies and made a loud noise. This happens at least once a week. But this time, Kairi caught her right hind leg on something. She didn’t make a sound, but I could tell something was wrong because she couldn’t stand up. It was scary.

After emergency vet visits and a surgical consult and surgery, she’s on the mend. She tore her CCL, the cat equivalent of the ACL; the surgeon replaced the torn ligament with a suture. It’s been 3 weeks since surgery, and she has another 5 weeks of recovery with a lot more time in her kennel. I’m already proud of the progress she’s making. And she’s been a champ about all of it. Okay, maybe not about wearing a collar, but I can’t blame her.

So proud of her for being able to get in and out of this bed on her own!

So, July ended up being… a lot. Anxiety and stress over Kairi wrecked my body, I had/have book deadlines, and I just got hit with a bout of food poisoning. But I’m here. I’m getting through. The kindness of strangers has kind of been everything this month. Mostly I’m really, really grateful we were able to take care of our cat.

Now, semi-related to the above, I’d appreciate some input. I’ve tried a couple of options for Patreon and Ko-fi, but nothing’s been quite right. If you were to pledge say, $1 or $5 a month, what would you like to see? A short story? An extra newsletter? Please don’t feel like weighing in, like, commits you to anything. I’m just trying to plot some good ol’ repeatable income.

📘 my book things 📘
Let’s start splitting this up between my original works and licensed IP, shall we?

Original Works
Thrill Ride is out in the world and up for preorder, but I’ll start promoting more when I have a cover to share! I may send out an extra edition or two of this newsletter when I have a cover, sales, or other exciting book things! Here’s what else is on my list:

• Middle grade fantasy rewrite (my August priority!!)

• Thrill Ride book 2 brainstorming

• Adult cozy fantasy drafting - if I get my MG done in August, I want to talk to my agent about sending this out on proposal

• A nerdy adult romcom that I’m already 15k words into drafting

Licensed IP
The news about the updated Star Wars Encyclopedia is out! I worked on this with a galaxy of authors and it’ll be here on November 5. The updates brought this to freaking 448 pages (no, I cannot tell you about what was added, but more might be shared at San Diego Comic-Con this weekend). Anyway, check out this gorgeous cover!

• Hulk Not Smash - out October 8

• TBA project - just turned the last of it in on July 15

• TBA project - will be turned in next Wednesday

And a never announced project got canceled, as happens sometimes.

📺 what I'm watching 📺

My Lady Jane
You know how sometimes TV series are woefully mismarketed? That applies here. My Lady Jane was sold as alt history meets Bridgerton, which is true, but it’s so much more. It’s like, as I saw someone on the internet put it, Tudors meets Animorphs. The tone is like A Knight’s Tale but more irreverent. People can turn into animals! ANIMALS. The costumes are stunning, the characters are a delight, the romance is excellent, and y’all, this show is just SO MUCH fun.

Derry Girls
As I texted a friend, I finally watched Derry Girls. I flipping loved Derry Girls. Now I’m sad I have no more Derry Girls. It’s Irish, set during the ‘90s, it’s hilarious, the cast is everything, and while I wish I was a Michelle, I’m definitely more of a Clare.

📚 what I'm reading 📚
The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst
We love a cozy fantasy around these parts, and The Spellshop is a warm hug! It’s about Kiala, a librarian with a magically sentient spider plant, who has to leave her library because of a revolution and return to her island home. Small town wonderfulness with a side of magic, winged cats, baked goods, and jam ensue, WITH a little romance and just the right amount of stakes. It's sweet. It's endearing. It’s just what I needed.

Love, Lies, and Cherry Pie by Jackie Lau
The protagonist of this one, Emily, is a writer. Besides getting invested in her relationship with Mark and her back and forth with her family, there is just a lot of realness about writing and the publishing industry that I really, really appreciate and felt seen by.

Thank you, Phyllis, for recommending Megan Bannen’s The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy. I adored it!

🍃 creativity corner 🍃
Here I’ll share tips and tricks that are helping me write, imagine, and/or stay productive.
Collect names. Naming characters is both fun and challenging, so I like to keep a list of first and last names I like. Sometimes I come across ones while roaming cemeteries, like you do, sometimes it’s part of a name of the business. And lately, I’ve been saving the best fantasy and sci-fi names from hilariously misspelling things on my phone. My clumsy thumbs may mess up what I’m trying to type, but they give me some excellent ones.

For example, while looking up hours for a local business called Fae Nectar (it’s a meadery that looks like a fantasy tavern and I adore it), I accidentally typed Faw Nextra. FAW NEXTRA! It’s such a good sci-fi name! I will use it one day, somehow, somewhere.

📃 quote of the month 📃
“Books can help people forget but also help them cope at the same time.” - Jackie Lau, Love, Lies, and Cherry Pie

I sure hope your July has gone more smoothly than mine! Tell me what you’re up to this summer, what you’re reading, how you’re staying cool, all the things!