New essay out in Nightmare!

My essay, “All the Missing Mothers,” is now available free to read online over at Nightmare Magazine! It’s published as part of Issue 136, which can also be ordered via ebook.

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BEHIND THE ESSAY

Since this piece is nonfiction, it speaks for itself, so I won’t dive too deep into the inspiration. What I do want to say is that this is the most personal nonfiction piece I’ve ever written. It was a raw subject that I couldn’t speak about for a long time.

Since this piece has come out, I’ve had many kind readers reach out to me to share what it’s meant to them and how isolated they felt at the time. As much as I wish it was less common an experience, it’s felt heartening to know it has reached others in a meaningful way.

Please note that the subject matter is heavy for this piece! Content warnings below.

About the Essay

Personal essay about fairytales in connection with maternal mortality.

Content Warnings

childbirth, blood, medical, near death

Beautiful cover for Nightmare 136!

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My essay on Nightmare’s website!

NIGHTMARE MAGAZINE

Nightmare has been one of my favorite magazines for years! I discovered it early on my journey into the world of short fiction. I read it regularly and am a subscriber. It’s been a dream of mine to have a piece out at Nightmare, so I’m thrilled that this essay—one that means so much to me—is published with them.

Thanks for reading my behind-the-essay post about “All the Missing Mothers”! As always, previews, about the essay, and content warnings for all my essays are available on my nonfiction page.

2023 Awards Eligibility / 2023 Publications

Friends, I’m excited to share my first-ever awards eligibility post! I thought it would be fun to take a few minutes to share about all the pieces I published this year. I’d be honored if you’d consider reading any of these. :)

In general, horror stories and nonfiction are eligibile for Stoker Awards, while science fiction and fantasy stories are eligible for the Hugos, Nebulas, and Locus awards. Please see individual awards websites for specific rules.

My eligibility posts on social media:

INSTAGRAM | TWITTER

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“Wanted: Bone-White Skull-Patterned Lace Trim” | PSEUDOPOD

HORROR, SHORT STORY (6.1K)

About the Story

A modern Gothic Rosemary's Baby if the coven were a wholesome sewing circle.

Content Warnings

pregnancy, miscarriage, verbal abuse (in backstory), dead mother (off-page)

*Also available through your favorite podcatcher! Look for the PseudoPod podcast!

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“CHINA DOLL” | ASEPTIC AND FAINTLY SADISTIC

HORROR, SHORT STORY (3.1K)

About the Story

A college girl begins dating a boy, but someone watches. (Themes of exoticism, transformation, and misogyny.)

Content Warnings

racism (outright & implied), racist historical events (off-page), sexual content, dubious consent, degradation, rape (off-page & instances involving shades of questionable sexual interaction)

*If you would like a complimentary copy for possible awards consideration, feel free to email me at kelseayuauthor@gmail.com or DM me at @anovelescape on IG/Twitter!

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“THE ORCHARD OF TOMORROW” | CLARKESWORLD

SCIENCE FICTION, SHORT STORY (5K)

About the Story

In a future ravaged by climate change, a woman tries to win back her former best friend by telling a tale of the Monkey King and the Peaches of Immortality.

Content Warnings

climate crisis, death including death of parents (off-page), fire (off-page), starvation, class discrimination

*Also available through your favorite podcatcher! Look for the Clarkesworld podcast!

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“A SCARCITY OF SHARKS” | RECKONING

SCIENCE FICTION, SHORT STORY (4.3K)

About the Story

In a future where (great) white sharks have not been seen for years, a team of scientists sets out to discover if they are truly lost.

Content Warnings

climate crisis, animal death & trophy hunting (off-page), shark finning (off-page), animal injury, self sacrifice

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“IN MEMORIES WE DROWN” | CLARKESWORLD

SCIENCE FANTASY, SHORT STORY (6.4K)

About the Story

In a climate-collapsed world, a marine botanist in an underwater lab discovers a plant that tastes of the home she's lost.

Content Warnings

climate collapse, loss, grief, depression

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“THE GATEWAY BACK TO GOTHIC: 13 GOTHIC HORROR BOOKS BY BIPOC AUTHORS” | PSYCHOPOMP

personal essay, nonfiction (1.7K)

About the Essay

Personal essay about falling back in love with Gothic fiction, accompanied by BIPOC Gothic book recs.

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“HUOGUO" | STONE SOUP

personal essay, nonfiction (1K)

About the Essay

Personal essay about my family's hot pot tradition.

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I’ve been fortunate to find such incredible homes for my pieces this year! As always, links and more info (including previews!) are available for my short stories here and my essays here. Thank you to everyone who has read or shared my writing! And special thanks to those who have tagged or messaged me with kind words about them! You make this all worthwhile. <3

New short story out in Clarkesworld!

My short story, “In Memories We Drown,” is now available free to read online over at Clarkesworld Magazine! It’s published as part of Issue 207, which can also be ordered via ebook.

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Gorgeous cover for Clarkesworld 207!

BEHIND THE STORY

“In Memories We Drown” is my first science fantasy piece and my longest short story published so far. It was also the most challenging for me to write, in numerous regards.

Some stories, like “Wanted: Bone-White Skull-Patterned Lace Trim”, come out in a frenzy—the result of one weekend of typing away furiously. (Note: I did do one major revision for that story, but otherwise it was smooth sailing.) Other stories refuse to cooperate. This was the latter.

I wrote and revised “In Memories We Drown” over the course of a year, a process which included 11 drafts, 50+ hours, eight critiques, four brief interviews for research, and more words cut than I kept.

As I was talking to my friend, Maraia, about it this morning, I started thinking back on the origins. This piece was born from the skeleton of other stories. The setting, an underwater station, was one I originally imagined for a totally different (since trunked) story. Rosalie’s character arc was initially a piece pulled out of another finicky story that hasn’t yet cooperated (but which I still hope to get into shape someday). And the opening scene was one that has been vivid in my mind for a while now—inside an underwater lab, a bioluminescent plant pulses bright. It’s a story born of discards (those parts of the stories that I just couldn’t let go of) and one beautiful, imagined moment.

