NOVEMBER 2025 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, art, news, and more!
About the photograph featured in the heading: I pulled this photo of a bonfire from my archive… all the way back from 2014.
GENERAL UPDATES
I’m in the homestretch… in so many ways! I have only five events left this year before I finally get to take a break until the end of January, and my fourth book will be published in about a month. I still have a LOT to do in these final weeks, but at least the end is in sight!
BOOK UPDATES
Chronicles of Avilésor (Book IV: Lab Rat)
It’s almost here!! On Thursday night, I finalized the files and submitted them to my distributor. After a few days of processing, they were approved this morning!
I placed an order for ARCs (advanced reader copies) so my proofreaders and I can review them for any minor typos or formatting errors before I officially give the green light and enable global distribution for the hardcover. (The paperback and ebook will come later.)
The ARCs might arrive this week, but if not, then the order should be here early next week. Lab Rat’s official publication date will be December 5th. For more information about the timeline, final steps, page count, and lots of bonus content that will make this installment in the Chronicles of Avilésor special, check out my latest blog post.
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.
Cobblestones
No updates to report at this time. So far, I’ve gathered 30 drawings, 20 photographs, and 15 poems.
NEW PRODUCTS
For several weeks, I anxiously waited for these to arrive, and now they’re here!
I’m excited to offer twelve of my art prints on cute little pocket journals, plus four of my art designs on larger spiral sticker books that have blank pages made of special release paper, allowing stickers to be stuck on and peeled off the pages repeatedly without causing them to lose their stickiness.
These new products are available at my event booth and on my website. However, since this is my starting batch, I ordered limited quantities of each design and won’t have time to get another order in before the holidays… so if there’s one you like, I wouldn’t wait too long to claim it because I can’t guarantee it will still be in stock for very long! The journals have already proven to be popular at events.
I’ve also added wooden page holders to my event-exclusive inventory. I use a wood-burning tool to customize each one with a simple design, and people seem to like having this lightweight option in addition to my slightly heavier handmade resin page holders. I don’t currently sell either version on my website since each one is unique.
AUTHOR PANELS
When I arrived in Lisle, IL to set up for Hallow-Fest last month, I didn’t know that I was going to end up being a guest on a couple of author panels! I joined Kassidy VanGundy, RE Bunch, S&E Black, and Laura Enright to chat about reading, writing, and publishing.
PAN-O-PLY FEATURE
You can imagine my surprise when I noticed a very familiar book cover in the latest publication of regional magazine! I had not submitted my book, so it was quite a jolt to stumble across the feature!
EKPHRASTIC POEM
I participated in a local contest through the LCA Sandcastle Writers to create an ekphrastic piece about “The House,” a marble sculpture by Louise Bourgeois that is currently featured in the “Women to the Front: Artworks from the Sara M. and Michelle Vance Waddell Collection” exhibition at the Lubeznik Center for the Arts.
Local poet Carnessa L. Carnes and writer David Hoppe reviewed the submissions, and I was honored that my poem “The House Inside the Glass Box” was chosen as a winner along with “Not Today” by Amanda Freymann!
You can read both of our pieces and the judges’ commentary on the LCA post here.
DISPLAY UPDATE
As the weather gets colder and most of my events shift to indoor venues, I had to consider how I could evolve my display to keep the three tapestries that I’d been hanging from my tent frame.
I love the look of the tapestries and the fantasy vibes they create within my booth space. They also help make my artwork stand out by forming a backdrop to hide the other displays, people, and distractions in the booths around me.
After a bit of experimenting and a couple of trips to the local hardware store, I crafted a PVC frame to enclose my booth with the tapestries for indoor events. The mystical forest is here year-round now!
I also added new table covers to clearly convey the art side of the booth vs. the Chronicles of Avilésor & book merch side.
COLLABORATION… COMING SOON!
I’ve been teasing a collaboration with a local business that’s been in the works since late August… and it’s VERY close to launch! My assistant and I made another trip to the shop recently to test a lot of samples and make some final decisions.
I’m really excited to share more about this very soon! Watch out for updates on Patreon, social media, and my website!
ARTWORK OF THE MONTH
Roost © 2025
Level 2 and 3 Patreon subscribers can learn more about this art 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 470 posts! Here are the latest posts since the last newsletter:
• Upcoming event announcements
• Book IV progress & publishing updates
• Poll to vote for my official author headshot
• Behind the scenes: the fourth crow detail (iykyk)
• Collaboration updates
• Video: first look at the brand-new pocket journals & sticker books before their public debut
• Sneak peeks at Book IV’s full dust jacket & new interior pages, graphics, & stats
• Early access to the new products listed on my website + exclusive promo code for online orders
• Timelapse video of this month’s featured artwork
$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
BOOK IV: LAB RAT Publication Update
What are the final steps between now and the December 5th publication? Read the latest updates about the fourth novel in the Chronicles of Avilésor and the bonus content that will be included in the upcoming book.
RECENT EVENTS
October 11-12: Hallow-Fest in Lisle, IL
October 18-19: Tabletop Adventure Con in Warsaw, IN
October 25: Nightmare on Chicago Street in Elgin, IL
November 1-2: Lodge Con in Peotone, IL
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:
WORLD ODDITIES EXPO
November 8, 2025
Indianapolis, IN
SOUTH BEND ARTISAN MARKET
November 15-16, 2025
South Bend, IN
AUTUMN ARTISAN MARKET AT THE AMERICAN FACTORY
November 22-23, 2025
Valparaiso, IN
HOMETOWN HOLIDAYS
November 29, 2025
Chesterton, IN
OLD TOWN KRAMPUSNACHT
December 6, 2025
Lansing, MI
20th ANNUAL GARDENING SHOW
January 31, 2026
Valparaiso, IN
MUSKECON
March 21, 2026
Muskegon, MI
KALAMAZOO COMIC-CON
April 10-12, 2026
Kalamazoo, MI
MICHIANA REN FEST
August 29-30, 2026
South Bend, IN
BLUEBERRY FESTIVAL
September 4-6, 2026
Plymouth, IN
WOLF HOLLOW WITCHES MARKET
October 3, 2026
Belvidere, IL
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, although a few products are still event-exclusive.
Browse my custom designs on apparel and accessories, produced and shipped by Spring.
In 2020, I partnered with Old Soul Artisan to make a custom candle fragrance inspired by my book series. Online purchases help to support wolf conservation and a woman-owned small business (as well as an indie author… me)!
