NOVEMBER 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 pulled this photo from my archive. It was taken at Luhr Park in 2021.
BOOK UPDATES
Chronicles of Avilésor (Book IV: Lab Rat)
My progress on Lab Rat feels like it went from 10 to 100 over the last couple of weeks!
In the first half of October, I prioritized a big push between event prep each week to finally complete the edits. By the 24th, all of the beta readers had received their copy of the manuscript. Half of them preferred digital copies to edit in Word or Google Docs, while the other half requested printed manuscripts to mark up by hand.
Lab Rat is 157,852 words and 34 chapters, which makes it slightly bigger than A Fallen Hero. One beta reader has already finished his first read-through of Lab Rat and is now rereading the series to double-check details and help me compile the list of mentioned characters. Here's what he had to say about Book IV:
That beta reader has been working closely with me on the character list that will be included in the book. I’ll be continuing to work on that project this month so I can send the file to the rest of the beta readers for additional feedback.
October was a fun month for members of my Patreon community, who got to see the new Book IV button collection while I was working on the designs, the evolution of Jay’s silver iris as it went through several Photoshop iterations, and the very first sneak peek at Lab Rat’s cover in progress.
The series recently received an endorsement from YA fantasy author Kimberly Grymes, who wrote:
“Chronicles of Avilésor: War of the Realms is a gripping paranormal fantasy that combines immersive world-building, an intriguing story line, and a memorable, tightly-knit cast of characters. The group of survivors forms a true found family, each member bringing unique strengths and a shared resilience that kept me invested from start to finish. With thrilling action and moments of heartfelt camaraderie, this series is a must-read for fans of character-driven stories set in imaginative worlds!”
(Be sure to check out her Substack!)
Inked: An Author’s Advice & Inspiration for Writers
No updates to report since my focus has been completely on Lab Rat.
Cobblestones
Cobblestones is also a backburner project. As of now, I’ve gathered 26 drawings, 20 photographs, and 13 poems.
SCENT OF THE MONTH
The Ghost Realm candle by Old Soul Artisan is November’s scent of the month! This means you can stock up for the holidays with 20% off online purchases.
For new subscribers who might not be aware of the candle collaboration, I partnered with Old Soul Artisan in 2020 to create a fragrance inspired by the Chronicles of Avilésor books.
Ghost Realm is an enticing blend of cedar, apple, and chrysanthemum that captures the essence of ancient mystical forests in Avilésor. It was added to Old Soul Artisan’s dark lit collection.
Old Soul Artisan is a woman-owned small business in New Jersey that donates part of its proceeds every year to wolf conservation. I sell the candles at events, and I do earn commissions from her online sales of the candle, so purchases support us both!
NEW PRODUCTS
BUTTON ADDITIONS
The Elemental Guild symbols from the map are now available as pinback buttons in addition to the necklaces and brooches I added a little while ago.
I also added variations of the Amínyte symbol and Kit’s paw print. These have been available as necklaces/brooches, but only the original designs were included in the buttons as part of the book collections. All of the new buttons have been added to my website and event inventory.
COMING SOON: MAGNETS!
I’ve gotten multiple requests for magnets, but as always, I need some time to hunt for the best supplier to meet my quality standards with a new product. Most of the magnet options I found were extremely thin and flimsy, more like a business-card type of magnet.
To my pleasant surprise, I discovered that the USA-based company that produces my pinback buttons makes exactly the type of magnet that I had been hunting for! I included one test magnet with the order of buttons to inspect the quality for myself, and I’ll be moving forward to offer my art prints and some of my digital graphics such as my banned books designs on 3.5 x 2.5 magnets in the near future.
SEASONAL KIT DESIGNS
Boo is back in the vault for her long nap until next fall, but Spooky Kit will stick around until the end of the month. This seasonal design is available as a sticker and keychain for sale at my event booth and on my website.
Santa Kit and Winter Kit are starting to stir… and Winter Kit will be making her debut this year! (Patreon subscribers are the only ones who have seen her.)
ONYX & SHADOW
A couple of new mascots joined Clover and Thistle at events last month! I invited patrons and social media followers to send me name suggestions for these guys.