From there, I wove in food memories (the ones in the story were mostly sourced from friends and family, hence the brief interviews), a lot of ocean research, a dual timeline, and a love story.

The things I threw out mostly had to do with the challenge of world-building a story set underwater and how difficult it was to get Rosalie’s character arc to feel right. Usually, openings and endings come easier to me, and it’s the middle I find difficult. I kept writing and rewriting the middle, and finally realized that it was the ending that felt too cleanly tied up, to the point of feeling almost disingenuous in how I’d initially imagined it. It didn’t carry the right emotional wrap-up to match the rest of the story.

What I did land on is more of an open ending than what I usually write. It’s possibility without promise. I won’t say more because spoilers!

Also, I’ve learned that if I keep trying things and still can’t figure out how to fix a piece, I need to get some trusted eyes on it. The critiques I got from my husband, my mom, C.G. Drews, Jena Brown, Jill Tew, D.M. Vickerson, S, and Y.M. Pang were invaluable in helping me shape the story.

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My story on Clarkesworld’s website!

Clarkesworld MAGAZINE

The much-beloved Clarkesworld is in no need of my endorsement, so all I’ll say is that it’s an honor being published in such a well-respected magazine for a second time.

“In Memories We Drown” was the first story I’ve ever submitted to a venue I’ve been previously published in. It’s been a dream come true having two of my three SF stories published at Clarkesworld. (My story, “The Orchard of Tomorrow,” was published in the July issue earlier this year.)

Thanks for reading my behind-the-story post about “In Memories We Drown”! As always, previews, story hints, and content warnings for all my stories are available on my short stories page.

New short story out in Reckoning!

My short story, “A Scarcity of Sharks,” is now available free to read online over at Reckoning Magazine! It’s published as part of Issue 7, which can also be ordered via ebook or print book.

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Gorgeous cover for Reckoning 7!

BEHIND THE STORY

One thing I’ve been wanting to do with these blog posts is share behind-the-story of various pieces. To explain how “A Scarcity of Sharks” came about, I first need to tell you about a different piece.

In 2020, I was working on a novel that required extensive research. I consumed over 70 pieces of media (nonfiction books, novels, movies, podcasts, documentaries), including a fair number which focused on sharks and oceans.

Here’s the (sad? funny?) thing: I never finished that novel. It’s the book I was writing during NaNoWriMo 2020 (I reference it in the Afterword to Bound Feet and in my podcast interview on Dog-Eared Nightmares). And aside from the trauma that abruptly stopped my work on that book, the story’s needs had grown out of control. All that research I did still didn’t feel like enough for the scope of the piece I’d planned to tell.

I still hope to return to that novel someday. But in the meantime, something was born of all that research.

Sharks have been my favorite animals for a very long time. I was vaguely aware that humans are killing off sharks, that we are hurting our oceans on a large scale. But I didn’t understand the extent of it until I began researching sharks and oceans on whole. I had thought to learn about these fascinating creatures and the alien environment in which they inhabit, but every single book and documentary included a plea to all of us. To care. To save our oceans. To stop killing sharks.

With that in mind, I began writing “A Scarcity of Sharks.” It was my first near-future sci-fi/climate fiction short story.

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It’s always fun seeing my story on the front page of a magazine when it’s just been released! Here it is at Reckoning on launch day.

RECKONING MAGAZINE

When I saw that Reckoning, a magazine dedicated to creative writing on environmental justice, had an open call specifically seeking ocean-themed stories, I sent them my shark story immediately. I was absolutely thrilled to receive an acceptance from Octavia Cade, the fiction editor for Issue 7 (who is also an accomplished writer)! I knew I had found the perfect home for this piece.

That’s the story behind “A Scarcity of Sharks!” Thanks for reading my behind-the-story post. As always, previews, story hints, and content warnings for all my stories are available on my short stories page.

Podcasts & Events

Friends, I have some links to share today! I was a guest on two podcasts recently, and I was part of a flash fiction reading event last week that was recorded. :) It has been such a joy sharing and talking about my work with wonderful fellow authors and industry professionals, and I really, really appreciate everyone who has invited me to various podcasts and events!

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DOG-EARED NIGHTMARES PODCAST

L.P. Hernandez is a fellow author from the My Dark Library novella series (published by Cemetery Gates Media with Sadie Hartmann)! His novella, Stargazers, was the first published in the series, and it is SO good—I hope you all consider picking up a copy if you haven’t already!

L.P. was kind enough to invite me to join him as a guest on his podcast, Dog-Eared Nightmares! Last Friday eve, we chatted about Bound Feet, being newer to horror, diaspora feelings, writing things that make you feel vulnerable, and more. I also shared tips for submitting short stories and advice for new horror writers. I had a blast, and I’d be thrilled if you gave it a listen!

Listen on: Apple | Spotify | Amazon | Podbay | Bullhorn

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CUTTHROAT QUEENS PODCAST

I’ve been listening to Cutthroat Queens with Brett Mitchell Kent, Elton Skelter, & Chelsea Pumpkins from the start, so I was thrilled when they invited me to be a guest on the show last month!

I joined Brett, Chelsea, and fellow guest author Emma E. Murray to talk about our respective books (Bound Feet for me, Exquisite Hunger for Emma), as well as our writing processes, book recommendations, and what it’s like writing dark stories. It was especially fun since we recorded on Emma’s book release day, so we were able to celebrate with her!

Listen to “Episode 6.5, Summertime Sadness,” which includes our conversation along with a chat between Elton and D.A. Holmes (Coming Out of the Coffin)!

LISTEN ON: PODBEAN | APPLE | iHEART

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SPACE COWBOY BOOKS PRESENTS: FLASH FICTION READING WITH AUTHORS FROM FANTASY MAGAZINE

Last Tuesday, I joined fellow authors Sam Kyung Yoo and Moses Ose Utomi for a flash fiction reading of our respective stories in Fantasy Magazine! We were joined by host Jean-Paul from Space Cowboy Books and Arley Sorg, co-editor of Fantasy!

