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 earlier this year in March after spotting a cluster of mushrooms sprouting in my lawn.
GENERAL UPDATES
I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to send the newsletter on time! After finally finishing this month’s timelapse video, which took up so much storage space with the original recordings that my computer almost couldn’t handle it, my power cord failed last night. As always, if it’s not one thing, it’s another. Luckily, my phone charger is just enough to keep the laptop running until I can get a new one with the proper wattage for a computer. (Thank goodness for Lenovo switching to a type C port so the cables are compatible in situations like this!)
I’m feeling pretty good about the progress I made in July. In May and June, I was really struggling with burnout and feeling like I wasn’t getting enough done around my event schedule. My productivity definitely improved last month!
Reminder: Next month’s newsletter will be delayed due to Labor Day and the four-day Blueberry Festival that weekend.
BOOK UPDATES
Chronicles of Avilésor (Book IV: Lab Rat)
I’m about 75% of the way through the line edit. Most of my progress over the last few weeks has been on the visual front rather than the manuscript. In my latest blog post, I dive into more detail about the recently unveiled book cover, new map, planned supplemental material, and final steps to publication.
The second half of August is going to be extremely busy with the Michiana Renaissance Faire followed by the Blueberry Festival, so I hope to have the line edit done before those multi-day events consume my time.
As a reminder, the Book IV preorders are still LIVE on my website! These preorders are for a special collector’s bundle that includes a numbered hardcover from the first print run, a bookmark featuring the cover image, the five buttons I designed for the novel, and a mini Ghost Realm candle by Old Soul Artisan.
NOTE: if you select the local pickup option at HotSpot Café, Square might tell you that your order is ready. This is not correct. Preorders are technically a paid upgrade feature that I don’t have, so Square doesn’t know these are preorders rather than regular orders. (Hence why I put PREORDER in all caps in the title so customers know even if Square doesn’t.)
For more information about preordering Lab Rat, be sure to check out my blog post.
Inked: An Author’s Advice & Inspiration for Writers
No updates to report since my focus has been completely on Lab Rat.
Cobblestones
No updates to report at this time. So far, I’ve gathered 30 drawings, 20 photographs, and 15 poems. I’m planning to type the poems on an old-fashioned typewriter rather than the computer to give the book a little extra charm!
NEW LOCAL RETAILER
I took a trip to New Buffalo, MI to visit a charming bookstore that not only has a cozy atmosphere and plenty of books, but also houseplants for sale! (Am I in heaven??)
Flourish Books & Plants is not only the latest indie bookstore to carry autographed copies of the Chronicles of Avilésor, but it’s also the first bookstore in the state of Michigan to join my network. If you’re in the area, make sure you visit this gem of a shop!
NEW KIT EMOJIS
I couldn’t stop making new emojis, even after releasing four new designs in the last newsletter! The newest additions to the Discord server are Kissing Kit, Winking Kit, and Exasperated Kit.
These seven latest Kit designs, along with Birthday Kit that I released at the end of February, will be included in an upcoming sticker order that will also include more of my art prints and graphic designs. Level 2 and 3 Patreon members will receive complimentary stickers to complete their emoji collections as a membership perk.
NEW ART ADDITIONS TO PRODUCT COLLECTIONS
I’ve added more of my art prints to my necklaces, brooches, magnets, and buttons!
HANDMADE NECKLACE & BROOCH:
• Consumed
MAGNET:
• Amínytes
• Broken (restocked)
• Consumed
• Death by Venom
• Full Moon
• Good Day to Read
• Lunos
• Rosebush Rabbit
• Sorrow
• Sunflower Swallowtail
• Valdenar’s Bow
BUTTON:
• I Support Artists
• I Support Bookstores
• I Support Diverse Books
• I Support Indie Authors
• I Support Public Libraries
• I Support Teachers
NEW WEBSITE PAGE
In between editing, doing weekend events, finishing the back cover, and wrapping up the final phase of the new map, I built a new website page featuring the business partners I work with on a regular basis, including:
• Collaborators on special projects
• Freelancers involved with the book and audiobook production
• Indie retailers who carry my series
• Affiliate partners
• Global distribution partners
I’m excited to reach the stage where I have a roster of partnerships that’s long enough to dedicate a full page to them! And, of course, I’m always ready to expand that list…
ARTWORK OF THE MONTH
Project Alpha © 2025
This is the semi-final map that will be published in Book IV! It still needs some minor tweaks and will change slightly when I reconfigure the staircase around the main elevator.
Like the other three maps that were published in Book III, this one is a blend of hand-drawn and digital. Level 2 and 3 patrons can learn more about this latest featured artwork and watch me create it in an exclusive timelapse video.
