You may have noticed I haven't sent out a newsletter in a year. Or maybe you didn't; I know I certainly don't tend to keep track of which authors are not sending me me newsletters. Each one is always a bit of a surprise when it shows up in my inbox, no matter how reliable their scheduling. But maybe that's just me.

There's not One Big Reason why it's been a year, unless you count general overwhelm and and existential dread as a Big Reason. You may have noticed there's a lot going on in the world, and a lot of it isn't great. I feel like the news cycle has been like drinking from a firehose, and I don't see it letting up any time soon. That's where a lot of my energy has been going, with the rest allotted to my family, friends, and deadlines, which has left little room for anything else. Including this newsletter.

But something is better than nothing, so here it is, risen reluctantly from the ashes, the world's most pathetic phoenix.

After a year, I feel like this one should be somewhat momentous, but it probably won't be, because I've given myself permission to just dump all my updates and skedaddle. So here they are, without further ado.

First up, I've sold a couple books this year!

Dread Chaser will be my official YA debut (despite my assumption that I'll Stop the World would be published as a YA, my publisher instead decided to market it as adult crossover fiction), with the first book hitting shelves January 12, 2027.

Yes, I know the announcement says "spring," but mid-January is evidently spring in publishing world. The sequel will come later, in "spring" 2028, with a current publication date of February 1, 2028. Currently I'm not sure if the sequel will be the conclusion of the series or if it will keep going after that; that probably depends in large part on how many people buy the first one. So we shall see what happens with that.

I've had a lot of fun writing this book, which is basically an adrenaline-fueled post-apocalyptic chase across the remnants of the former United States filled with monsters, government conspiracies, underground resistance, lots of banter, and a gigantic dog named Gloom who is truly the bestest boy, and my favorite character. (Yes, the dog lives.)

There's also some cool stuff in this book that I can't talk about because of spoilers, so... guess you'll just have to read it.

I don't currently have a preorder link or cover art for Dread Chaser, but if you would like to add it on Goodreads, you can do so here. (And if you're the person who, for some reason, gave it a 5-star review before I'd even finished writing the first draft, um, thank you??)

I've also got another book coming in 2027, more along the lines of my first two... but I'm not allowed to talk about that one yet. Stay tuned.

Second, I've teamed up with Writers Against Hunger during the month of November to raise money for Feeding America, a nonprofit organization devoted to helping end food insecurity in the United States. With SNAP benefits now going unfunded, more of our neighbors are experiencing food insecurity than ever going into this holiday season.

​My personal fundraising page is here. You can make a one-time donation, or if you'd like to help motivate me to draft this book (the one I can't talk about yet), you can make a pledge per-word. My goal for November is 40,000 words, which is lofty, but I figured I may as well aim high. We'll see how close I get.

Pledges are running on the honor system, as there's no way to automate this through the Feeding America site; if you tell me you're pledging, I believe you, but have no way to hold you to it. I'll be updating my word count at the end of each week, and you can either tally up your donation and submit it weekly, or wait until the end of the month and submit it all at once.

Every $1 donated provides at least 10 meals, so every little bit really does help.

​Feeding America is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, meaning all donations are tax-deductible. If you work for an employer who matches donations, please see if they'll consider pitching in!

As part of the fundraiser, I'm also participating in a virtual author panel TONIGHT, Thursday November 6 at 8PM EST. The topic is "Happily Ever Author: Rediscovering the Joy of Writing," and I'll be discussing how to reconnect with creativity during hard times with fellow authors Molly Harper, Meredith Schorr, and Chandra Blumberg.

This is the first in a series of author panels being organized by Writers Against Hunger during the month of November. All we ask is that you make a minimum $5 donation to Feeding America for each panel you attend. Every dollar goes directly to Feeding America’s network of food banks.

​Join the Zoom here.

Lastly, if you'd like to order signed copies of my books going into this holiday season, I'd love if you'd order them from Bound Booksellers.

My best friend Sarah bought this little independent bookstore in June of this year, and is working so hard into making it a warm and welcoming store for every type of reader. She is a fabulous human with a deep love of books and the people who write them, and has been the most supportive person in my life outside of the people who actually live in my house since the day I wrote the very first line of my very first (and still unpublished) book.

​All copies of my books purchased from Bound will be signed by me (and personalized, if you wish; just specify what you want as personalization in the order notes), and can be shipped anywhere in the continental United States.

While you're at it, go ahead and shop the rest of their in-store selection on their website to grab gifts for the rest of the special people in your life. If they don't have the book you want in stock, you can also support them by ordering through their Bookshop store, or if you're an audiobook listener, from Libro.fm.

(I'll also be running my preorder campaigns for Dread Chaser and other upcoming books through Bound; more on that at some point in the future.)

And... that's it for now. I realize this was not the most entertaining of newsletters, especially after a year away, but at least it did its job. Entertainment can come later.

If I disappear again for a while, know that it's not you, it's me. In the meantime, please be kind to one another, especially folks that are struggling right now. The world is hard; let's be soft where we can.