It was a fun, short little event (~20 min total) and I thoroughly enjoyed both Sam and Moses’ stories. The event was recorded, so you can watch/listen at the link below! You can also read my story, “Harvest of the Deep,” on the magazine’s website. If you’re curious, I also shared a fun little behind-the-scenes post about this story on Instagram here. :)

P.S. If you’re in the Joshua Tree, CA area, check out Space Cowboy Books! They’re a very cool indie bookstore that sells used & new books with a SF focus. And if you don’t live around there, they have a lot of cool online events and a podcast you can check out on their website.

EVENT: WATCH ON YOUTUBE | LISTEN ON BANDCAMP

STORY: READ AT FANTASY MAGAZINE

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For links to all events and interviews, upcoming and past, you can always check out my events page here and my interviews page here! Thanks for tuning in! :)

Bound Feet is a 2022 Shirley Jackson Awards Nominee!

Exciting news! Bound Feet has been nominated for a 2022 Shirley Jackson Award in the Novella category! I’m absolutely over the moon and so, so grateful. :)

The winners will be announced next weekend at ReaderCon. Sadly, I’m unable to attend the convention, but I’ll be streaming the awards show at home!

Check out all the nominees here. I’m honored that Bound Feet is listed among such stellar company. What an incredible list!

If you’re so inclined, you can read about why the Shirley Jackson is Becky Spratford’s favorite award here.

And for those who haven’t picked up Bound Feet yet, learn more about it here! Thank you all so much for your support of my ghost garden novella. :)

New short story out in Clarkesworld!

Hi all! I had planned to publish a blog update each month, but too many things kept coming up and I ran out of time. So, instead, I’m going to try to share smaller updates as new things happen!

Today’s news is that I have a new story published in Clarkesworld Issue 202! “The Orchard of Tomorrow” is a near-future science fiction story featuring two former best friends, a peach orchard, and a story about Sun Wukong, the Monkey King from the Chinese classic, Journey to the West.

This story is dear to my heart, and I’m honored to have it published with such an incredible SFF magazine. Click on the cover above or the button below to read it online for free. You can purchase the ebook here or support the magazine here. :)

February 2023 Monthly Wrap-Up

The month started with my baby turning one! She had a cold, so she was slightly miserable, but noodles and cake cheered her up a bit. She and my four-year-old have been getting along really well, which has been lovely to see.

As for the rest of this month? It was…a lot. Thanks to family being out of town, illnesses, the kids having trouble sleeping, and snow, I had a lot less babysitting time and less energy than usual, while simultaneously having an immense amount of work. I’ll talk more about this in the “on learning to say no” section below, but I want to mention this because I get a lot of “I don’t know how you do it all!” comments. They don’t bother me—it helps remind me that I am doing a lot—but I think it’s important to share the reality. There is a cost to taking on a lot, and sometimes other people take on part of that cost. I’ve really appreciated that in order to max out my writing time, my husband has been handling the kids’ evening routine so that I can write from 7-10pm each night. Late afternoon and evening are my best writing times, so this has been key to my making progress in revisions.

Kelsea’s laptop + latte on her new writing desk!

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NOVEL REVISIONS + MORE!

This month, I spent most of my writing time revising It’s Only a Game! This will likely be the most substantial revision with my editor, in large part because we’re making structural changes that include my writing a lot of new chapters and scenes in addition to deepening the characters’ histories and relationships. It’s been a lot of work, but I’m loving how the book is turning out!

I also wrote and submitted the cover memo for It’s Only a Game—the document that will help kick off the design process, which I’m really looking forward to. And I filled out Bloomsbury’s author questionnaire, which will help the publicity and marketing teams. It’s been fascinating going through this process, and I’m really enjoying each step along the way.

And, as part of thinking about publicity and marketing, I researched local photographers. After looking through tons of sites, I found one I absolutely love. We chatted over the weekend and scheduled a session for spring. Professional author photos are the gift I promised myself for when I sold my first book in traditional publishing, so this step is also making everything feel more real!

“Revise” mug for motivation

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Gorgeous cover for ASEPTIC AND FAINTLY SADISTIC

AWARDS + RECOGNITION

It’s awards season! I was excited to see some news for two of the anthologies I’m in.

Death in the Mouth, which includes my story, “Obedient Son,” was selected for the 2022 Locus Recommended Reading List in the Anthologies category! That means that it’s automatically on the ballot to be voted upon by the public. There is no association membership requirement to vote—all you have to do is go to this link, if you’re so inclined. There are a lot of amazing books and stories on the list!

And, Dark Matter Presents: Human Monsters, which includes my story, “I Swear I Didn’t Kill the Others,” is officially a 2022 Bram Stoker Award Nominee in the Anthologies category!! Horror Writers’ Association members will vote on the final ballot, so the winner hasn’t been determined yet, but it’s exciting for the anthology to be recognized as one of the five finalists in the category. :)

On a personal note, I was absolutely floored to find that “China Doll,” my story in the upcoming Aseptic & Faintly Sadistic anthology (benefiting the Chicago Abortion Fund), was mentioned in a very cool horror podcast, Cutthroat Queens! They invited the fantastic editor, Jolie Toomajan, as a guest on the podcast, and they had the nicest things to say. Plus, the podcast was such a fun listen all around! I’m mentioned in this episode shorter after the 39 minute mark, in case you’re curious.

In the five months since its release, I’ve also been tagged in many kind mentions and reviews of Bound Feet, which has been incredibly lovely. Too many to mention them all here, but I appreciate every single one. <3

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GETTING ORGANIZED!

My husband and I have been using Microsoft’s To Do List app for a while, but we’ve been looking for something with more functionality. My friend Dana showed me her Trello boards, and they looked so good I had to try them out! So, this month, my husband and I set up a shared ‘workspace’ with boards for grocery lists, errands, etc…and I set up a separate workspace I’ve dubbed “Kelsea’s Writing Desk.”

So far, we’re loving Trello! I made a separate board for each book or book concept (novellas + novels), a board for short stories, another for essays, and then boards for other author things (tasks like claiming my Goodreads author page or strategies to discuss with my agent) and bookish things (Netgalley reviews, book clubs, etc.). It was really intuitive to set everything up, and I love how visually appealing it is. I’ve been using it to clear It’s Only a Game revision notes, among other things. And I like that it has a desktop app for Mac as well! Super convenient.

