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: A snapshot of this month’s featured artwork in progress…

GENERAL UPDATES

This was my first weekend off since the beginning of May, and I needed it more than I’d realized! I feel like I finally had a chance to catch up on some much-needed tasks, including inventory assessments and overall organization. I still, as always, have a lot to do, but not having to prep for an event this past weekend was a blessing.

Whew, June was busier than I realized… There’s a LOT to share in this newsletter!

BOOK UPDATES

Chronicles of Avilésor: War of the Realms series

The first three books in the series have officially been registered as “human-authored” with the Author’s Guild to join Book IV in the database. (For those who might not be aware of what this certification entails, check out my blog post when I registered Lab Rat.)

I made the decision to certify the full series so I can include the registration numbers and certification mark when I update the copyright pages to formally prohibit my books from being used in AI training.

Was this move completely necessary? I don’t know. Indie authors don’t have many options to combat our works being used without permission. At the very least, it can (hopefully) help to provide transparency for readers and retailers who are trying to avoid buying AI-generated books.

On that note, there will be a temporary disruption for online retailers carrying Books I-III soon when I submit the updated files for the new copyright pages.

Chronicles of Avilésor (Book V: The Demikan)

Current word count: 91,061

I made a little progress with Book V last month. Not a ton, but it was the first time in quite a while that I felt inspired enough to dive into the manuscript and work on it. I was mostly rereading scenes I’d already written to get my head back into the story, and I did some editing and light writing while getting back into my rhythm.

Inked: An Author’s Advice & Inspiration for Writers

Current word count: 2,886

Cobblestones (Art & Poetry Book)

Current word count: 1,040 (15 poems)
Drawings: 30
Photographs: 20

A Pocketful of Nature Poems

Current word count: 416 (5 poems)

NEW KIT EMOJIS

It’s about time I created some new emojis! We had such a fantastic time at Pride events last month that I wanted to wrap up June with a Rainbow Kit on Discord.

And, of course, I can rarely stop at one once I get going…

These new designs were unveiled on Patreon first and then rolled out on Discord over the last week. As part of their membership perk, kálos and Alpha patrons will receive the sticker versions of these new emojis once they become available.

(I’ve been hunting for a new sticker producer at a reasonable price point… and I think I’ve found a suitable replacement, so I’m hoping to FINALLY start getting sticker restocks again!)

LITERARY JOURNAL FEATURE

You might recall from the last newsletter that I mentioned an upcoming publication in a poetry chapbook. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but as it turns out, the book was actually a literary journal featuring a collection of memorial-themed works by the Sandcastle Writers. I’ve been writing with this local Michigan City group for ten years, and this is the third literary journal they’ve published. (The first one featured my photograph “Aftermath” on the cover, which was a huge deal!)

These literary journals should be available for local purchase at the Lubeznik Center for the Arts gift shop soon (if they aren’t already there).

NEW GRAPHIC DESIGN & JOURNAL RESTOCK

Early this year, I added a sign in my booth stating that I did not use generative AI in my creative process for anything—my artwork, novels, covers, maps, social media, blog, etc.

I’ve gotten so many positive comments about the sign that I added that same anti-AI symbol to my collection of handmade necklaces, pins, and small magnets. Recently, I designed a larger graphic with added text around the circle featuring words that, to me, represent what it means to intentionally NOT use AI in the creative process. That design is now available on large buttons (left photo).

In the middle, you can see the full collection of pocket journal and sticker book designs that finally arrived after about 5-6 weeks of production. During that waiting period, I completely sold out of pocket journals, so a full restock was desperately needed. In addition to the existing collection, I also added seven new designs that weren’t available before (right photo).

I’m still adding the photography to my website, but all of these products are live and available for purchase.

SHOP

ALSO NEW… TEENY TINY BOOKS?!

Yep! I’ve been crafting again! I introduced miniature dollhouse versions of the Chronicles of Avilésor series. You can open the teeny books, turn the pages, even rip them out. They take a while to cut/glue… but I was pleasantly surprised by how excited people were to see them in the booth! A fan even shared a photo on Discord to show the series displayed on the top shelf of her mini bookcase at home!

BRAIN LAIR BOOKS

My assistant and I made a trip to South Bend, IN to visit Brain Lair Books, which, we’re happy to report, became the latest indie bookstore to stock copies of the Chronicles of Avilésor on its shelf.

This shop is now carrying autographed paperbacks of the first novel, A Fallen Hero, and the latest release, Lab Rat. I love partnering with local independent bookstores in my area, and this one in particular is all about uplifting marginalized voices, so it’s a wonderful one to support!

To see my other retail, collaborative, and affiliate partners, visit my website.

NEW TENT

The new tent arrived just in time to kick off June events with Kzoo Pride! However, with strong thunderstorms predicted for that Friday, I ended up forfeiting my spot and only vending Saturday instead of both days. Not only did I not want to risk my books and art getting damaged, but I especially didn’t want to take a chance of my brand-new tent taking damage during its debut. (Been there, done that with the last tent!!!)

As you can see in the photo, it has a detachable awning, which is helpful when we’re facing the sun. It’s also useful for hanging the sheer curtain on the side or in front to help protect the postcards from direct sunlight. However, it does block the lower half of my banner, so I’m not utilizing the awning unless I really need it. I’ll likely end up getting a secondary banner to hang inside the tent at some point to make sure I have clear signage in case people don’t step back to read the partially covered banner when the awning is attached.

NEW ACTIVITY COMING TO THE BOOTH

Stay tuned… more details on that soon!

ARTWORK OF THE MONTH

“Redwing” © 2026

This drawing used more mediums/materials than any other I’ve done—mechanical pencils, black/white charcoal, pen, white-out pen, blending stick, and oil pastels.

Level 2-3 Patreon members can watch the timelapse video in an exclusive post.

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 540 posts! Here are the latest posts since the last newsletter:

• Upcoming event announcements
• Author Q&A: Which character will be on the next book cover?
• Worldbuilding: The Five Cities & the primary elements
• Early sneak peek at the new anti-AI button when it went into production
• Seven facts about the Seven (Azar’s new alliance)
• First look at the new Kit emojis before they were revealed on Discord (Level 2-3 members will receive these as stickers)
• Daily art progress
• Timelapse video to watch me draw this month’s featured artwork

JOIN MY PATREON COMMUNITY

$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

5 Ways Generative AI is Harming Indie Authors

AI is reshaping the publishing industry… and it’s having serious effects on authors, publishers, distributors, and readers.

READ

RECENT EVENTS

June 06: Kzoo Pride in Kalamazoo, MI

June 07: Rebel Art Fest in South Bend, IN

June 13: Pride Fest in Michigan City, IN

June 20: Pride in the Park in South Bend, IN

June 27: Chicago Pride Book Fest in Tinley Park, 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:

MULTI-AUTHOR BOOK FAIR @ THE PRESS
July 11, 2026
Valparaiso, IN

BATTLE CREEK PRIDE FESTIVAL
July 18, 2026
Battle Creek, MI

ARTS IN THE STREET FESTIVAL
July 25, 2026
Plymouth, IN

CHESTERTON EUROPEAN MARKET
August 1, 2026
Chesterton, IN

MICHIANA REN FEST
August 29-30, 2026
South Bend, IN

BLUEBERRY FESTIVAL
September 4-6, 2026
Plymouth, IN

POPCORN FESTIVAL
September 12, 2026
Valparaiso, IN

SUNFLOWER FAIR
September 19, 2026
La Porte, IN

BIZARRE BAZAAR
September 26, 2026
Valparaiso, IN

WOLF HOLLOW WITCHES MARKET
October 3, 2026
Belvidere, IL

NWI PAGAN PRIDE
October 17, 2026
Crown Point, IN

PEORIA BOOKFEST
November 14, 2026
Peoria, IL

PCMGA GARDENING SHOW
January 23, 2027
8:00 am - 4:00 pm
Valparaiso, IN

SHOP

If you can’t catch me at a local event, my website is the next best place to shop!

SHOP MY SITE

Browse my custom designs on apparel and accessories, produced and shipped by Spring

SHOP MERCH & APPAREL

Old Soul Artisan’s custom “Ghost Realm” candle inspired by the Chronicles of Avilésor

SHOP THE CANDLE

Refer a friend

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: Look at this cool mushroom that was growing in my backyard! I took this photo last week.