PATREON UPDATES
Subscribers get exclusive content emailed straight to their inbox every time I publish a new post! I offer three membership tiers with varying perks: Human ($5), Kálos ($10), and Alpha ($15). New patrons, depending on their tier, can unlock over 400 posts! Here are the latest posts since the last newsletter:
• Upcoming event announcements
• Early look at the newest batch of Kit emojis before they launched on Discord
• Sneak peek at Book IV’s full cover three weeks before it was shared publicly, plus behind-the-scenes content about the cover design and process
• Updates about the Gaming Geeks collaboration and the modified version of the Amínyte pendants currently in production
• Progress updates on the new map as it advanced through the third stage
• Timelapse video of the Project Alpha floor plan from the hand-drawn stage (phase 2) through the digital adjustments (phase 3) with the first full look at the semi-final map (phase 4)
$5 a month isn’t much, but these small subscriptions really do add up and help me cover the publishing costs for upcoming books in the series along with other business expenses such as vendor fees, 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
The Misleading Truth About IngramSpark’s Wholesale Discount
I recently learned about a grave misconception regarding my book listing in Ingram’s system and how I was inadvertently misrepresenting the discount offered to retailers. So, as always, I’m sharing my experience to alert other indie authors.
Lab Rat Updates: Full Cover, New Map, and More
I’ve been busy over the last few weeks! Check out the visual graphics I recently shared, planned supplemental material for the interior, and the final steps necessary for publication.
RECENT EVENTS
July 12: Chesterton European Market in Chesterton, IN
July 19: Battle Creek Pride in Battle Creek, MI
July 26: ARTS in the Street Festival in Plymouth, IN
(We ended up inside a bridal shop due to the heavy rain and thunderstorms!)
August 2: Chesterton European Market in Chesterton, IN
Thanks to bookstagrammer @the_bookish_realm_by_tiffany for posting some of these photos on Instagram!
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:
ART BEAT
Saturday, August 09, 2025
11:00 am - 7:00 pm
Downtown
South Bend, IN
OUTFest
Saturday, August 16, 2025
4:00 pm - 11:30 pm
Downtown Lafayette, IN
MICHIANA REN FEST
Saturday, August 23, 2025
10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Sunday, August 24, 2025
10:00 am - 6:00 pm
St. Joe County 4H Fairgrounds
South Bend, IN
BLUEBERRY FESTIVAL
Friday, August 29, 2025
12:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Saturday, August 30, 2025
9:00 am - 9:00 pm
Sunday, August 31, 2025
9:00 am - 9:00 pm
Monday, September 01, 2025
9:00 am - 6:00 pm
Centennial Park
Plymouth, IN
POPCORN FESTIVAL
Saturday, September 6, 2025
8:00 am - 6:30 pm
Downtown
Valparaiso, IN
NWI PAGAN PRIDE
Saturday, September 13, 2025
10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Lake County Fairgrounds
Crown Point, IN
SUNFLOWER FAIR
Saturday, September 20, 2025
8:00 am - 4:00 pm
Michigan Avenue
La Porte, IN
BIZARRE BAZAAR
Saturday, September 27, 2025
1:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Porter County Expo Center
Valparaiso, IN
WOLF HOLLOW WITCHES MARKET
Saturday, October 4, 2025
3:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Boone County Fairgrounds
Belvidere, IL
TABLETOP ADVENTURE CON
Saturday, October 18, 2025
9:00 am - 10:00 pm
Sunday, October 19, 2025
9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Warsaw Community High School
Warsaw, IN
LODGE CON
Saturday, November 1, 2025
10:00 am - 5:00 pm
Sunday, November 2, 2025
10:00 am - 5:00 pm
Will County Fairgrounds Atrium
Peotone, IL
20th ANNUAL GARDENING SHOW
Saturday, January 31, 2026
8:00 am - 4:00 pm
Porter County Expo Center
Valparaiso, IN
KALAMAZOO COMIC-CON
Friday, April 10, 2026
12:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Saturday, April 11, 2026
10:00 am - 7:00 pm
Sunday, April 12, 2026
10:00 am - 5:00 pm
Kalamazoo Expo Center
Kalamazoo, MI
SHOP
If you can’t catch me at a local event, my website is the next best place to shop! Many of my products are available online, 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 amazingly creative woman — to make a custom candle fragrance inspired by my book series. Ghost Realm is a blend of apple, cedar, chrysanthemum, and green leaf that captures the essence of Avilésor. Online purchases help to support wolf conservation!