Kelsea’s starred Trello boards

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Say no to overcommitting, yes to snacks.

ON LEARNING TO SAY NO

One thing I’ve often struggled with is my tendency to say yes to too many things. I get hyped for so many projects, and I love helping others however I can. Unfortunately, I almost always underestimate how long things will take. I’m also a perfectionist who hates putting anything less than my full effort in. And it’s really important to me to keep my promises, which I like about myself…but also means I tend to sacrifice sleep or downtime or whatever I need to sacrifice in order to keep those promises.

These days, with two kids under five, a house we still haven’t finished fully moving into, a writing career that’s starting to really take off, my spouse having a full time job, and all the other little things that come up in life, I’ve begun to recognize just how detrimental my tendency to overcommit is becoming to me and to my family. Sometimes, keeping those promises I’ve made to others means taking time away from spending it with the kids. Or it means staying up late to finish something up, and then being unfairly snappish the next day. Or it means being so stressed that I start getting stomachaches, headaches, toothaches, eczema flares, and other fun symptoms, which is what happened this month.

So…I’m finally recognizing that I need to start saying no. And I need to learn to be okay with saying no.

Last fall, I saw an open call for novella pitches from a small press I really respect and admire—one of the presses on my “someday dream” list. I brainstormed a story concept that would fit their call and sent it in. They loved it, and invited me to write and submit the full manuscript novella to them at my earliest convenience. I was excited and planned to write it immediately…but then I ended up unexpectedly getting two (completely separate) book deals shortly after that conversation. With those book deals/contracts came new deadlines. So I let this publisher know that I’d need more time, figuring I’d work on it later this year.

But this month, with all the difficulties and stress symptoms I’ve had, I made myself take a hard look at everything on my plate, and I realized that no matter how much I wish I could write that book this year on top of everything else I have planned and promised others, it just isn’t realistic.

I didn’t want to keep stringing the publisher along—I think people deserve better than that, and I think it’s important to keep everyone informed—and even the thought of having yet another thing on my plate this year was stressing me out. So, after much agonizing and internal debate, I contacted them to let them know. They were so, so kind and supportive, which made it both harder and easier.

And even though I still feel a pang when I think about the novella that could have been, I’m so glad I did it. I still hope to write that story someday, but now there’s no timeline or expectation attached to it, so it can happen on its own time.

It’s one step toward a more sustainable career and stronger work-life balance, which is one of my big goals for 2023.

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FEBRUARY HIGHLIGHTS

• Wrote | worked on It’s Only a Game revisions | final edit pass for “China Doll"

• Interviewed | HWA interviewed me for Women in Horror Month (March)—I’ll share the link when it’s public!

• Critiqued for friends | critiqued 1 novel

• Read 12 submissions | combined for Dark Matter Presents: Monster Lairs, khōréō magazine

• Reviewed 3 books | Netgalley, Goodreads, etc.

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FEBRUARY RECOMMENDED READS

I find it difficult to draft new scenes while reading books in a different category/genre/vibe from what I’m writing. Since this revision involved drafting fourteen new chapters and several new scenes, I’ve been sticking to reading YA thrillers and listening to music or podcasts (since they don’t mess up my writing voice/vibe). As such, I read less than usual: 6 books. Here were a few favorites:

• After Dark with Roxie Clark by Brooke Lauren Davis | My editor sent me this YA thriller (which she helped edit), and it was absolutely wonderful—loved the characters, the ‘after dark’ tours, and the big reveal!

• The Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley (reread!) | This was an audiobook reread, and I was already tearing up from the start—Angeline Boulley is BRILLIANT and the narration is perfect. This upper YA/crossover book is an absolute must-read that combines thriller with contemporary fic perfectly. I’d recommend it to anyone and everyone!

• The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson | This YA thriller/horror book was recommended by my friend Maraia, and as usual, she did not steer me wrong. What a powerful, suspenseful story about desegregating prom, a girl with terrifying powers, and a small town reckoning long in the making.

January 2023 Monthly Wrap-Up

Since I really enjoyed writing up my 2022 year-in-review, I thought it would be fun to start doing monthly posts along those lines! I also used to share a lot of book recommendations on my Instagram account, but I’ve had less time for lately, so this is also my way to get back to sharing books I loved. I’ll include them at the end of each post. :)

Kelsea’s writing desk with writer mug and celebratory carrot cake for her first sale of 2023 (“Huoguo” essay)!

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ESSAYS GALORE!

2023 kicked off with a bang! On New Year Day, I received an acceptance from Sarah Gailey for my very first nonfiction piece: an essay on my family’s hot pot tradition and community care! We decided to slot it in to publish around Lunar New Year, so parts of the first week of January were spent compiling a hot pot recipe with my mom and working on edits for it. My mom painted a gorgeous piece to accompany it. “Huoguo” was published through The Personal Canons Cookbook on January 25, and it is available to read for free!

I took my mom’s painting on a walk around the area and snapped photos of it for Instagram, which was amusing!

And then…inspiration for another essay hit later this month when I saw the submission guidelines for Psychopomp. I typed up an essay in a frenzy (the same way I did for “Huoguo”), fixed it up over the next few days, and sent it in. The next day, I received an acceptance! “The Gateway Back to Gothic” will be published via the Psychopomp newsletter in late February/early March, then posted on their website at a later date!

Huoguo Painting by Pearl Yu

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Cover of Reckoning, Issue 7

SHORT STORIES!

My first sci-fi / cli-fi story, “A Scarcity of Sharks,” was published in Reckoning 7, released via ebook early this month! It will be available in print form in July (preorder here) and free to read online in September.

The origin story: a few years ago, I was working on a horror novel. As part of the research for it, I read 23 nonfiction books on sharks, diving, oceans, and marine biology. Though I decided to set aside the novel (and hopefully return to it in the future!), all this info was sitting in my head…along with a torrent of emotions that came from reading about what we’re doing to our oceans. From there, this story was born. I ended up pouring a lot of that knowledge and those feelings into “A Scarcity of Sharks,” and I’m really proud of it. I’m so glad it found a wonderful home!

