AUGUST NEWSLETTER
On The Cobblestone Road
WHAT’S NEW THIS MONTH?
Welcome to the monthly newsletter with all of the latest updates about my books, projects, blog, featured artwork, news, and more!
About the photograph featured in the heading: I took this photo in 2017 when I was vacationing in South Carolina.
BOOK UPDATES
Chronicles of Avilésor (Book IV: Lab Rat)
I’m down to the last five chapters of Lab Rat (Book IV in the Chronicles of Avilésor: War of the Realms series), which means the first round of editing is almost done!
Event season is hitting its peak in the next few weeks, so while I would love to make all of the updates and get the manuscript out to beta readers as soon as possible, I’m not sure how much progress I’ll realistically be able to make. The Blueberry Festival is going to be the largest festival I’ve ever done with around 500,000 people passing through, and I’m already trying to prep for that upcoming event. Other big events like the Renaissance Faire and Popcorn Festival will all be happening back to back with Blueberry, which means I’m in for an incredibly busy next few weeks!!
Inked: An Author’s Advice & Inspiration for Writers
I have not had a chance to work on this short nonfiction book since the last newsletter, so it’s still sitting at 34 pages. Since my primary focus is on Lab Rat, this book is more of a side project that doesn’t have a target timeline or publication date.
Inked will be a mix of printed text and my own handwriting with a minimalistic format featuring one writing-related topic per page.
Cobblestones
Cobblestones is also a backburner project. As of now, I’ve gathered 23 drawings, 20 photographs, and 4 poems, including “Under the Rosebush,” which inspired last month’s artwork “Rosebush Rabbit.” I also have a few photographs that I pulled from my archives that I’m considering for the cover design.
I have several notebooks filled with poems from my local writing workshop; flipping through them and typing up selected poems for the book is still on my to-do list.
HAPPY BOOK BIRTHDAY!
Phantom’s Mask celebrated its fourth birthday on July 8th!
NEW KIT EMOJIS
Last month, I designed three new Kit emojis to add to the collection. Patreon subscribers got to see all three, but only two have been released on Discord and social media.
Summer Kit has officially replaced Springtime Kit as the current seasonal emoji.
Boba Kit is an adorable year-round design that is definitely one of my favorites!
Winter Kit will make her debut later in the year when she’s more seasonally relevant.
PRODUCT UPDATES
“Rosebush Rabbit” has officially joined my product lineup as a postcard, notecard, mouse pad, and puzzle. I’ve also had a request to add it as a necklace, which will be coming soon.
I also received a new batch of stickers this week, including the new Kit emojis and the following art prints:
• “Death by Venom”
• “Decay”
• “Lunos”
• “Rosebush Rabbit”
• “Valdenar’s Bow” (Dark)
New keychains are currently in production and will also be arriving soon! This upcoming batch includes a mix of new designs, including Summer Kit, Boba Kit, Winter Kit, my Scrabble “Read Banned Books” design, and “Yule Stag,” in addition to restocking sold-out favorites like “The Raven.”
BOBA KIT AT HOTSPOT CAFÉ
HotSpot Café in my hometown of La Porte, IN has been a retailer for autographed copies of the Chronicles of Avilésor series and the Old Soul Artisan candle inspired by my books. Now, it’s the first and only brick-and-mortar location to also have the new Boba Kit stickers (and upcoming keychains once they arrive) available for sale.
This is the only Kit design I’ve ever had a local shop carry. The rest of my stickers are exclusively available at my event booth and my website.
But my new boba-inspired design was just the perfect match for HotSpot’s bubble tea, so it was the perfect home for Boba Kit!
SPECIAL ORDER
At one of my recent events, I had a special request for “Bow” in a 16x20 framed canvas. It turned out to be a stunning, eye-catching wall piece at that size! I typically carry 8x10 prints at events (pictured next to the 16x20 canvas for a size comparison), but I can do larger prints upon request.
ARTWORK OF THE MONTH
Dewtrap Flower © 2024
My first botanical sketch to explore the parts of a carnivorous flower in Avilésor. Patreon subscribers can learn about the plant, which will be included in a future illustrated guide book, and watch me draw this piece in the exclusive patrons-only timelapse video for Level 2 and 3 subscribers.
PATREON & SUBSTACK UPDATES
Subscribers get exclusive content emailed straight to their inbox every time I publish a new post! I offer two types of premium subscription content on two different platforms.
Patreon is a fan-based community featuring behind-the-scenes content centered around my books and art. I offer three membership tiers with varying perks: Human ($5), Kálos ($10), and Alpha ($15). Here are the latest posts since the last newsletter:
• Upcoming event announcements
• The poem that inspired last month’s featured artwork (“Rosebush Rabbit”)
• Early Access: Sneak peek at Summer Kit in progress + behind-the-scenes view of the Photoshop file and the layers building the emoji
• Submit names for an upcoming poll to name a Shadow Guard in Book IV
• First look at the digital proof showing the new batch of stickers before they went into production
• Deleted scene from Book III
• First look at the new stickers prior to the social media announcement (Level 2 & 3 patrons will receive the Kit emoji stickers in the mail to complete their collection)
• Timelapse video of the latest featured artwork (“Dewtrap Flower”) + worldbuilding information about the carnivorous Avilésian plant
Substack features business-oriented content for creative solopreneurs and artistic professionals. I discuss tips I’ve learned from my experience as an author, artist, and entrepreneur after doing over 145 in-person events ranging from book signings and artist pop-ups to festivals, markets, and conventions.