While I really appreciated the clever idea to name them Edgar and Allen Crow, I ultimately went with the two that spoke to me the most. Several people recommended Onyx, which is a name I was drawn to right away, and Shadow felt like an extremely appropriate connection to the first fantasy novel I ever wrote, which was titled Shadow Rider. It was never published (although it came VERY close circa 2010), but I do plan to return to Shadow Rider someday to finally see it through the publication process.
DISPLAY UPDATE
Again? Yep, again!
At my most recent event, I introduced a new vertical display for my stickers, which freed up a lot more table space to highlight the candle display and various boxes of buttons, handmade resin book holders, and other goodies.
HARDCOVER RESTOCK
I was low or out of stock on the hardcovers for a few weeks, but I’m now restocked! Shop from them on my website or at events (while my stock lasts).
RESIN BOOK HOLDERS
These products tend to sell quickly at holiday events, so as we get into the shopping season, I’ll be working hard to keep up on stock every week.
I do NOT have these listed on my website because each one is unique. I make these all by hand using resin, pebbles, colored foil, and real flowers that came from my garden. Even though they’re not for sale online, I’m happy to ship them or arrange for a local pick-up if you message me. I can also do custom colors upon request.
Here is a look at the stock I had available at Lodge Con this weekend:
ARTWORK OF THE MONTH
Full Moon © 2024
I wanted to experiment combining a clip-art style with my usual pencil-sketch technique. Level 2 and 3 patrons can learn more about this and watch me draw “Full Moon” in an exclusive timelapse video.
As a reminder since I’ve already gotten comments about how “Full Moon” would make a great tattoo, I have tattoo passes for sale on my website. Purchasing a pass provides copyright protection and my explicit consent for a tattoo artist to recreate my work. However, I HIGHLY recommend consulting with your tattoo artist first to confirm their policy and make sure they’re willing to use another artist’s work.
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
• Help me with name suggestions for my new crows
• Invitation for top-tier patrons to help the beta readers with the Book IV pronunciation guide and character list
• Early sneak peek at the new button designs
• Evolution of the silver eye graphic through multiple rounds of Photoshop edits
• Early announcement: the completion of the first editing phase and prep for beta readers
• A look at new items before they debuted at events last month
• Sneak peek at Book IV’s book cover in development
• Poll: if you could have a supernatural ability, what would it be?
• Daily art-in-progress posts of “Full Moon”
• Timelapse video of the featured monthly artwork + details about the process and challenges
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 160 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. Some of the topics I’ve discussed on Substack:
• Should authors pay for book reviews?
• How to make discontinued or slow-moving merchandise sell
• Money-saving hacks to help weather the slow season
• Ways to tastefully accept tips or donations without obnoxiously asking for money
• Red and green flags to be aware of when researching potential new events
• In-person networking tips when you meet successful vendors at events
• Realistic goals and expectations for your newsletter
• Finding patterns in consumer comments and applying that data to your strategy
**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
BOOK IV: LAB RAT Updates & Chapter List
Read the list of chapter titles (WARNING: there are potential spoilers for new fans who haven’t finished the first three books yet!!)
Information About Being a Chronicles of Avilésor Beta Reader
I work with a select group of handpicked beta readers when editing my novels, but I do have fans sometimes ask about being considered. Here’s what they need to know.
RECENT EVENTS
October 12: Under the Harvest Moon Festival in Dowagiac, MI
October 19: Comic & Collector’s Con in South Bend, IN
October 29: Lafayette Comic-Con in Lafayette, IN
November 2-3: 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:
Saturday, November 16, 2024
10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Sunday, November 17, 2024
10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Century Center
South Bend, 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
HOMETOWN HOLIDAY MARKET
Saturday, November 30, 2024
8:00 am - 2:00 pm
Broadway & Third Street
Chesterton, 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
KRIS KRINGLE MARKET
Friday, December 13, 2024
5:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Saturday, December 14, 2024
11:00 am - 7:00 pm
1515 119th Street Parking Lot
Whiting, IN
19th ANNUAL GARDENING SHOW
Saturday, January 25, 2025
8:00 am - 4:00 pm
Porter County Expo Center
Valparaiso, 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
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
WOLF HOLLOW WITCHES MARKET
Saturday, October 4, 2025
3:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Boone County Fairgrounds
Belvidere, 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!