Early in the month, I revised another cli-fi piece I had written in late December, then submitted it to a dream venue. Fingers crossed!

I also started a new coastal horror story I’m really excited about. It’s threatening to be a longer piece (as often happens with my short stories), but I’m trying to keep it reigned in as a short story, for now!

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NOVEL REVISIONS!

Aside from the above, my writing time this month was spent working on revisions for It’s Only a Game! I reread and reverse-outlined my manuscript, sent it to my editor for notes, and then started drafting the scenes we’re adding to the book. I’m really excited about all the changes we’re making. I was already proud of the story, and I think Camille’s vision is going to make it even stronger!

I also got info about my cover memo and author questionnaire, which is exciting. And I started looking into photographers for my official author photos!

Aesthetic for IT’S ONLY A GAME

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Cover of Space & Time, Issue 142

OTHER BITS AND BOBS!

A few other random bits: I met up with Frances Lu-Pai Ippolito, which was really fun! Frances gave me a copy of Space & Time Issue 142, where she’d interviewed me for a six-pack author feature.

January was also a bit of a wild month for reading submissions, since three venues I’m reading for were open! I read lots of great stories and am excited to see the final line-up for each magazine/anthology.

One thing I’m proud of is that I worked toward a big 2023 goals of mine: to support fellow BIPOC writers in various ways. I reviewed some BIPOC-authored books I loved, critiqued several queries for BIPOC writers, and shared BIPOC-authored book recommendations (both on social media & in my forthcoming gothic essay).

January was busy, but it was exciting busy! We ended the month with a huoguo dinner and cake, an early celebration of my baby’s first birthday. :)

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JANUARY HIGHLIGHTS

• Published “A Scarcity of Sharks” (ebook)!! | cli-fi story published in Reckoning ebook (print: July | free online: Sep)

• Sold & Published “Huǒguō”! | essay published in The Personal Canons Cookbook

• Sold “The Gateway Back to Gothic”! | essay + book recommendations to be published by Psychopomp

• Wrote | revised cli-fi story | began revisions for It’s Only a Game | co-wrote & revised hot pot recipe with my mom | revised “Huoguo” essay | started new coastal horror story | wrote “The Gateway Back to Gothic” essay

• Interviewed | Frances Lu-Pai Ippolito interviewed me in Space & Time Issue 142

• Blurbed | 2 books: Linghun by Ai Jiang & The Merry Dredgers by Jeremy C. Shipp

• Critiqued for friends | 1 short story, 6 query letters, 4 various other

• Read 53 submissions | combined for Dark Matter Presents: Monster Lairs, Dark Matter Magazine, khōréō magazine

• Reviewed 23 books | Netgalley, Goodreads, etc.

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JANUARY RECOMMENDED READS

This month, I read 13 books! Here were a few of my favorites:

• Disability Visibility edited by Alice Wong | a heartfelt and thought-provoking collection of essays by a wide range of disabled authors that covers a vast range of topics and experiences

• Linghun by Ai Jiang | a haunting horror novella about grief and so much more that will linger with readers for years to come

• Wasps in the Ice Cream by Tim McGregor | a nostalgic, coming-of-age horror novel that’s impossible to put down and boasts an unforgettable cast

• Song of Silver, Flame Like Night by Amélie Wen Zhao | a stunning epic fantasy novel that both broke my heart and pieced it back together again

• She is a Haunting by Trang Thanh Tran | a fast-paced, creepy and thoughtful YA horror novel that explores family and identity in a haunted house in Vietnam

• Unquiet Spirits edited by Lee Murray & Angela Yuriko Smith | a beautiful, brilliant collection of essays by Asian women in horror that tore my soul apart in the best way

• The Merry Dredgers by Jeremy C. Shipp | a trippy horror novella with a mashup of cults and carnivals that was wildly fun and impossible to put down

• Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo | the sequel to Ninth House that absolutely delivered with more delightfully dangerous dark academia

2022 Year-in-Review

As the year winds to a close, I’ve been reflecting on what an absolutely wild time 2022 was for me. SO much happened! I kept meaning to post about each thing on here, but I never managed to find the time. So, instead of individual posts about each thing, I figured I’d do a 2022 wrap-up. First, a little recap by month, then some overall thoughts & stats at the end. I’ll also include some of my favorite reads, since I always mean to share more about those!

January

January was the last month of a very tough pregnancy. I spent most of it eating chips, caring for my three-year-old, and doing whatever I could to make it through the day. When I could focus enough to write, I worked on my gothic horror novel, a manuscript I began in November 2021. Near the end of the month, I attended DVcon, a free online convention for marginalized writers run by the #DVpit crew, for the second time. I highly recommend it!

Highlights:

• Wrote | wrote 16K of gothic horror novel

• Attended | DVcon

• Read 10 books | faves: Juniper & Thorn by Ava Reid, What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher, The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories by Ken Liu, Sitting Pretty by Rebekah Taussig, Being Seen by Elsa Sjunneson

February

My baby was born on the first of the month! I almost died from postpartum hemorrhage, and recovery took a long time. It was a pretty rough month, as one might imagine. It was also such a joy finally getting to meet her. <3 When I could sneak time to write here and there, I continued working on my gothic horror novel (wrote 4K more). And I read a lot.

Highlights:

• My littlest was born!

• Wrote | wrote 4K of gothic horror novel | final edits for “Obedient Son”

• Read 16 books | faves: Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher, Book of Night by Holly Black, Children of Chicago by Cynthia Pelayo, Wake the Bones by Elizabeth Kilcoyne, The Last Housewife by Ashley Winstead, The Red Palace by June Hur

MARCH

With the baby being so young, this was a busy month. But thanks to supportive family (my husband, my parents, and my in-laws), I was able to sneak in some writing time! I was determined to submit a story to Sadie Hartmann & Ashley Saywers’ Human Monsters anthology, and I ended up writing “I Swear I Didn’t Kill the Others,” my most challenging-to-craft story yet. I’m thrilled they accepted it!

