Some time abroad + book launch event!!

Up the town!

💻 what I'm up to 💻

This year has not gone the way I expected. And look, change is the only constant in life, sure. Even with that in mind, things have been a roller coaster. I am not the biggest fan of roller coasters, but I’ve been strapping in and trying to anticipate the drops and I’m not going to keep dragging this comparison out. The point being that life happens moment to moment and what is right now will not be tomorrow. AND! I have some cool possibilities ahead. I will take any and all good vibes, please.

I’ve also found some joy too. That joy included visiting London during the best time of year: February! I had a couple of sunny days between rain and cold, but even under the clouds I meandered, sipped warm drinks, and ducked into any museums and shops that appealed. This trip was a bit of an escape, so I holed up in a flat in Southwark and explored the neighborhood and took things slowly.

I went to the Natural History Museum and had Dishoom with friends, I saw Hadestown, I popped into a delightful game store called Orcs Nest, and I wandered up a spiral staircase to visit The Old Operating Theatre museum. I followed my curiosity for some book research. I also followed my fandom to Wrexham in North Wales.

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Like a number of people, I learned about Wrexham because of the documentary Welcome to Wrexham. I got invested in the club and its promotions because of getting to know the community and the players through the series. The show introduced me to English football and the highs and lows that come with being a fan. I’ll be up at 7:30am my time to watch tomorrow’s game live. Up the town!

📘 my book things 📘

HEY! How would you like to see me talking about Thrill Ride? BONUS: What if I was talking to the very talented author Beth Revis about Thrill Ride? You’re in luck! My wonderful indie bookstore Malaprop’s is hosting a hybrid launch event on March 24. You can attend in person OR virtually. Either way, register for the Thrill Ride launch event here!

Or could I interest you in preordering a signed copy of Thrill Ride? Get your signed edition of Thrill Ride from Malaprop’s!

Finally, if you’ll be in or near Columbia, South Carolina at the end of March, come to Read Freely Festival! I’ll be joining a bunch of authors for panels, signings, and general book nerdery. I hope to see you!

📺 what I'm watching 📺

I’ve been keeping up with new episodes of prestige (do we still use that word) TV like Severance, The White Lotus, and Abbott Elementary (it’s prestige and you can’t convince me otherwise), but I’m looking for my next show. People keep telling me about Slow Horses and I am intrigued.

📚 what I'm reading 📚

Bride by Ali Hazelwood
Ali Hazelwood writing about a vampyre x werewolf romance - a Vampyre bride and an Alpha Werewolf, specifically - is just what I needed last month. Marriage of convenience, revenge, mystery, and fun worldbuilding—it's all here. Misery and Lowe’s story will make your day better.

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All Systems Red by Martha Wells
MURDERBOT! It took me an age to get around to this series of sci-fi novellas. The feelings! The processing! The very relatable moments with a robot! A friend and I picked this for our book club and were delighted to learn it’s becoming a series on Apple TV+.

I’ve also been digging into some ‘80s Daredevil comics for a comic book club with a pal and wow, the amount of text on pages back then is wild.

🍃 creativity corner 🍃

Here I’ll share tips and tricks that are helping me write, imagine, and/or stay productive.

You know when you finally get around to trying something tons of people recommend and you’re like, “Okay but how helpful can it actually be?” That’s me and morning pages. I’ve been meaning to do The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron for actual years and I knew one component of the book’s work is morning pages. You write three pages in a notebook, stream of consciousness style and ideally you do it first thing in the morning. I started on February 9 and have only missed two days because I love sitting down with my coffee and getting my brain gremlins out of my head. I also love a) using a previously blank notebook b) putting stickers on that notebook’s cover and c) the feeling of a pen gliding on paper. Though I think I’ve about burned through my poor Sharpie S Gel.

I’m not saying doing morning pages have unlocked some speedy drafting demon or anything, but they do take weight from my mind and that weight doesn’t serve me when I’m trying to write prose.

📃 quote of the month 📃

“Whoever holds your pen can compose the terms of your well-being.” - Joseph Grenny, Kerry Patterson, et al from Crucial Conversations

This is another book I’ve been reading as part of an effort to sprinkle in more non-fiction with my fiction and it’s a good one, full of tips I will have to work to put into practice. I’m gonna have to read it a few more times.

How’s your world? Reading anything cool? Trying out any creative tips, new or tried-and-true? Let me know in the comments!