GENERAL UPDATES

Last month… scratch that, this whole YEAR feels like it’s flying by! Somehow, the to-do list keeps growing, and I feel like I’m barely making a dent in it.

Event season is in full swing now, kicking off June with an intense three-day double-hitter before settling down a little bit into single-day events for a while. I’m booked through early August and will be filling my autumn and winter schedule as applications open.

BOOK UPDATES

Chronicles of Avilésor (Book IV: Lab Rat)

There might have been a brief disruption with the ebook outside of Kindle when distribution changed from Draft2Digital back to IngramSpark, but otherwise, Book IV is done as far as readers are concerned. I still have some work to do with linking product pages and updating the metadata for the ISBNs, but that’s just basic maintenance.

Chronicles of Avilésor (Book V: The Demikan)

Current word count: 90,596

I’m still dealing with residual burnout and exhaustion from Book IV’s release, so I’m not ready to dive into Book V and other projects quite yet. (I talk about this in more depth in my latest blog post.) However, I do hope to resume work on The Demikan soon.

Inked: An Author’s Advice & Inspiration for Writers

Current word count: 2,886

Cobblestones (Art & Poetry Book)

Current word count: 1,040 (15 poems)
Drawings: 30
Photographs: 20

A Pocketful of Nature Poems

Current word count: 416 (5 poems)

UPCOMING POETRY CHAPBOOK

I’ll have a poem featured in a local memorial poetry chapbook in the near future. Stay tuned for more details on that!

“EMBRACE” ART PRINT

My recent art piece “Embrace” has officially been added to the collection and is currently available as a postcard, notecard, small and large magnet, necklace, brooch, and mouse pad. When I order more PVC artboards, it will be included in those prints as well.

So far, it’s been well received at events! I recently sold the first mouse pad to a couple who had a pair of black and white dogs that reminded them of the black pegasus and white unicorn. (The friendly doggos camped out in the shade of my tent for a little while.) I love it when my art resonates with people and has a personal connection!!

ANGEL UPDATES

My three angel prints—Broken, Heartless, and Sorrow—look a little different as necklaces, brooches, and magnets. I changed the white background to black to make them pop more! (And the new “Embrace” magnet is in this photo, too.)

TENT UPGRADE COMING SOON

Outdoor event season has only just begun, and we’ve already taken a beating with rain and high winds. (Sigh… I miss the peace and predictability of indoor events.) I’ve been planning a tent upgrade this year before the big multi-day fall festivals, but the last few events have taken a toll and forced me to bite the bullet by making the investment a little earlier than planned.

My current tent has actually held up remarkably well over the years, but you can see in photos how much it’s sagging, which causes it to pool rainwater, leak, and exacerbate the problem by weighing it down. It’s also coming apart at the corners, and it’s had a broken leg ever since the very first day I used it at a local market when an intrusive stranger decided to “help” us set it up and tried to force the tent into position rather than take a moment to see why it wasn’t extending.

(Lesson learned the hard way—I’ve gotten much better about telling people (almost always misogynistic men who don’t think we can handle it by ourselves) NO when they try to insist on giving their unsolicited help that usually ends up doing more harm than good. Brand-new commercial-grade tent, broken on the first day because I was too polite to say no thank you to a stranger! That is NOT going to happen with this new tent!!!)

What finally did it in was actually the bag falling apart, not the tent itself. The bag was already in rough shape and secured with a bungee because the zipper broke a while ago, but it practically disintegrated when I took the tent out for the last event. Since I can’t always drive to my spot, I need to be able to wheel my tent. I guess it was the universe telling me it was time for a replacement. The new tent should be arriving this week so I’ll have it for the next event. (And… it has an optional awning for a little extra shade and protection!) I also got additional weights since we’ve been dealing with abnormally high winds lately.

This event ended up being SO windy that we actually had to take down the tent, postcard spinner, and vertical displays after only a couple of hours, and then we were exposed to the sun and wind without any protection. See the seams on the canopy? Yeah… those are supposed to be straight and taut, and you shouldn’t be able to see them like that facing the tent from the front.

ARTWORK OF THE MONTH

Trey Selman Character Sketch © 2026

I struggled a bit with this one… but it didn’t help that I tried to start this piece after a migraine day when I was still battling a persistent residual headache. If you’ve read the series, you know that Trey has a drastic change in his appearance in between books, so this is Book 1 Trey. Patreon members can learn about the challenges, artistic decisions, character traits, and more, plus watch the timelapse video in an exclusive post.

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 540 posts! Here are the latest posts since the last newsletter:

• Upcoming event announcements
• 2026 marketing goals and first look at the new banner before it was revealed at the Renaissance faire
• What went wrong at a recent event (and how I measure whether or not an event was successful)
• Invitation for Alpha patrons to submit names for Ero’s former students mentioned and/or introduced in future books
• Rough draft vs. final submission of the poem I submitted to the memorial chapbook
• Author Q&A: Which character will be on the next book cover?
• Daily art progress
• Timelapse video to watch me draw this month’s featured artwork

JOIN MY PATREON COMMUNITY

$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

Author Q&A: When Are You Planning to Publish Book V?

I talk about the challenges and setbacks I faced with Book IV and how those impacted my mental health and timeline for Book V…

READ

RECENT EVENTS

May 09-10: Royal Stagg Renaissance Faire in Marshall, MI

May 17: May Fairy Artisan Market at More Brewing Co. in Villa Park, IL

May 24: Flurry Artisan Market at Hailstorm Brewing Co. in Tinley Park, IL

May 30: Chesterton European Market in Chesterton, IN

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. 

Watch my website for potential pop-up book signings this month! Here's the current schedule of events:

KALAMAZOO PRIDE
June 5-7, 2026
Kalamazoo, MI

REBEL ART FEST
June 7, 2026
South Bend, IN

MICHIGAN CITY PRIDE FEST
June 13, 2026
Michigan City, IN

SOUTH BEND PRIDE FEST
June 20, 2026
South Bend, IN

SLAY THE LAKE CHICAGO PRIDE BOOK FEST
June 27, 2026
Tinley Park, IL

LOCAL AUTHOR FAIR @ THE PRESS
July 11, 2026
Valparaiso, IN

BATTLE CREEK PRIDE FESTIVAL
July 18, 2026
Battle Creek, MI

ARTS IN THE STREET FESTIVAL
July 25, 2026
Plymouth, IN

CHESTERTON EUROPEAN MARKET
August 1, 2026
Chesterton, IN

MICHIANA REN FEST
August 29-30, 2026
South Bend, IN

BLUEBERRY FESTIVAL
September 4-6, 2026
Plymouth, IN

POPCORN FESTIVAL
September 12, 2026
Valparaiso, IN

SUNFLOWER FAIR
September 19, 2026
La Porte, IN

WOLF HOLLOW WITCHES MARKET
October 3, 2026
Belvidere, IL

NWI PAGAN PRIDE
October 17, 2026
Crown Point, IN

PEORIA BOOKFEST
November 14, 2026
Peoria, IL

SHOP

If you can’t catch me at a local event, my website is the next best place to shop!

SHOP MY SITE

Browse my custom designs on apparel and accessories, produced and shipped by Spring

SHOP MERCH & APPAREL

Old Soul Artisan’s custom “Ghost Realm” candle inspired by the Chronicles of Avilésor

SHOP THE CANDLE

Refer a friend

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 at my grandparents’ house on April 16, 2026.

GENERAL UPDATES

The arrival of May means peak event season is here. From now until early December, I will have an event scheduled almost every single weekend.

I had so many problems formatting (and reformatting… and reformatting) Book IV that I don’t feel like I was able to have the break I expected in the spring.

Now, my attention primarily turns to marketing, sales, and events. A lot of my time goes into creating handmade products and putting together the wax-sealed envelopes for the books. The Kalamazoo Comic-Con and Whitestown Viking Fest, which were both big three-day events for me last month, kept me occupied doing prep work beforehand. (I’ll admit that I’ve been having fun playing around with ink, dried flowers, and torn book pages in the resin page holders.)

BOOK UPDATES

Chronicles of Avilésor (Book IV: Lab Rat)

Lab Rat should FINALLY be done! All three versions are available in hardcover, paperback, and ebook. Despite the original hardcover release last December and the novel’s success with a Literary Titan Book Award in March, I’ve been dealing with problem after problem that resulted in title page redesigns, publication delays, sizing issues, and more.

