Changes on Patreon

I'm adding a new reward to the $10 tier and looking to expand the page into a place for my essays and more.

What? There's Art for Dancing in the Ghost Light?

Publishing is terrifying. I don't care if you are going for self-publishing or hoping for something small press or traditional. It. Is Terrifying. You've got to put yourself out there and promote yourself and know that in the end, you have to believe harder than anyone else does.

But, it also helps to have some amazing friends to hold your hand and partner along the way.

So, as I get ready to move into the next phase of whatever this wild ride has for me, I'd like to give a very specific shout out to my beloved friend (and Daggerheart GM) Becca Mellema. We have been trading off work - I'm doing some developmental and copy edits for her, and she's doing artwork for me! The first pieces are in and they are stunning.

Capturing the Desert Rose theme that stayed with me while I was writing, she is coming up with these lovely, tender designs that highlight the idea that we shimmer in shadow.

These pieces - and more! - will soon be available over on my ko-fi and patreon pages for purchase as stickers and bookmarks. If you are a $10 member of the patreon, they will be sent out as thank yous.

Becca is a science communicator with a PhD in Microbiology and Immunology. Additionally, she is a fantasy writer with a love of dragons and protagonists who aren't there to fall in love (thank you very much). Please check out Becca's work at her website Getting the Science Write.​

Getting Vulnerable About Writer Life

A couple of weeks ago, I got a rejection from an agent I had high hopes for. I'd talked to the agency at the League of Utah Writers conference and while I know it was her job to be supportive and excited, I think I leaned a little too hard into that. When you've been staring into the void for so long, you can't help but glom onto hope for the next step. Especially when you are coming back from rejection burnout. There's always a little voice in the back of my head telling me that my stories aren't good enough, that no one will care, that someone else has already done it better.

Now, let's be honest, when that is a mantra in your mind, it can be really easy to let yourself give up a little bit. You can blame the system, the process, the market. You can blame yourself and your lack of talent. After all, if I was really that good a writer, someone would have grabbed my stuff by now, right? Not going to lie, when I dig into the journal entry, it's one reason why I've so heavily pursued traditional publication. If the "system" said that I was good enough to be published, then I was good enough.

Yeah, that's fun to unpack in therapy, let me tell you.

So, there I am, on the first day of my new job with the SLFS and I get this rejection from her. Reading it, the little fantasy I'd allowed myself to play with crumbled back to reality. But the truth was, of the rejections I've had lately, it was the most promising. She liked my work, but she wasn't sure where it fit in the current market. She asked me to submit my next work to her. That matters. It wasn't me, it was the market. (And if it is me, then that's okay too.)

It's hard. I'm getting worked up just writing this out. Because I still struggle with the idea that I'm "good enough." I'm not pretty enough for content creation, I'm writing older sapphic women in Salt Lake City when the market is all over twenty-something men. But you know what, that means I get to make my own place in the market. Fighting my demons is for me and my characters and my therapist.

What this rejection did though, more than anything, was finalize my decision to move to self publishing. So, keep reading for that plan and the way you can help out.

But no matter what, please keep coming back and keep reading.

Let's Talk Patreon!

Starting on October first, I am launching a dedicated push to raise the money to pay for a freelance editor, the cost of ISBN and copyright claims, and purchasing my own work to sell on consignment. Additionally, these funds will go toward paying my cover artist, having stickers and other merch on hand, and paying for my own printing costs.

The push starts on my patreon page. Right now, there are three tiers for monthly support: $2 (basic stuff!), $5 (excerpts and character concepts), and it's the $10 level that is changing. Currently, the $10 tier has had a thank you connected to it, if you opt in. However, starting in October, $10 members will get first look at Dancing in the Ghost Light. I'll be posting chapters in serial form. You can learn more and sign up by clicking here:

Dinos & Dice

As I mentioned last month, I was so lucky to be able to participate in the fall installment of the Utah Museum of Natural History's Dinos & Dice program in September. Let me tell you that I had the best time with this group. Everyone at the table had some experience with the game and we had a full range of ages and together we braved the fire swamp and the ROUS' and saved the dragon egg from a new Jurrasic Park. I had so much fun that I forgot to take photos!

But the good news is that I'm back again on October 20th with a whole new adventure, so I'm putting that together. It's going to be a lot of fun (I hope!) and this time, I'll take some photos.

Where To Find Me in October

Not gonna lie - for a lot of the month, you can find me on my couch. It's WNBA playoff time and my Phoenix Mercury are not in the post-season, so it's a tossup in our house among the Lynx, the Dream, the Valkyries, and the Wings. Now, when the first round has a series between the Valkyries and the Wings, it's just a good thing to like basketball.

But, if you want to see me out in the wild, come by and say hi and know that I love your faces!

October 2nd, I'll be at WhaleFest with the Salt Lake Film Society. The new 9th and 9th Whale Mural has been finished and the party is on the 2nd. While I'm gonna miss the Whaley Gay design, the new one is very, very, very, very trans coded and I love to see it.

October 20th, I'm running another Dinos & Dice game at the Utah Museum of Natural History.

At this time I am not running the monthly game at Under the Umbrella on October 2nd. SLFS work is up against that unfortunately. The game should still be happening, so please keep an eye on Under the Umbrella's social media in case we do have to cancel.

This Month's "Sponsor": The New Mountain Goats Album

Why do I never know they've released anything new? The new album, Days, is just awesome. It kept me company while writing this. So, go check it out. Cause it's a bop and I'm loving it.