Hi, hello! A lot has happened since we posted in early January 2024. Travis and I want to help catch you up on everything that’s been going on during the past few months and get you excited for what’s to come. Let’s do it!
We Moved!
Back in November 2023, Travis accepted a job offer at UTSA in San Antonio. So yeah, after living in Utah for 15+ years, we finally moved! Luckily, I completed my Utah bookstore quest—literally our last bookstore stop was in Moab. You can see our moving truck in the window reflections when checking out the bookstore tour video. We stayed with my incredible in-laws for the holidays and then moved into our first home in January 2024. Needless to say, we were eager to unpack and make a house a home! While Travis works for UTSA, I still work for Wit & Travesty, Manuscripts LLC, and Sword & Silk Books.
It’s been such a whirlwind that sometimes I remember just how much we accomplished in such a short time. Right now, we’re getting used to our new neighborhood, getting used to living in a HUGE/sprawling city, learning some casual Spanish, and keeping in touch with our Utah family/community. Sometimes if I think too hard, I get intense FOMO and wish I could just hop in a car and see my friends.
Our Author Website Rose from the Ashes
Phew. Buckle up. I won’t get into the technical specifics, but we’ve really had to put on our IT hats to make sense of all this. So in mid-January, I realized that I had no access to our admin stuff. We weren’t hacked but we were sent on a wild goose chase to even figure out what the issue was. Anytime we found a set of instructions or solutions, they didn’t work. Because again, we didn’t have access!
So the outcome of all this was folks couldn’t access the website. We consulted with friends and WordPress/Jetpack resources until finally, we made the difficult decision to just start over. We luckily could export our subscribers list and rescue the text from the pages and a handful of recent posts.
I’ve done my grieving but we lost 90% of our website content. No comments. Ten years’ worth of blog posts…I try not to think too deeply on that. On a recent drive, Travis said that our work “got a new home, too.” And if you’ve ever moved, you know that a huge part of it is selling, trashing, or giving away things that you’ve outgrown or held onto for too long. So that’s the perspective we’ve accepted.
Moving forward, I’ll continue to share blog posts and get transparent about the publishing process. YOU, dear friend, can help us by commenting or messaging us about topics you’d like for us to re-address. Perhaps with time, we have more nuanced things to say!
The Vindicated Queen Is Coming!
My fourth work, The Vindicated Queen is in the drafting stage. I started outlining in November, trashed my NANOWRIMO plans due to the move, and picked up the pen in December. I want to write a whole thing on that process because I’ve been truly enjoying the writing process. I had a crisis where I thought that no one really cares about these books. But as I was writing (and drafting is writing for yourself), I really felt at peace. I know that my crisis was really hyperbolic, and perhaps with my new opportunities in Texas, I might find more readers and grow my community.
The Vindicated Queen is the sequel to The Throwaway Queen. I’ve named the duology Ushallav’s Queen. My initial goal was to end 2024 on a high note by publishing VQ in October. I’ve plotted out the whole process and I’ll likely push it back to December or January. I mostly want to give myself enough time to work with editors and sensitivity readers. There are more updates to come but right now, I’m back in Ushallav and loving my stay.
Hardcovers Are Nearly Ready
If you’ve been checking your email inboxes or social media, you know the hardcover editions are nearly ready! I ordered some proof copies and they should arrive in mid April. Once I see the print quality, I can made adjustments, order preorder copies, and shower my supporters with gifts. Sometime in May (again, more details to come once I have them!) I’ll celebrate a wide release. I’m so excited to see them in person, on the shelf, in a reader’s hands, and in bookstores…
Note that you’ll want to keep an eye on upcoming events and shop updates. If you want a dust jacket, you’ll have to get copies through me. Amazon/KDP does not have dust jacket options yet, so you’ll get the hardcover design but the dust jackets will be printed 3rd party by me.
An Audiobook Emerges
I haven’t made many public posts about this project—mostly because 2024 is already so packed. I’m working with Shelley Greene to create an audiobook for The Throwaway Queen. I’ve always wanted to provide such an option for busy readers who prefer audiobooks, and that will be available late Summer/early Fall. Stay tuned, audiobook lovers!
The Bookstore Quest Continues Strong
When I say I seek to visit every locally-owned bookstore in my state, I mean it! In 2023, I visited 36 bookstores in Utah alone. It doesn’t include the stops I made in Oregon and California! Now that I’m in Texas and reestablishing my local bookish community, I have a fresh new list of stores—140 location and counting. Since moving here, I’ve already visited 9.
I think some folks wonder if I’m going to immediately cram 140 bookstore trips into one year. While I’m very excited to drive around and get to know our new area, we just got here. So that means that my quest might take years to accomplish. And I’m okay with that, trust me! I do have high hopes to connect with readers and authors along the journey. My videos have really taken off over on TikTok and might get the chance to meet some virtual friends IRL.