I do still have some minor Book IV maintenance work on my to-do list such as contacting Goodreads and Amazon to request that the three versions of Lab Rat be linked together on the same page so they share reviews. Last month, I announced that I was going to be moving my ebooks from Ingram to Draft2Digital, starting with Lab Rat. Unfortunately, D2D suddenly changed their policy and will start charging authors an annual fee that didn’t exist before… so I’ll be moving Book IV back to Ingram. I hadn’t relocated the other ebooks yet.

Chronicles of Avilésor (Book V: The Demikan)

Current word count: 90,697

I’m still dealing with residual burnout and exhaustion from Book IV’s release, so I’m not ready to dive into Book V and other projects quite yet.

Inked: An Author’s Advice & Inspiration for Writers

Current word count: 2,886

Cobblestones (Art & Poetry Book)

Current word count: 1,040 (15 poems)
Drawings: 30
Photographs: 20

A Pocketful of Nature Poems

Current word count: 416 (5 poems)

NEW! PHOTO KEEPSAKES AT THE BOOTH

I received a fun early birthday present… an Instax camera! (Fujifilm’s version of a Polaroid that is more practical for my needs because the photos develop faster and don’t need to be shielded from light.)

This is a fun new addition to my booth—fans can now take home autographed photo keepsakes from events! (Selfies on phones are still free, of course)

NEW PRODUCT: TOTE BAGS

I’m excited to partner with a local printer who is now producing my “Good Day to Read” design on tote bags for me to carry in the booth! I’ll still offer paper bags for free, but now customers can upgrade to a tote bag for their merch if they want something sturdier and reusable to carry all of their treasures, not just from my booth, but also from other vendors.

NEW PRODUCT: MAGNETS

You’ve probably seen the 25mm necklaces and brooches at my booth. I make them by hand by punching out my art prints and graphic designs, gluing them in a bezel, and attaching a glass cabochon on top with UV resin. Now… I’m adding magnets! (I’m still working on getting them photographed and added to the website.)

LARGE MAGNETS & BUTTONS

Also in need of an update on my website… I just received a new order of large magnets and buttons. I’m restocked on several art prints and added three new ones to the collection: Embrace, Book Dragon, and Kit-Kat.

My “I Support” series also got an update! Although I originally painted the hearts with red paint, I changed the color for each button to add some more variety to the collection, so you’ll see these new versions in the booth moving forward.

COSPLAY & BOOTH UPDATES

I switched things up at Viking Fest and will likely be dressing a bit differently at most events moving forward. Although I’ll still bring out the Alpha/Cato cosplay at indoor conventions, the black outfit is just too hot for me to wear at outdoor summer events, so I’m slowly building up my wardrobe for a more fantasy-themed cosplay. I even have the custom witch’s elixir teas from Apothica in my belt!

You might have also noticed a small change with the book display at the front. The spiral book tower is still there, but now, all four faces of the front covers are on display. There will be some more tweaks in the booth this summer (including a new front banner that’s currently in production!)

ARTWORK OF THE MONTH

Vivian Tarrow Character Sketch © 2026

I decided that Vivian was way overdue for a sketch! Patreon members can learn about the challenges, artistic decisions, character traits, and news about how the book prints are going to change moving forward, plus watch the timelapse video in an exclusive post.

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 500 posts! Here are the latest posts since the last newsletter:

• Upcoming event announcements
• First sneak peek at a scene from Book V: The Demikan!
• Lab Rat final publishing updates
• Daily progress of the featured artwork
• Timelapse video to watch me draw this month’s featured artwork

JOIN MY PATREON COMMUNITY

$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

Interviewing Local Bookstores: How to Pitch Your Indie Book

I interviewed three independent bookstores: Books & Whimsy (La Porte, IN), Flourish Books & Plants (New Buffalo, MI), and The Press (Valparaiso, IN) to uncover their insights into best practices for indie authors who want to approach local bookstores and pitch their novels.

READ

RECENT EVENTS

April 10-12: Spring Fling Comic-Con in Kalamazoo, MI

April 19: Book Signing at HotSpot Café in La Porte, IN

April 24-26: Viking Fest in Whitestown, IN

UPCOMING EVENTS

I added a LOT of events to the calendar over the last few weeks, so 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. 

Watch my website for potential pop-up book signings this month! Here's the current schedule of events:

ROYAL STAGG RENAISSANCE FAIRE
May 9, 2026
Marshall, MI

MAY FAIRY ARTISAN MARKET
May 17, 2026
Villa Park, IL

FLURRY ARTISAN MARKET
May 24, 2026
Tinley Park, IL

CHESTERTON EUROPEAN MARKET
May 30, 2026
Chesterton, IN

KALAMAZOO PRIDE
June 5-7, 2026
Kalamazoo, MI

REBEL ART FEST
June 7, 2026
South Bend, IN

MICHIGAN CITY PRIDE FEST
June 13, 2026
Michigan City, IN

SOUTH BEND PRIDE FEST
June 20, 2026
South Bend, IN

SLAY THE LAKE CHICAGO PRIDE BOOK FEST
June 27, 2026
Tinley Park, IL

LOCAL AUTHOR FAIR @ THE PRESS
July 11, 2026
Valparaiso, IN

BATTLE CREEK PRIDE FESTIVAL
July 18, 2026
Battle Creek, MI

ARTS IN THE STREET FESTIVAL
July 25, 2026
Plymouth, IN

CHESTERTON EUROPEAN MARKET
August 1, 2026
Chesterton, IN

MICHIANA REN FEST
August 29-30, 2026
South Bend, IN

BLUEBERRY FESTIVAL
September 4-6, 2026
Plymouth, IN

POPCORN FESTIVAL
September 12, 2026
Valparaiso, IN

SUNFLOWER FAIR
September 19, 2026
La Porte, IN

WOLF HOLLOW WITCHES MARKET
October 3, 2026
Belvidere, IL

NWI PAGAN PRIDE
October 17, 2026
Crown Point, IN

PEORIA BOOKFEST
November 14, 2026
Peoria, IL

SHOP

If you can’t catch me at a local event, my website is the next best place to shop!

SHOP MY SITE

Browse my custom designs on apparel and accessories, produced and shipped by Spring

SHOP MERCH & APPAREL

Old Soul Artisan’s custom “Ghost Realm” candle inspired by the Chronicles of Avilésor

SHOP THE CANDLE

Refer a friend

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 in 2013. The redbuds are so beautiful in spring!

GENERAL UPDATES

It’s been… an interesting month. I had the misfortune of a kidney stone sending me to the ER in the middle of the night and knocking me down for a few days, although I did manage to tough it out for a loooong day at a convention that included five hours in the car to travel out of state. I did my best to put on a smile when talking to visitors, but needless to say, I was not operating at 100%!

I’ve been pretty quiet on social media but busy behind the scenes working on tedious projects. Event applications, final book formatting updates, testing out a new ebook distributor… I swear, the to-do list never ends!!

BOOK UPDATES

Chronicles of Avilésor (Book IV: Lab Rat)

I don’t know why, but I’ve had more problems publishing Lab Rat than I have with any of the other books in the Chronicles of Avilésor.

It’s been hard to truly celebrate the book’s official publication in December when trying to navigate all the challenges surrounding the release for all three formats. A printing issue with the hardcover’s title pages forced me to release a second edition less than a month after publication. Then, communication issues with my formatter delayed the ebook by more than two months.

And mostly recently with the paperback, after I’d reviewed the proof copy and made all of the edits, I noticed the margins weren’t right when I received the final electronic proof. Somehow, an issue with the file settings caused an error with the page size/margins, which meant I had to reformat the entire document page by page all over again. (I worked a solid 15-hour day trying to get the files submitted in time for an order to arrive before a signing… and somehow, miraculously, the books did actually show up in time!)

In March, I had to update all three versions once again… but this time, for a much more positive reason! Lab Rat took home the gold with a Literary Titan Book Award!!!

This means the Chronicles of Avilésor is OFFICIALLY a four-time award-winning series!

The cover wasn’t the only update that occurred. Since I had to submit new files anyway, I made some minor interior adjustments and added a couple of extra terms to the glossary.

The copyright page also received a rather unexpected update. After having a serious conversation with a local bookstore owner, I decided to certify Book IV in the human-authored database created by the Authors Guild to increase transparency for readers and retailers who are actively seeking non-AI books.

(Does it feel completely backwards labeling books as “human-authored” instead of “AI-generated”? Absolutely!!! I have a lot to say about the subject, so if you’re interested, check out my recent blog post.)