Subscriptions are only $5/month, and members have the opportunity to read, share, comment, and network with other creative professionals within the community. Just like Patreon, these exclusive posts are sent to your inbox when I publish them. Here are the latest premium posts on Substack:
• Marketing Tip: Newsletter Goals
• Vendor Tip: In-Person Networking
• Vendor Tip: 10 Factors to Help Determine Event Potential
**These posts are partially visible for free subscribers, but to read the entire post, members need to upgrade to the premium subscription tier.
$5 a month isn’t much, but these small subscriptions add up and help me cover the publishing costs for upcoming books in the series along with many other business expenses such as vendor fees, liability insurance, website costs, and more. Thank you to my subscribers for your support!! 🖤
For more information about the membership tiers and how subscriptions/donations support my business, check out this FAQ page on my website.
RECENT BLOG POSTS
Pros & Cons of Subscription-Based Content for Creative Entrepreneurs
Publishing subscription content on platforms like Patreon and Substack brings steady recurring revenue and other benefits, but it also comes with some negatives, too.
Should Fiction Authors Have a Blog? 5 Benefits of Blogging
Having a strong online presence is absolutely critical if you’re a published or aspiring author. A blog can be an instrumental tool to your success.
RECENT EVENTS
July 6: Kogan Con in Grand Haven, MI
July 13: Chesterton European Market in Chesterton, IN
July 20: Chesterton European Market in Chesterton, IN
July 21: PAWS for Pride in Valparaiso, IN
July 26-28: Hometown Days in New Carlisle, IN
August 3: Chesterton European Market in Chesterton, IN
UPCOMING EVENTS
Be sure to check my website for the most up-to-date list.
To receive event reminders, you can join my Discord server, follow me on Facebook or Buy Me a Coffee, or become a Patreon subscriber. Here's the current schedule of events:
ARTBEAT
Saturday, August 10, 2024
11:00 am - 7:00 pm
Jefferson Bridge & East Bank
South Bend, IN
OUTFEST
Saturday, August 17, 2024
4:00 pm - 12:00 am
Main Street
Lafayette, IN
MICHIANA REN FEST
Saturday, August 24, 2024
10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Sunday, August 25, 2024
10:00 am - 6:00 pm
St. Joe County 4H Fairgrounds
South Bend, IN
Friday, August 30, 2024
12:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Saturday, August 31, 2024
9:00 am - 9:00 pm
Sunday, September 01, 2024
9:00 am - 9:00 pm
Monday, September 02, 2024
9:00 am - 6:00 pm
Centennial Park
Plymouth, IN
POPCORN FESTIVAL
Saturday, September 07, 2024
8:00 am - 6:30 pm
Downtown
Valparaiso, IN
CHESTERTON'S EUROPEAN MARKET
Saturday, September 14, 2024
8:00 am - 2:00 pm
Broadway & Third Street
Chesterton, IN
SUNFLOWER FAIR
Saturday, September 21, 2024
8:00 am - 4:00 pm
Michigan Avenue
La Porte, IN
BIZARRE BAZAAR
Saturday, September 28, 2024
1:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Porter County Expo Center
Valparaiso, IN
WOLF HOLLOW WITCHES MARKET
Saturday, October 05, 2024
12:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Boone County Fairgrounds
Belvidere, IL
MIGHTY CON
Saturday, October 26, 2024
1:00 am - 5:00 pm
Tippecanoe County Fairgrounds
Lafayette, IN
Saturday, November 23, 2024
9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Sunday, November 24, 2024
10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Porter County Expo Center
Valparaiso, IN
INDOOR SANTA MARKET
Friday, December 06, 2024
5:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Saturday, December 07, 2024
10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Lake County Fairgrounds
Crown Point, IN
CHRISTMAS AT THE CIVIC
Sunday, December 08, 2024
11:00 am - 4:00 pm
Civic Auditorium
La Porte, IN
19th ANNUAL GARDENING SHOW
Saturday, January 25, 2025
8:00 am - 4:00 pm
Porter County Expo Center
Valparaiso, IN
SHOP
This year, I finally launched my own ecommerce site so anyone in the U.S. now has the opportunity to order online directly from me. Many of my products are available, including notecards, keychains, buttons, postcards, bookmarks, stickers, mouse pads, novelty CoA merch, and autographed books. Some products, such as my canvas prints, puzzles, resin book holders, and build-your-own bookmarks, are still event-exclusive.
Browse my custom designs on apparel and accessories produced and shipped by Spring. Shop for Chronicles of Avilésor designs plus others inspired by reading and writing (and my popular banned books graphic).
In 2020, I partnered with Old Soul Artisan — a small USA business operated by an amazing woman solopreneur — to create a custom candle fragrance inspired by my book series. The “mystical forest” scent is a blend of apple, cedar, chrysanthemum, and green leaf that captures the essence of Avilésor. Online purchases help to support wolf conservation!