And another exciting thing happened that month: my debut story, “A Tale of Wickedness,” was published through the fabulous Classic Monsters Unleashed anthology! The special edition was shipped out to Kickstarter backers & contributors in March. It was such a thrill being able to hold my debut story in my hands for the first time! Fun fact about “A Tale of Wickedness”—it was the fourth story I wrote for that submission call. The first three were all too long, but each was shorter than the previous. The first is now a novella, the second is a novelette I’m considering expanding to a novella, the third I scrapped, and the fourth was the one that was accepted! I was really determined to send something in, heh.

Highlights:

• PUBLISHED “A Tale of Wickedness”!! | debut / horror story published in Classic Monsters Unleashed

• SOLD “I Swear I Didn’t Kill the Others”! | wrote & sold a short horror story to Dark Matter Presents: Human Monsters

• Read 8 books | fave: Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell

APRIL

At the start of the month, I attended Flights of Foundry—a lovely, free SFF online convention that I definitely recommend! And I started first reading for khōréō! (I read story submissions and send pieces I think will fit the magazine to the editors.) I had no idea that my career was about to change in a major way.

Mid-month, two humongous milestones happened on the same day. First: I received notice that my horror novella, Bound Feet, had been accepted for Sadie Hartmann’s My Dark Library series with Cemetery Gates Media! Sadie, Mother Horror, is such a superstar in the horror community. I was and am still so, so thrilled that she (and Joe of CGM) chose my little book for her novella line!

Second: few hours after the novella news, I hopped on a call with the fabulous Jen Azantian of Azantian Literary Agency…and she made an offer! With her passion for my writing, her stellar reputation, her phenomenal sales record, and her dedication to championing marginalized writers, signing with her was a no brainer. I am so, so happy I have an incredible partner in my traditional publishing endeavors. For those curious, the book she signed me for was a young adult thriller, and we connected through #DVpit!

Rounded off an already-magnificent month with another acceptance: Reckoning magazine bought “A Scarcity of Sharks,” a story I love very much, featuring my favorite animal. After all that, I spent the latter half of the month revising my YA thriller based on my agent’s notes. :)

Highlights

• SIGNED WITH AGENT!!!! | signed with Jen Azantian of Azantian Literary Agency

• SOLD Bound Feet!! | debut / horror novella acquired by Sadie Hartmann’s My Dark Library Series, published through Cemetery Gates Media

• SOLD “A Scarcity of Sharks”! | sold short sci-fi story to Reckoning, Issue 7

• Wrote | started revising It’s Only a Game, my YA thriller, with my agent

• Attended | Flights of Foundry

• Read submissions | started first reading for khōréō

• Read 11 books | faves: Below by Laurel Hightower & The Way Spring Arrives and Other Stories edited by Yu Chen

MAY

May was a bit calmer! I finished up It’s Only a Game revisions, worked on some new short stories, and took a trip to the San Juan Islands with my family. I did some location research for my gothic horror novel there. And I polished five book pitches for future manuscripts, and sent them to my agent to get her opinions. :)

HIGHLIGHTS

• Wrote | finished first round agent revisions for It’s Only a Game | polished five book pitches

• Vacationed | spent just under a week in the San Juan Islands

• Read 18 books | faves: Only a Monster by Vanessa Len, Gallant by V.E. Schwab, The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas, Laziness Does Not Exist by Devon Price

JUNE

Things got wild again when we decided, really suddenly, to move out and sell our house. We made the decision and then moved out in 10.5 days, which is something I never want to repeat again. Especially since we moved states (from Washington to Oregon) and the baby was only five months old (and still exclusively breastfed at the time). In writing-related news, I worked on second round revisions for It’s Only a Game, the cover for Bound Feet was revealed, and I started first reading for Dark Matter Magazine—beginning with their Monstrous Futures anthology!

HIGHLIGHTS

• Moved | started packing our stuff & preparing our house for sale

• Revised | started second round agent revisions for It’s Only a Game

• Read submissions | started first reading for Dark Matter Magazine

• Cover reveal | first ever cover reveal—for Bound Feet!

• Read 13 books | faves: Babel, Or the Necessity of Violence by R.F. Kuang, Jade Legacy by Fonda Lee, Book Lovers by Emily Henry, See You Yesterday by Rachel Lynn Solomon

JULY

The start of my birthday month was hectic—in the first few days, we finished up packing, preparing our house for sale, and moving states. We moved in with my parents for a few months while figuring out our new housing situation. After settling in, I continued reading submissions for Dark Matter Presents: Monstrous Futures and finished up second round revisions for my YA thriller. I also fixed up a few stories I’d written in 2021 and started submitting them around.

At the end of the month, I sold a horror story to PseudoPod for publication in 2023—my first podcast sale! I got the idea for this story years before writing it, and it was gratifying being able to bring it to life! July also brought the audiobook and trade paperback, hardcover, & ebook release of Classic Monsters Unleashed—including fantastic narration of my story, “A Tale of Wickedness”!

HIGHLIGHTS

• PUBLISHED “A Tale of Wickedness”!! | Classic Monsters Unleashed trade edition released: paperback, hardcover, audiobook, ebook

• SOLD “Wanted: Bone-White, Skull-Patterned Lace Trim”! | sold short horror story to PseudoPod

• Turned 35!

• Moved | finished moving & putting our house up for sale

• Wrote | finished second round agent revisions for It’s Only a Game | revised several older short stories | final edits for “Wanted: Bone-White, Skull-Patterned Lace Trim”

• Read submissions | for Dark Matter Presents: Monstrous Futures & for khōréō

• Read 5 books | faves: Just Like Home by Sarah Gailey, Lure by Tim McGregor, Things We Do in the Dark by Jennifer Hillier

AUGUST

August brought more excitement again—I finished up a final round of revisions on It’s Only a Game…then Jen and I went out on submission at the end of the month! I also received a story acceptance from Aseptic and Faintly Sadistic, an anthology edited by Jolie Toomajan and published by Cosmic Horror Monthly, for my story, “China Doll”! I was really nervous about this story since it pushed my writing comfort zone, but I’m also really happy with how it turned out and where it landed.