Chronicles of Avilésor (Book V: The Demikan)

Current word count: 90,627

I am more than ready to finally move on from Lab Rat. However… I’m not quite ready to dive into The Demikan with gusto quite yet. I’m feeling burned out after all the tedious rounds of editing and formatting, so although I’ll type out scenes that pop into my head, I won’t be sitting down to really focus on this next phase quite yet.

Inked: An Author’s Advice & Inspiration for Writers

Current word count: 2,886

Cobblestones (Art & Poetry Book)

Current word count: 1,040 (15 poems)
Drawings: 30
Photographs: 20

A Pocketful of Nature Poems

Current word count: 416 (5 poems)

NEW INDIE BOOKSTORE: THE PRESS

If you visit The Press bookstore and coffee shop in Valparaiso, IN… you might spot a familiar book on the shelf!

I dropped off autographed copies of A Fallen Hero for the bookstore’s local author section. The Press isn’t carrying the full series yet while they test out the reception of Book I. So… if you’re local and happen to pop in, it wouldn’t hurt to ask about the series!

(I’ll be returning to The Press in a few months for a local author fair.)

APOTHICA TEAS

Speaking of visiting local small businesses, have you been to Apothica Teas in Niles, MI yet? If you pop in, you’ll recognize the display currently on the shelf!

ICYMI, Apothica created three custom tea blends inspired by my books last year, and they’re now carrying the full series along with mini versions of the Ghost Realm candle by Old Soul Artisan (also inspired by the CoA series as a collaboration).

My assistant and I made several trips to Apothica last month to make some adjustments to the tenebryst elixir due to some of the ingredients in the original blend no longer being available. We eliminated a few minor ingredients and substituted the OG lapsang for a milder version. Personally, I like tenebryst 2.0 even better! The smoke is less intense, which allows the spices to come through stronger.

SHOP THE TEA

At the end of March, Apothica hosted a delightful book signing and brewed pots of our custom CoA “witch’s elixir” teas for fans to sample while we ate scones and talked about books. It was definitely a signing to remember!

@author.sara.a.noeTHANK YOU to Apothica Teas and everyone who came to this truly memorable book signing on Saturday! 🥰 @Chronicles of Avilésor 📚 @anyonlxjjd9 #booksigning #tealover #indieauthor #chroniclesofavilesor

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NEW BOOKMARKS (EVENT EXCLUSIVE)

I’m excited to test out these new bookmarks at upcoming events! We’ll be handing them out for free, so if you’re a returning fan and would like one for your collection, just stop by the booth and ask!

@author.sara.a.noeI'm so excited to bring these brand-new bookmarks with me to events! 😍 @Chronicles of Avilésor 📚 #chroniclesofavilesor #bookmarks #BookTok #supernaturalbooks #fantasybooks

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HARBOR COUNTRY NEWS INTERVIEW

When Flourish Books & Plants hosted me for a book signing in New Buffalo, MI last month, I chatted with news editor David Johnson from Harbor Country News. You can read my interview online.

READ

NEW EBOOK DISTRIBUTOR & WEBSITE

Without getting too deep into the nitty-gritty details of independent publishing, I’m testing out a new ebook distributor with Book IV.

Long story short, KDP (Amazon’s company) is maintaining control over the Kindle version, which will remain unaffected by any of these changes. In the past, Ingram (which manages my print versions) has also distributed my ebook to other platforms such as Apple, Nook, etc.

Although I initially uploaded LR’s ebook to Ingram, I ended up pulling the plug and switching it over to Draft2Digital. So far, it’s been a successful test run, which means I will most likely be moving the other ebooks over to D2D one at a time in the near future to minimize disruptions.

By moving to D2D, not only do I earn higher royalties for those digital purchases, but my book is also listed on Books2Read. This platform automatically shows all of the retail links for the ebook, and I can add links for the paperback, hardcover, and audiobook as well. As I add the other novels, I’ll be updating my WordPress website to redirect readers here for the retail links all conveniently located in one place. D2D/B2R also makes it easy for me to incorporate my affiliate partnerships into the links so I receive credit for valid clicks/purchases.

The transition will be an ongoing process over the next few weeks/months. The ebooks will likely be temporarily unavailable on non-Amazon retailers during the change from Ingram to D2D, even though the ISBNs will not change. I’ll be updating the copyright pages in the other books to include the disclaimer expressly forbidding my books being used to train AI, and I will likely also be certifying them with the Authors Guild as I did with Book IV.

COMING UP…

This week is crunch time for both taxes and prepping for the three-day Kalamazoo Comic-Con. I have several projects on the backburner, including working on a challenging new online quiz for superfans to prove themselves; adding the glossary, pronunciation guide, and character list to the CoA website (which is overdue for some major updates anyway), and… a really cool, fun new activity coming soon to the event booth (but I don’t want to spoil the surprise)!

ARTWORK OF THE MONTH

Wesly Cooper “Limbo” Concept Sketch © 2026

I played around with Wes’s transition and what he might look like in limbo between his human and wolf forms. Eventually, I’ll take a stab at doing a more detailed character sketch, but I needed to experiment a bit first. Patreon members can learn more about Wes and watch the timelapse video in an exclusive post.

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 500 posts! Here are the latest posts since the last newsletter:

• Upcoming event announcements
• Double discount opportunity during the Ghost Realm candle sale while it was the featured scent of the month on Old Soul Artisan’s website
• Behind the scenes: the steps to upload an ebook into KDP (Amazon/Kindle)
• Poll results: are patrons are ready for potential spoilers?
• Details about the Apothica collab update for the tenebryst elixir + “tea with the author” early announcement
• Early access: first look at Lab Rat’s updated cover with the award + the new “human-authored” certification (a couple of weeks before the blog post)
• News, projects, and publication updates
• Timelapse video to watch me draw this month’s featured artwork

JOIN MY PATREON COMMUNITY

$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

Why I Certified My Newest Book in the Human-Authored Database by the Authors Guild

I decided to participate in a new initiative to help authors combat the surge of AI-generated books flooding the market. In this post, I explain the goals of the program and address some of the biggest concerns about it in the indie author community.

READ

RECENT EVENTS

March 21: MuskeCon in Muskegon, MI

March 28: Book Signing & Tea with the Author at Apothica in Niles, MI

UPCOMING EVENTS

I added a LOT of events to the calendar over the last few weeks, so 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. 

Watch my website for potential pop-up book signings this month! Here's the current schedule of events:

KALAMAZOO COMIC-CON
April 10-12, 2026
Kalamazoo, MI

VIKING FEST
April 24-26, 2026
Whitestown, IN

ROYAL STAGG RENAISSANCE FAIRE
May 9, 2026
Marshall, MI

MAY FAIRY ARTISAN MARKET
May 17, 2026
Villa Park, IL

CHESTERTON EUROPEAN MARKET
May 30, 2026
Chesterton, IN

REBEL ART FEST
June 7, 2026
South Bend, IN

MICHIGAN CITY PRIDE FEST
June 13, 2026
Michigan City, IN

SLAY THE LAKE CHICAGO PRIDE BOOK FEST
June 27, 2026
Tinley Park, IL

LOCAL AUTHOR FAIR @ THE PRESS
July 11, 2026
Valparaiso, IN

ARTS IN THE STREET FESTIVAL
July 25, 2026
Plymouth, IN

CHESTERTON EUROPEAN MARKET
August 1, 2026
Chesterton, IN

MICHIANA REN FEST
August 29-30, 2026
South Bend, IN

BLUEBERRY FESTIVAL
September 4-6, 2026
Plymouth, IN

POPCORN FESTIVAL
September 12, 2026
Valparaiso, IN

SUNFLOWER FAIR
September 19, 2026
La Porte, IN

WOLF HOLLOW WITCHES MARKET
October 3, 2026
Belvidere, IL

NWI PAGAN PRIDE
October 17, 2026
Crown Point, IN

PEORIA BOOKFEST
November 14, 2026
Peoria, IL

SHOP

If you can’t catch me at a local event, my website is the next best place to shop!

SHOP MY SITE

Browse my custom designs on apparel and accessories, produced and shipped by Spring

SHOP MERCH & APPAREL

Old Soul Artisan’s custom “Ghost Realm” candle inspired by the Chronicles of Avilésor

SHOP THE CANDLE

Refer a friend

On Friday afternoon, I received a notification that Lab Rat (Book IV in the Chronicles of Avilésor: War of the Realms series), is the recipient of the Literary Titan Gold Book Award!

