OCTOBER 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 took this photo in my backyard a few years ago.
GENERAL UPDATES
I’m breathing a sigh of relief that my event schedule is now complete for 2025. Not only do I have every weekend booked… but every vendor fee has also been paid, which is a HUGE accomplishment for me! Now, I can focus on booking 2026 events and getting a head start.
Although I survived the peak of my event season at the end of summer, I’m still in my busy season with events every single weekend from now until early December. Some of them are out of state, which means extra travel time and mileage, but I’m excited for the new ones in the lineup this year!
BOOK UPDATES
Chronicles of Avilésor (Book IV: Lab Rat)
My ARC proofreaders have officially received a digital version of Lab Rat!
Typically, authors rely on ARCs (advanced reader copies) to generate early reviews for upcoming books. I’m utilizing my volunteers as proofreaders to help me check the book for any errors and provide one last round of feedback before I officially give the green light for publication and global distribution. In the past, I did this by myself, but I recruited help this time.
My ARC readers currently have the complete digital manuscript to start checking the formatting, layout, and content, but I’m still working on the supplemental material for the back. I hope to finish that this week so I can order proof copies. My ARC readers and I will check the print version for one last verification before publishing. (Sending them the digital version just gave them a head start on the process.)
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 PRINTS
In the last few weeks, I’ve added more of my art prints to some of my product collections, including:
Postcard & notecard: Heartless
Magnet: Nymphalidae / Kitsune / Aurora Borealis
Book print: Madison Tarrow
Build-your-own bookmark side: Broken x Heartless
Artboard: Consumed
Button: The Magic of a Book / It’s a Good Day to Read
**I’m still updating the photography for many of these additions on my website. Some of these products are event-exclusive, while others can be ordered online.
HANDMADE BOOK PAGE HOLDERS
Last year, I regularly made and sold resin page holders at my booth. However, making them at home was time consuming, and I noticed some issues with the UV resin that I was using. The holders would sometimes develop an opaque residue over time, and the products weren’t very durable if they were dropped on a hard surface. I knew I needed to switch to epoxy resin instead, but I didn’t have the materials and time to learn.
This spring, I partnered with Dead Arts, a local resin artisan who agreed to take over making the page holders for me using much more durable epoxy resin instead of UV resin. Over the summer, I carried his handmade versions in my booth.
But he has a very different style and vibe, and people inquired about my old styles, especially the ones I’d made using dried flowers and natural materials from my garden. So… I finally bit the bullet and invested in the materials I needed to take over the production again using epoxy resin. (Dead Arts was a huge help with all of his advice during the transition!)
Using epoxy resin is different than UV resin, so there’s certainly been a learning curve with the process. I’ve experimented with new materials and techniques, including torn book pages, mica powder, and pigment dyes. I’ve also made some mistakes and wasted big chunks of resin that hardened too quickly before I could use them.
Sanding and polishing the holders has, unfortunately, proven to be a very time-consuming process. I was depleting the battery on my drill so quickly that I had to buy a second battery so I could have one charging while I worked. Still, I’m overall happy with how they’ve been turning out, although they’re difficult to photograph since the dyes show up best with light shining through. At my last event, I also introduced wooden versions with simple patterns that I burned into the wood by hand.
BOOTH RAVEN (aka OBSIDIAN)
I was honored to receive an amazing gift from a longtime fan! Check out this beautiful handmade raven she brought me at the Bizarre Bazaar:
It’s very lightweight and made from a paper material. I decided to name him Obsidian (in honor of an author I know). He’ll travel with us to help Onyx and Shadow guard the booth, but only for indoor events since he’s too lightweight to handle any wind and too large to fit in my car when I have to transport the tent.
ARTWORK OF THE MONTH
Book Dragon © 2025
Level 2 and 3 Patreon subscribers can learn more about my newest artwork and watch me create it in an exclusive timelapse video. Non-patrons can access this post for $3, which is the lowest price that Patreon allows me to set.
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 450 posts! Here are the latest posts since the last newsletter:
• Upcoming event announcements
• Poll for Alpha patrons to vote for their favorite art prints to be included in the first batch of pocket journals (currently in production)
• Poll results & information about the new products on the way… including a mystery product that hasn’t been revealed yet! (Patrons will get the very first look when the samples arrive)
• Author Q&A: Have I ever considered releasing a specialty sprayed edges collection?
• Exclusive behind-the-scenes news & updates about Book IV, my event schedule, new art prints & products, a pending collab in the works, and more
• Daily art in progress photos & updates
• 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
Q&A: What Does a Typical Week Look Like Between Events?
I share what happens behind the scenes on my “off” days when I’m not manning my booth at an event. (It’s a lot more than you think!)
RECENT EVENTS
September 13: NWI Pagan Pride in Crown Point, IN
September 20: The Sunflower Fair in La Porte, IN
September 27: The Bizarre Bazaar in Valparaiso, IN
October 4: The Wolf Hollow Witches Market in Belvidere, 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:
HALLOW-FEST
October 11-12, 2025
Lisle, IL
TABLETOP ADVENTURE CON
October 18-19, 2025
Warsaw, IN
NIGHTMARE ON CHICAGO STREET
October 25, 2025
Elgin, IL
LODGE CON
November 1-2, 2025
Peotone, IL
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
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
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. 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 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 and a woman-owned small business (as well as an indie author… me)!