We also started looking at houses and put in an offer on one. I finished up the month by fixing up a story of mine that’s been hovering between novelette and novella length. I fleshed it out, made it squarely a novella, and began submitting it.

HIGHLIGHTS

• WENT ON SUB!! | finished final agent revisions & went out on submission (to editors) with It’s Only a Game

• SOLD “China Doll”! | sold short horror story to Aseptic & Faintly Sadistic

• Wrote | dedication + afterword + acknowledgements for Bound Feet | re-outlined gothic horror novel | expanded a gothic horror novelette into a novella

• Bought a house! | the sale of our old house closed and we put in an offer on a new house—which was accepted!

• Read 7 books | faves: Wild is the Witch by Rachel Griffin, Sometimes We're Cruel and Other Stories by J.A.W. McCarthy, The Depths by Nicole Lesperance, Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield, Story Genius by Lisa Cron

SEPTEMBER

September was a big, big month. First, I sold two stories! “Creature,” my first-ever short story (written in January 2021) will be published by the long-running Kaleidotrope in 2024! It’s a piece of my heart and I’m so happy I’ll get to share it with you all. And I made my first fantasy & flash fiction sale. “Harvest of the Deep” was acquired by the wonderful Fantasy magazine! I also received my first-ever anthology invitation, which I’ll share all about once it’s announced. I finished re-outlining my gothic horror novel and sent the outline to my agent, who provided her notes. :) And I joined both the Horror Writers Association & the Science Fiction Fantasy Writers Association as full members.

Then, Rob Carroll, the editor-in-chief of Dark Matter Ink, invited me to submit to the imprint. I sent several pitches, and we signed a contract for a modern gothic horror novella, The Bones Beneath Paris, to be published in February 2024! Dark Matter Ink is doing fantastic work and I’m so, so excited to be working with them on my next novella! I also pitched a historical pulp thriller novella to another imprint that’s interested—and I’ll be subbing that piece to them once I have a chance to write it next year. :)

And, of course…MY FIRST EVER SOLO BOOK RELEASED!!! My debut novella, Bound Feet, was published on September 27! There’s more about the story origins in the afterword, but suffice to say, this book lies very, very close to my heart. Writing it helped me through a really tough time, and it’s been absolutely wonderful seeing the reception it’s had from readers. (I don’t read my Goodreads reviews, but I do keep an eye on the stats page, and I read the messages and posts readers tag me in.) I also commissioned bookplates to celebrate the release, and ran a preorder campaign!

HIGHLIGHTS

• PUBLISHED Bound Feet!!! | debut / horror novella published by Cemetery Gates Media

• SOLD The Bones Beneath Paris!! | horror novella acquired by Dark Matter Ink

• SOLD “Creature”! | sold a short horror story to Kaleidotrope

• SOLD “Harvest of the Deep”! | sold a fantasy flash fiction piece to Fantasy

• ANTHOLOGY INVITE! | first ever invitation to an (unannounced) anthology as a featured author

• Wrote | finished re-outlining gothic horror novel | pitch for pulp novella

• Joined | SFWA & HWA

• Read 8 books | faves: The Honeys by Ryan La Sala, Sometime in Summer by Katrina Leno, Unmasking Autism by Devon Price

OCTOBER

Another big month! Two stories of mine were released. First, “Obedient Son,” my horror retelling of a Chinese folklore tale, was published in Sloane Leong & Cassie Hart’s gorgeous Death in the Mouth anthology. It was the first piece of mine that got its own custom illustration, and the book is absolutely stunning. I’m so excited my story was included! I also did my first ever author event, a contributor panel for Death in the Mouth! I was nervous, but it turned out to be really fun.

Second, “I Swear I Didn’t Kill the Others” was released in Dark Matter Presents: Human Monsters! This story took two outlines, seven drafts, ten critiques, and three consultations with a surgeon to get the details right. It was such a blast to write. The anthology is gorgeous and I’m obsessed with the cover. Sadie Hartmann and I also talked about the story—and Bound Feet—in an interview!

And then…the BIG BIG BIG NEWS. At the start of the month, I got a call from Jen letting me know an editor was interested in It’s Only a Game! I did a call with Camille Kellogg of Bloomsbury Children’s, and instantly knew I’d be incredibly lucky to have her as an editor! For the next few days after the call, I waited nervously to hear how acquisitions went (the meeting where the publisher decides whether or not to make an offer). Camille kindly sent us an update right afterward, and then two weeks later, the official offer came in! The process takes a while, so I didn’t announce until December, but I spent pretty much all of October and November giddy and absolutely bursting with the news!

Oh, and our house purchase closed and we started moving in. My three-year-old (at the time) daughter also started preschool, which was pretty emotional for us all. <3

HIGHLIGHTS

• SOLD It’s Only a Game!!!! | sold YA thriller novel to Bloomsbury Children’s

• PUBLISHED “Obedient Son”!! | short horror story published in Death in the Mouth

• PUBLISHED “I Swear I Didn’t Kill the Others”!! | short horror story published in Dark Matter Presents: Human Monsters

• First two author events | Death in the Mouth contributor panel | interview by Sadie Hartmann

• Wrote | finished a short sci-fi story | worked on gothic horror novel | final edits for “China Doll”

• Moved | closed on new house & began moving in

• Read submissions | for khōréō

• Read 12 books | faves: No Gods for Drowning by Hailey Piper, Bad Cree by Jessica Johns, The Final Gambit by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, We Came From an Island by Cynthia Pelayo

NOVEMBER

November brought the publication of my first flash fiction piece, “Harvest of the Deep”, in Fantasy magazine! My anti-colonial fantasy story began as a micro-fiction (250 words), originally written for an Apex Magazine contest in 2021. I set it aside for a while, then decided to expand it and send it to Fantasy. I rarely write flash, so it was especially exciting that they loved it enough to publish it. This was my first piece published in a magazine, and the cover is GORGEOUS.

Moving is a never-ending process, it seems, and we continued to work on moving into and setting up our new space. I wrote more of my gothic horror novel, worked on various short stories, and wrote my first nonfiction essay! I also attended AugurCon for the first time, and it was AWESOME. It’s an online writers convention put on by the lovely team at Augur Magazine and I highly recommend it! I also received my first-ever blurb request, which was exciting! I have the book lined up to read early next year and I can’t wait.