From Literary Titan’s website:

The Literary Titan Book Award honors books that exhibit exceptional storytelling and creativity. This award celebrates novelists who craft compelling narratives, create memorable characters, and weave stories that captivate readers. The recipients are writers who excel in their ability to blend imagination with literary skill, creating worlds that enchant and narratives that linger long after the final page is turned.

Lab Rat (IV) has joined the ranks of its predecessors A Fallen Hero (I), Phantom’s Mask (II), and Blood of the Enemy (III) in receiving a Literary Titan book award, which means…

This award means that the batch of advance reader copies will be the only paperbacks ever printed with the original cover. Once I wrap up proofreading and give the green light for distribution, the cover will be updated on all three versions (hardcover, paperback, ebook) to include the award medallion in the corner to match the other three books in the series.

I do still have a few ARCs left of the paperback listed on my website. But once they’re gone, that’s it! Only 20 were printed, and most of them have been claimed already.

SHOP

The award isn’t the only good new I have to share less than a week after the newsletter was published!

If you’ve been waiting for the ebook… Lab Rat is live on Kindle now!*

**That link is an affiliate link, which means I’ll earn an extra commission if you access the ebook’s product page through that link to make your purchase. It’s a simple (and much appreciated) way to help me get slightly higher royalties rather than searching for the ebook yourself on Amazon.

Also…

What better way to celebrate the book award and Kindle release than having a sale on the Ghost Realm candle that was created in collaboration with Old Soul Artisan and inspired by the Chronicles of Avilésor?

(I swear, all of this positive energy was aligning so it could converge all at once!)

Right after I published the newsletter, I learned that Ghost Realm was the featured scent of the month on Old Soul Artisan’s website. This means a 20% discount during March! No promo code necessary.

For those who might not be aware of our collaboration, I partnered with Old Soul Artisan in 2020 to create a custom fragrance inspired by the series. This candlemaker was my top choice for many reasons:

• It’s a woman-owned small business in the U.S.

• The founder/owner is a Cherokee TERO-certified artisan

• The candles are 100% vegan soy and clean burning with no dyes, parabens, phthalates, or other toxins

• Old Soul Artisan’s fragrance combinations are inspired by literature, folklore, and the dark psyche

• Candles are hand-blended with care in small batches

• The brand’s vibes, aesthetics, mission, etc. complement the Chronicles of Avilésor perfectly (and also ended up working extremely well in tandem with the Apothica Teas collaboration I did last year)

• $1 from every online purchase is donated to wolf conservation (Wesly Cooper approves!)

• Every regular-sized candle has a raven wax seal on the lid, which pairs well with the wax-sealed envelopes I give out when people buy my books directly from me (and Rayven also approves)

From Old Soul Artisan’s website:

Books aren’t just read. They are experienced with all our senses. The impact of the special ones can imprint on our very souls. Book lovers often have nostalgic memories of when they lost themselves in the world between the pages of the book that would become a favorite novel.

The magic of scent, memory, and story is what I aim to capture in every candle I create. Each fragrance is inspired by a literary character or theme that resonates on a deep, and often dark and visceral level. It is within this shadow realm that my creativity thrives.

Whew…

I promised March was going to be a busy month, didn’t I?!

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 six years ago. I love seeing the crocuses pop up in the spring!

GENERAL UPDATES

I thought I was going to ease back into event season, but I’m coming off six weekends of events in a row! I’ve had an unusual (yet pleasant) mix of artisan markets, gaming cons, and small local book signings to start the year off with more variety than usual.

My spring calendar looks a little sparse at the moment, but I’ll likely be peppering in some more local pop-ups before event season kicks into full gear in the summer and fall. I also have quite a few applications pending right now, so my schedule is still falling into place for the year.

And now, as I wrap up the final pieces of Book IV’s launch… I have to turn my attention to tax season. Oh, the joys of being an entrepreneur…

BOOK UPDATES

Chronicles of Avilésor (Book IV: Lab Rat)

The hardcover version of Lab Rat was published on December 5th. Although the paperback hasn’t gone into full-scale production yet, I received a small batch of ARCs (advance reader copies) last week.

Only twenty of these proof copies were printed, and they’re stickered/numbered limited editions. Many of them have already been claimed, but I just listed the rest on my website after the signing yesterday. So, if you’ve been waiting on the paperback, this is your chance to get an early copy while I’m still reviewing the proof and making some minor tweaks!

SHOP BOOK IV

The ebook, unfortunately, ran into some major delays with the formatter, putting me far behind schedule. I’ve been struggling to get in contact with my ebook formatter over the last few weeks as he dealt with a family emergency. Luckily… I just received the file this morning, so I’m hoping to publish the ebook this week! 🤞

On that note, I have a favor to ask. If you are planning to download the Kindle version, please wait for me to share the affiliate link on social media and my website. When you use my link (as opposed to going directly to Amazon yourself and searching for the title), I earn extra royalties. Not to worry… the retail price won’t change for you! But Amazon gives me a little kickback as a reward for driving traffic to their page. (And we all know Amazon likes to take as much as it can get, so every little bit helps!)

Chronicles of Avilésor (Book V: The Demikan)

Current word count: 90,190

Inked: An Author’s Advice & Inspiration for Writers

Current word count: 2,886

Cobblestones (Art & Poetry Book)

Current word count: 1,040 (15 poems)
Drawings: 30
Photographs: 20

A Pocketful of Nature Poems

Current word count: 416 (5 poems)

BOOKS, PLANTS, AND A BOTTLE OF WINE

I don’t normally stream on Twitch, but last weekend, I joined Writing with Chaos in a segment called “Books, Plants, and a Bottle of Wine” to chat about my book release, the recent signing at Flourish Books & Plants in New Buffalo, MI, some of the projects and collaborations I’ve done with small businesses, and other writing-related topics.

SCENT OF THE MONTH

The Ghost Realm candle inspired by the Chronicles of Avilésor is the featured scent of the month for March! That means you can get it for 20% off on Old Soul Artisan’s website! No promo code needed.

NEW BOOTH ITEM

I tested this new product out in my booth last month, and it was a big hit! These little ravens are carved out of obsidian. Last year, I had reached out to a local vendor friend who sells crystals and asked her to keep an eye out for some pocket-sized obsidian ravens within her wholesale network. She came through with a small test batch to see if they would work for my booth.

Naturally, they fit right in with the display! Not that I’m surprised with my resident booth crows Onyx and Shadow, the black feather decorations, and the raven wax seal on the Old Soul Artisan candle…

NEW BOOTH SIGNAGE

I’m always updating the booth and didn’t waste any time making some small changes to my display this year with new signs to highlight the tea and candle collaborations and make it VERY clear that AI is not part of my writing or art.

Unfortunately, after recent conversations at events (even after my recent blog post on the subject), I felt that it was necessary to add the AI disclaimer so there’s no doubt for anyone who ventures into my booth.

LITERARY TITAN REVIEW

Lab Rat, the newest addition to the Chronicles of Avilésor, received a stellar five-star review from Literary Titan! This is FANTASTIC news because a good review officially qualifies Book IV to be considered for the Literary Titan Book Awards.

SPFBO REVIEW

A Fallen Hero received a positive review in the Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off where it’s competing against 300 other indie books for a top spot in the finals. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the reviewer had listened to the audiobook rather than reading the ebook… and that AFH was the ONLY audiobook in this judge’s batch.

(There’s been more interest lately to see Book II turned into an audiobook… so although that will be an expensive project for me to tackle, it’s on my radar and moving up on my priority list. More on that later.)

You can read the full AFH review here.

If you didn’t know that Book I was available on audio and you want to listen to it, you can find links to various retailers here on my website!

COMING UP…

I have a sneaky suspicion that March is going to be a BIG month with the anticipated launch of the paperback and ebook while I anxiously wait for Literary Titan to announce their next round of award recipients.

Also, stay tuned for some upcoming interviews! I spoke with a local reporter at the Flourish signing last weekend, and I’ll be participating in an author interview with Literary Titan as well (regardless of whether or not the book receives an award).

ARTWORK OF THE MONTH

Embrace © 2026

Taking a short hiatus for my mental health last month helped me feel much more inspired and motivated with my art to create this latest piece. Patreon members can watch the timelapse video in an exclusive post.