HIGHLIGHTS

• PUBLISHED “Harvest of the Deep”!! | fantasy flash fiction piece published in Fantasy, Issue 85

• Wrote | wrote 6K of gothic horror novel | worked on various short stories | wrote first nonfiction essay

• First blurb request

• Moved | finished moving into new house

• Attended | AugurCon

• Read 7 books | fave: The Heroine's Journey by Gail Carriger

DECEMBER

I started the month off with an announcement for It’s Only a Game’s sale, which was fun! Then I did another call with my Bloomsbury editor, which got me excited to start YA thriller edits when January rolls around.

After that, I did something I never let myself do: I took a week off from writing to read and relax, and I felt so much more refreshed afterward. The rest of the month was pretty busy with holidays, seeing friends & family, my eldest daughter’s birthday, and attempts to wrap up writing goals for the year. I did manage to work on a few short stories and wrote a teensy bit more of my gothic horror novel. I also joined Codex!

HIGHLIGHTS

• ANTHOLOGY INVITE! | received my second invitation as a featured author for an anthology—details will be announced soon!

• Wrote | received It’s Only a Game edit letter & did a call w/ my editor | wrote 1K of gothic horror novel | worked on various short stories | final edits for “A Scarcity of Sharks”

• Joined | Codex

• Read 14 books | faves: A House With Good Bones by T. Kingfisher, Liar, Dreamer, Thief by Maria Dong, I Hope We Choose Love: A Trans Girl's Notes from the End of the World by Kai Cheng Thom, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin, The Lost Metal by Brandon Sanderson

OVERALL

At the start of the year, I couldn’t have imagined how any of 2022 would play out. This was a wildly exciting and exhausting year, and I wouldn’t change a minute of it. There’s a lot I didn’t list, of course, including critiquing friends’ stories and manuscripts (my friends’ books were some of my favorite reads this year and I wish I could talk about them, ahhhh!), reading a ton of magazines and short stories, and brainstorming various writing projects.

Year End Stats

• Pieces published: 1 novella + 3 stories + 1 flash

• Pieces sold: 1 novel + 2 novellas + 5 stories + 1 flash

• Genres written: horror, science fiction, fantasy, YA thriller

• Books read: 129 published + 5 friends’ manuscripts

• Submissions read: 190+ stories

• Critiques for friends: 5 novels + 11+ stories + 4 queries

• Author events: 2

• Anthology invites: 2

• Babies birthed: 1

And there are plenty of things that aren’t conducive to stats but still matter a hell of a lot, like getting to know more writers. Finding more safe spaces online where I felt comfortable talking about BIPOC writer concerns. And feeling giddy whenever kind readers, reviewers, and fellow authors share how much they love my writing. This year has been incredible, and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for 2023! Happy New Year! <3

Get a Signed and Personalized Bookplate for Bound Feet!

Hello, dear visitor! I’ll be writing in this blog on occasion. For this first post, I’m excited to share a fun thing I’ve had in the works for over a month. :)

I wanted to do something celebratory to launch my debut novella, so I commissioned a custom bookplate design from Ryan Mills, the artist who illustrated the gorgeous title page for Bound Feet. Ryan was friendly and easy to work with…and he did an absolutely phenomenal job with this project! I’m thrilled with how these turned out.

And now, for a limited time, you can get one of these beauties for free! I’ll sign it for you, stamp it in red ink with my Chinese name seal, and personalize it if you’d like (optional). To get one, preorder or order a paperback copy of Bound Feet by October 31, 2022, and then fill out this form and I’ll ship you your bookplate. And yes, it’s open worldwide!

Questions? I (might) have answers for you!

• Q: Does it count if I already preordered Bound Feet before this?

  A: Of course!

• Q: Do you ship to [my country]?

  A: The bookplates will be shipped in flat envelopes via USPS international letter mail. I ordered both domestic and international stamps for this purpose. If USPS will ship to your country with a stamp, then the answer is yes.

• Q: Can I still get a bookplate if I order the ebook?

  A: Unfortunately, no. These are specifically for the paperback as they’re sticky in the back and meant to be placed inside your copy of the book.

• Q: If I order more than one copy, can I get more than one bookplate?

  A: Yes! If they’re all going to the same address, you can use the form (just be clear on personalization, etc.). Alternately, send me a message through my contact form here.

• Q: Where do I place the bookplate in the book?

  A: Anywhere you like! I’d probably put it right inside the cover, opposite the title page. But it’s your book, so do whatever looks best to you!

• Q: I work at a bookstore that has Bound Feet in stock! Can I get some bookplates to include in book sales?

  First of all, thank you! I appreciate you stocking my book. Secondly, YES! I’d love to send you some signed bookplates. Drop me a line through the contact form.

• Q: I ordered one of the anthologies you have a story in! Can I get a bookplate?

  A: These bookplates are gigantic—they’re meant to be placed in a single-authored book. They’d take up a lot of space in an anthology. If you have interest in an anthology-sized bookplate, leave a comment below letting me know! If there’s enough interest, I’ll figure something out. :)

• Q: I ordered too late (after 10/31/22). Is there still a way to get a bookplate?

  A: I can’t promise anything, but if I have leftovers or there’s enough interest, I’ll put some in an online store. While I wish I could offer them free forever, it’s not financially feasible. Between the commissioned art, printing costs, shipping materials, and the rising cost of shipping, these are expensive to provide. I’m offering them free as a celebration and thank you for early supporters of the novella, but if there’s continuing interest, I’ll need help covering the costs.

• Q: I prefer directly signed copies. Will those be available?

  A: I might put some directly signed copies up in my store from time to time. However, due to the amount of work it takes to ship books directly, I’m unlikely to have them available often. I’d rather spend my time writing. In addition, the high cost of shipping books outside the U.S is part of why I commissioned custom bookplates—I expect this to be a more accessible option.

Have a question I didn’t cover? Send me a message through the contact form. Thanks for visiting! :)