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 500 posts! Here are the latest posts since the last newsletter:

• Upcoming event announcements
• Behind the publishing scenes: how authors calculate book cover dimensions
• Early announcement: Literary Titan’s review (and why it’s a REALLY big deal!)
• Updates on the ebook delay
• Poll to determine whether patrons are ready for potential Book IV spoilers yet
• Daily progress updates as I worked on “Embrace”
• Timelapse video to watch me draw this month’s featured artwork

JOIN MY PATREON COMMUNITY

$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

7 Important (Yet Often Overlooked) Tips for Indie Authors

From copyright protection and publishing imprints to how to autograph your books, I share some basic but valuable tips for indie authors...

READ

RECENT EVENTS

February 7-8: Journeyman’s Winter Artisan Market in Valparaiso, IN

February 13-15: Polar Vortex Gaming Convention in Lisle, IL

February 21: Book Signing at Flourish Books & Plants in New Buffalo, MI

March 1: Book Signing at Books & Whimsy in La Porte, IN

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. 

Watch my website for potential pop-up book signings this month! Here's the current schedule of events:

MUSKECON
March 21, 2026
Muskegon, MI

KALAMAZOO COMIC-CON
April 10-12, 2026
Kalamazoo, MI

VIKING FEST
April 24-26, 2026
Whitestown, IN

ROYAL STAGG RENAISSANCE FAIRE
May 9, 2026
Marshall, MI

CHESTERTON EUROPEAN MARKET
May 30, 2026
Chesterton, IN

SLAY THE LAKE CHICAGO PRIDE BOOK FEST
June 27, 2026
Tinley Park, IL

MICHIANA REN FEST
August 29-30, 2026
South Bend, IN

BLUEBERRY FESTIVAL
September 4-6, 2026
Plymouth, IN

POPCORN FESTIVAL
September 12, 2026
Valparaiso, IN

WOLF HOLLOW WITCHES MARKET
October 3, 2026
Belvidere, IL

NWI PAGAN PRIDE
October 17, 2026
Crown Point, IN

PEORIA BOOKFEST
November 14, 2026
Peoria, IL

SHOP

If you can’t catch me at a local event, my website is the next best place to shop! Many of my products, including the new Apothica “witch’s elixir” teas, are available online, although a few are still event exclusive.

SHOP MY SITE

Browse my custom designs on apparel and accessories, produced and shipped by Spring.

SHOP MERCH & APPAREL

In 2020, I partnered with Old Soul Artisan to make a custom candle fragrance inspired by my book series. Online purchases help to support wolf conservation and a woman-owned small business (as well as an indie author… me)!

SHOP THE CANDLE

Refer a friend

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 of a snowflake on my car way back in 2009.

GENERAL UPDATES

Event season has started again, and I’m wrapping up the final tasks to complete Book IV. I’m looking forward to relaxing a bit and trying to decompress before fully diving into Book V… but with tax season approaching, my focus will have to turn to administration business tasks in between events, so I won’t really have much of a break.

BOOK UPDATES

Chronicles of Avilésor (Book IV: Lab Rat)

The hardcover version of Lab Rat was published on December 5, 2025. However, due to unexpected printing issues and delayed communication with my distributor, I had to redesign my title pages and release a second edition less than a month after the release.

I finally received my book order this weekend so I could confirm that the redesign was successful for the second edition. As you can see in the photos below, the original design was solid black, which caused jet-out streaks. When I questioned these unplanned lines in the proof copies, my distributor initially told me it was due to a misprint, so I continued with the launch. It wasn’t until a couple of weeks later (after the publication date!) that they changed their stance and informed me that the paper was oversaturated with ink. I either had to upgrade my paper, which would impact the cover design, book thickness, weight, cost, and shipping, or redesign the four pages that were impacted. I also ended up needing to adjust my bleed margins, which had a cascading effect on the whole book and required me to go through it page by page (again) to check for errors.

For the redesign, I really wanted to keep the white text on a black background, so I used a gradient to reduce the amount of ink and proactively minimize any potential jet-out lines. I also added faintly shadowed copies of the branch patterns as another measure to help mask unwanted printing lines. The black patterns on the back of the paper ended up creating a neat effect when you turn the page and it creates another shadow!

Autographed copies are available on my website. Lab Rat has been temporarily on hold with retailers such as Amazon or B&N while I was waiting to confirm the new files, but it should be available again very soon.

In the meantime, I’m just about ready to upload the paperback files and order proof copies. My ebook formatter has been working on the epub file for Kindle, Nook, and other e-readers. Both of those versions should be coming VERY soon!

SHOP

Chronicles of Avilésor (Book V: The Demikan)

Current word count: 90,190

Inked: An Author’s Advice & Inspiration for Writers

Current word count: 2,886

Cobblestones (Art & Poetry Book)

Current word count: 1,040 (15 poems)
Drawings: 30
Photographs: 20

A Pocketful of Nature Poems

Current word count: 416 (5 poems)

WEBSITE UPDATE

My homepage now prominently features the Old Soul Artisan and Apothica Teas collaborations, as well as a link to my portfolio of other business partnerships and small collaborations that I’ve done. It took some time to experiment with the WordPress settings and get it looking the way I wanted, but I’m really happy with the result!

NEW RECORD!

The first signing of the year broke a record! I sold out of complete hardcover sets in ONLY TEN MINUTES!!

CELEBRATING THE BOOK RELEASE

Publishing a new book is extremely stressful. By the time release day arrives, I’m exhausted, burned out, and anxious about how readers are going to react. It’s hard for me to let go after spending so much time trying to perfect everything.

And... something inevitably goes wrong. I’m not just being pessimistic; that’s been the case with every single book release. Whether it’s a printing delay threatening my planned date for the first signing, a pandemic preventing in-person events, a disappointing early review, last-minute revisions, et cetera, I know better than to assume it’s going to be smooth sailing.

Because of all the stress, I never pause long enough to fully appreciate the enormous accomplishment that was years in the making, especially because I have a bad habit of immediately jumping to my next goal without savoring the feat. This is especially the case with a staggered release. While fans are excited about the hardcover, I’m still working on the paperback and ebook, and I often have people devour the hardcover in a matter of days and start asking me about the next novel before I’ve even published all three formats of my current project. I do love the enthusiasm, but that makes it harder to be in the moment.

So, with Lab Rat, I was determined to intentionally set aside some time to celebrate! I invited my inner circle of assistants, beta readers, and proofreaders who helped me behind the scenes to join me for a VIP party after the first signing of the year at Waterford Inn. Alpha-tier members of my Patreon community were also invited so top supporters could have the opportunity to meet and mingle with this closed group.

THANK YOU to everyone who braved the cold weather and helped me celebrate!!!

(The road conditions were deteriorating as snow moved in, so a few people left early before we were able to get the group photo.)

LITERARY TITAN

I was ecstatic (and immensely relieved) to read a preview of Literary Titan’s editorial review of Lab Rat earlier today and discover that it’s a glowing recommendation!

A good review is always a positive note, of course, but this one is particularly notable because it officially qualifies Book IV to be considered for the Literary Titan Book Awards. I was really hoping that Lab Rat would follow in its predecessors’ footsteps, but I also wasn’t sure how this darker, more emotional phase of the story would be received since it has such a different setup and vibe compared to the other three books. I was nervous about submitting Book IV and have been anxiously waiting to find out if the review would be positive or negative.

The official book review will be posted soon. I won’t steal their thunder by sharing it prematurely, but here’s a short snippet of what they thought of the book:

“My first reaction was physical. Not ‘oh wow’ physical, more like clenching-my-teeth, shoulders-up-by-my-ears physical... I found myself admiring the author’s nerve even as I wanted to look away.”

In addition to the review and potential opportunity to receive an award in the near future, I’ll also be participating in an author interview. Stayed tuned for all of that in the next few weeks!

ARTWORK OF THE MONTH

Jade & Eclipse © circa 2006-2009

Talk about a throwback! Jade and Eclipse are the main characters in the very first fantasy novel I wrote, Shadow Rider. It was never published, but I do plan to return to it someday after I wrap up the War of the Realms.

These were the first character sketches I ever drew, but unfortunately, I didn’t date them, so I had to take my best guess at when they were created. Patreon members can learn more in an exclusive post.

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 500 posts! Here are the latest posts since the last newsletter:

• Upcoming event announcements
• Video tour of the final Project Alpha floor plan
• 2026 author and business goals
• Exclusive invitation to the VIP afterparty to celebrate Book IV’s publication
• Behind the scenes of the paperback proofing process
• Early sneak peek and information about this month’s featured artwork

JOIN MY PATREON COMMUNITY

$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

Perspective: AI Has NO Place in My Art & Writing

Yes, I have a lot of em dashes in my writing. No, that doesn't mean I use AI. In fact, I go out of my way to avoid allowing AI to creep into my writing and art at all...

READ

RECENT EVENTS

January 24: Book signing & VIP afterparty in La Porte, IN

January 31: PCMGA Garden Show in Valparaiso, IN

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. 

Watch my website for some local pop-up book signings over the next few months! Here's the current schedule of events:

JOURNEYMAN’S WINTER ARTISAN MARKET
February 7-8, 2026
Valparaiso, IN

POLAR VORTEX GAMING CON
February 13-15, 2026
Lisle, IL

BOOK SIGNING AT FLOURISH BOOKS & PLANTS
February 21, 2026
New Buffalo, MI

MUSKECON
March 21, 2026
Muskegon, MI

KALAMAZOO COMIC-CON
April 10-12, 2026
Kalamazoo, MI

VIKING FEST
April 24-26, 2026
Whitestown, IN

ROYAL STAGG RENAISSANCE FAIRE
May 9, 2026
Marshall, MI

CHESTERTON EUROPEAN MARKET
May 30, 2026
Chesterton, IN

MICHIANA REN FEST
August 29-30, 2026
South Bend, IN

BLUEBERRY FESTIVAL
September 4-6, 2026
Plymouth, IN

WOLF HOLLOW WITCHES MARKET
October 3, 2026
Belvidere, IL

NWI PAGAN PRIDE
October 17, 2026
Crown Point, 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, including the new Apothica witch’s elixirs, are available online, although a few are still event exclusive.

SHOP MY SITE

Browse my custom designs on apparel and accessories, produced and shipped by Spring.

SHOP MERCH & APPAREL

In 2020, I partnered with Old Soul Artisan to make a custom candle fragrance inspired by my book series. Online purchases help to support wolf conservation and a woman-owned small business (as well as an indie author… me)!

SHOP THE CANDLE

Refer a friend

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 after a snowstorm in February 2022. The snow-covered hydrangea blossom in the background almost looks like a heart, doesn’t it?

GENERAL UPDATES

Last month was an INSANE juggling act publishing Book IV, arranging a local book signing, collaborating with a local café on a special project to celebrate the release, and, of course, doing all of this in between the holidays.

Speaking of which, Calypso hopes everyone had a wonderful (and safe) new year, blessed Yule, merry Christmas, and happy holidays!

BOOK UPDATES

Chronicles of Avilésor (Book IV: Lab Rat)

In case you missed the, Lab Rat was officially published on December 5, 2025! It took a couple of weeks to receive the first print run, and then I scrambled to ship out all of the 40+ preorders before I had a local book signing right before Christmas.

But, of course, it wasn’t a smooth launch, which wasn’t exactly a surprise considering this is my fourth publication and none of them have ever gone perfectly. Toss in some holiday chaos with printing, shipping, and distribution for good measure, and I knew it was going to be a rocky release. But hey… I made it!!!

Long story short (I explain in much greater detail on Patreon), I ended up working through the holidays to make some post-publication updates to the margins and title pages after corresponding back and forth with my distributor for a full month to verify that some of my page designs were resulting in ink oversaturation, which meant they weren’t printing quite the way I wanted them to. It wasn’t a catastrophic error, but it was still something that I wanted to correct. That means Book IV’s first edition is already out of print after only a few weeks with less than 80 copies produced. These are EXTREMELY limited editions!

The second edition has gradient title pages instead of solid black, a header correction, and an extra term in the glossary, plus a slightly larger bleed margin (which required yet another tedious round of edits and checks because that minor change messed up my original margins and formatting).

An important note: Lab Rat’s retail listings are NOT listed as a second edition in any way. Why? Because the changes weren’t major enough to warrant re-releasing the book as a new edition under a new ISBN. This has been the case with all of my books when I make small updates. The only way to make sure you get a first edition is to order directly from me so I can verify it. Luckily, I just made a new stamp for these books so they’re easier to identify!

I have only about a dozen first editions left of Lab Rat, so if you want one, I highly suggest you order online through my website rather than risk waiting for my next in-person event. As I said, they’re already out of print, so once I’m out, they’re gone! I have two boxes of the second edition currently in production. Any copies ordered from third-party retailers such as Amazon or B&N will be the new edition.

BUY A FIRST EDITION

For fans who are waiting for the paperback and ebook, those will be coming soon! I’ll be working on the paperback this month while my ebook formatter gets the digital file ready.

@author.sara.a.noeLots of preorders ready to ship as soon as the books arrive! Lab Rat was published on 12/5/25, although the holidays caused a slight production delay. Thank you to everyone who supported me by preordering! 🥰 @Chronicles of Avilésor 📚 #newbookrelease #booktok #chroniclesofavilesor #indiesauthorsoftiktok

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Chronicles of Avilésor (Book V: The Demikan)

Current word count: 88,052

I’ve worked on a few scenes recently in between publishing the first and second editions of Lab Rat. What can I say… the inspiration hit me once I was finally out of editing mode! I realized that splitting Lab Rat into two books was definitely the right move, as I now have a lot more room to develop some of the characters and scenes without feeling confined by the word count.

Inked: An Author’s Advice & Inspiration for Writers

Current word count: 2,886

Cobblestones (Art & Poetry Book)

Current word count: 1,040 (15 poems)
Drawings: 30
Photographs: 20

TBD: Pocket Poetry Book?

I’m considering releasing a small poetry book as a warm-up before tackling the much more intense Cobblestones book, which will feature full-page illustrations with my art and photography in addition to poetry. As if I don’t have enough projects on my plate… right?

BUBBLE TEA COLLABORATION

HotSpot Café made the Book IV signing on December 20th extra special by creating a custom bubble tea inspired by the Chronicles of Avilésor! The gemfruit bubble tea is still available even though it’s not listed on the menu… and if you pop in to try it during the month of January, you can still get 25% off by mentioning the code word “Phantom” when you order.

Gemfruit, which is one of the ingredients of the azulean elixir in the recent Apothica tea collaboration, has actually been canon in the Chronicles of Avilésor since the first book. Although it was never actually named in the book (because Cato didn’t know what it was called), the fruit appeared in Chapter 20 of A Fallen Hero. It’s also in the glossary published at the back of Lab Rat.

The gemfruit bubble tea, exclusively available at HotSpot in La Porte, IN, is a combination of pomegranate, apple, mango, and lychee yumminess with a dash of edible glitter!! If you enjoy fruity drinks, you should definitely give it a try!

SPFBO CONTEST

Talk about starting the year off with a bang! A Fallen Hero was accepted into SPFBO XI!

I only just recently learned about the Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off and submitted AFH at the last minute after a fellow author pushed me to apply. My debut novel is now competing with 300 other independently published fantasy books in a multi-round contest with teams of book bloggers judging the entries.

This is an international contest, and I was extremely fortunate to be chosen in the lottery with my first submission. Some authors have been submitting their works for years!

If you’re like me and not familiar with SPFBO, here is its mission statement:

“The SPFBO exists to shine a light on self-published fantasy. It exists to find excellent books that might otherwise have gone unnoticed. It exists to help readers select, from the enormous range of options, books that have a better chance of entertaining them than a random choice, thereby increasing reader faith in finding a quality self-published read.”

Best of luck to all of the authors participating!!

UPCOMING POP-UP SIGNINGS

Although I don’t have any official events on the calendar until the end of January, make sure you follow me on social media because I’m still planning to some more local pop-up signings in the first few months of the year to stay in touch with fans and sell/sign copies of Lab Rat outside of my bigger events with the full booth.

These dates have not been set yet because they’ll be contingent upon book orders, venue availability, and, of course, the weather. (You never know what Mother Nature will have in store for northern Indiana winters!)

ARTWORK OF THE MONTH

Krampus © 2026

Level 2 and 3 Patreon subscribers can learn more about this art piece and watch me create it in an exclusive timelapse video.

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 nearly 500 posts! Here are the latest posts since the last newsletter:

• Upcoming event announcements
• Possible book signing pop-ups that might happen in the near future
• Publication day announcement
• Early sneak peek at Book V’s title
• Preorder update + HotSpot collaboration details
• Behind-the-scenes, in-depth explanation about the printing issues and publishing challenges that resulted in a second edition with revised title pages
• Worldbuilding post exploring my naming process for the fantasy plants, fruits, flowers, and spices in the Apothica witch’s elixirs
• Daily art-in-progress updates during my work on “Krampus”
• Timelapse video of this month’s featured artwork

JOIN MY PATREON COMMUNITY

$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

2026 List of Literary and Book-Themed Holidays

It’s become an annual tradition for me to publish this list of literary holidays for readers, writers, poets, librarians, teachers, and grammar lovers and add a few more to this growing collection every year. Mark your calendar!

READ

Author’s Year in Review | Reflecting on 2025

Speaking of yearly traditions, here’s another one! My annual reflection on the growth and challenges I faced as an author, artist, and solopreneur over the last year. Rewind through 40 events, 2 collaborations with local businesses, and a book release, plus my 2025 blog posts, artwork, and newsletters.

READ

RECENT EVENTS

December 6: Old Town Krampusnacht in Lansing, MI

December 20: Book IV Signing at HotSpot Café in La Porte, IN

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. 

Watch my website for some local pop-up book signings over the next few months! Here's the current schedule of events:

20th ANNUAL GARDENING SHOW
January 31, 2026
Valparaiso, IN

POLAR VORTEX GAMING CON
February 13-15, 2026
Lisle, IL

MUSKECON
March 21, 2026
Muskegon, MI

KALAMAZOO COMIC-CON
April 10-12, 2026
Kalamazoo, MI

VIKING FEST
April 24-26, 2026
Whitestown, IN

MICHIANA REN FEST
August 29-30, 2026
South Bend, IN

BLUEBERRY FESTIVAL
September 4-6, 2026
Plymouth, IN

WOLF HOLLOW WITCHES MARKET
October 3, 2026
Belvidere, IL

SHOP

If you can’t catch me at a local event, my website is the next best place to shop! Many of my products, including the new Apothica witch’s elixirs, are available online, although a few are still event exclusive.

SHOP MY SITE

Browse my custom designs on apparel and accessories, produced and shipped by Spring.

SHOP MERCH & APPAREL

In 2020, I partnered with Old Soul Artisan to make a custom candle fragrance inspired by my book series. Online purchases help to support wolf conservation and a woman-owned small business (as well as an indie author… me)!

SHOP THE CANDLE

Refer a friend

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 after a snowstorm in February 2022.

GENERAL UPDATES

Wow… this month has been intense. I’m honestly fighting some serious burnout after pulling multiple all-nighters trying to balance the tedious final push for Book IV while still doing events every weekend. But the finish line is in sight! Are you ready for Lab Rat?!

BOOK UPDATES

Chronicles of Avilésor (Book IV: Lab Rat)

My proofreading team and I spent most of November reviewing the ARCs (advance reader copies) to check for any final errors and give the novel one last readthrough before it’s off to the presses.

I ended up making a lot more tweaks than I expected, especially with the supplemental material at the back. The glossary is a whopping 532 terms! This installment of the series dives much deeper into the worldbuilding and lore than any of the previous books, and I underestimated how much time and work would go into it.

Lab Rat is truly a labor of love, and I really hope all of that extra effort shines through and connects with fans. Here’s what one of the proofreaders had to say about the book:

The book is on schedule to meet its anticipated publication date of December 5th. HOWEVER, the timing of the release is not ideal due to the chaos of the holidays, so I fully anticipate a delay between the publication date and on-sale date. This just means that it’s highly unlikely retailers will have the book listed on their websites right away when the book becomes available for global distribution. It might take a few days or, depending on the retailer, even a week or two. This is normal for a regular publication, let alone a holiday release.

Please be patient! There’s nothing that I can do to speed up retailer listings, production, and shipping. I was trying really hard to beat the holiday madness, but I wasn’t going to rush through the final checks and cut corners on quality. I’ll ship the preorders from the first print run as soon as they arrive. In the meantime, I have a lot of prep work to do so those orders can go out as smoothly as possible once they’re received, autographed, and packed!

**If you’re local and you opted to pick up your order at HotSpot Café, please wait for my email. I will let you know when it’s ready to be picked up!

Inked: An Author’s Advice & Inspiration for Writers

No updates to report.

Cobblestones

No updates to report.

TEA COLLABORATION

After several months of teasing an upcoming collab in the works… I’m thrilled to finally announce that I’ve partnered with Apothica Teas in Niles, MI to create three custom tea blends inspired by different regions of the Ghost Realm!

These “witch’s elixirs” are canonically tied to the Chronicles of Avilésor lore, complete with a list of ingredients from the Ghost Realm (and their Human Realm counterparts).

I love partnering with small businesses to bring the books to life in new and creative ways, especially when the business is local! We curated three unique blends:

• The azulean elixir embodies the tropical Arstenya Forest with a fruity, floral combination that brews into a deep purple with a sparkly shimmer.

• The solarid elixir is based on the semi-arid Haeminall Desert and features a sweet, nutty, creamy-tasting tea that brews into a lovely reddish-pink color.

• The tenebryst elixir, which complements the Old Soul Artisan Ghost Realm candle very well, captures the ancient deciduous Denbrook Forest and has more of a lightly spiced earthy taste with a hint of smoke. It looks like forest mulch in autumn and brews into a rich orange-brown color.

Which one are you most excited to try?

The teas are available in flights or small bags at my event booth and on my website. For more information about Apothica and how this collaboration has unfolded over the last few months, be sure to check out my latest blog post.

You’ll definitely want to cozy up with a steaming witch’s elixir in hand and the Ghost Realm candle burning as you settle in to read Book IV this winter! (And Old Soul Artisan is running a Cyber Monday 30% off sitewide promotion… so now is an excellent time to order some candles!)

SHOP THE TEA

SHOP THE CANDLE

NEW BUTTON DESIGN

Naturally, I had to create a new button to celebrate the tea collab! This button is available on my website along with more of my bookish graphic designs.

UPCOMING POP-UP SIGNINGS

My event schedule is finally coming to a close after the first weekend of December. Although I don’t have any official events on the calendar until the end of January, make sure you follow me on social media because I’m planning to do a few local pop-up signings at the beginning of the year to stay in touch with fans and sell/sign copies of Lab Rat.

These dates have not been set yet because they’ll be contingent upon book orders, venue availability, and, of course, the weather. (You never know what Mother Nature will have in store for northern Indiana winters!)

NEW PRINT

“Book Dragon” has joined my inventory as a postcard, notecard, and mouse pad. It will also be available on an artboard in the near future.

HOLIDAY SALE

I’ll be honest… I took a hard hit when a snowstorm canceled my most recent holiday market. It’s bad timing with my event season about to end, large book orders needing to be placed for Book IV’s release, and invoices rolling in for next year’s events.

I run a holiday promotion on my website around this time of the year anyway, but if you’re looking for unique gifts (art prints, bookish merch, autographed fantasy novels, etc.) then please check out my site! A lot of small business owners and solopreneurs are really feeling the squeeze this holiday season, and it means a lot when people shop small and support their local artisans.

You can use promo code SNOWY15 this week to take 15% off your order. If you’re local and don’t want to pay for shipping, you can pick up your order at HotSpot Café in La Porte, IN.

(If you’re a member of my Patreon community, you have an exclusive promo code for 20% off my website!)

SHOP

SEASONAL KIT EMOJIS

Christmas Kit and Winter Kit have come out of the vault! These seasonal Discord emojis I designed are available on stickers and keychains on my website and at my booth… but only for a short time before they disappear until next year!

ARTWORK OF THE MONTH

Tenebrous © 2025

Level 2 and 3 Patreon subscribers can learn more about this art piece and watch me create it in an exclusive timelapse video.

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 470 posts! Here are the latest posts since the last newsletter:

• Upcoming event announcements
• Book IV proofreading & publishing updates
• New Alpha-tier membership perk: Help me celebrate the latest book release!
• Early announcement of the Apothica collaboration
• Exclusive 20% off holiday promotion on my website
• Extensive worldbuilding post about my naming process for the fantasy ingredients in the new teas
• Timelapse video of this month’s featured artwork

JOIN MY PATREON COMMUNITY

$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

Collaboration: Chronicles of Avilésor x Apothica Teas

Read about my new collaboration partner! In this post, I’ll introduce you to Apothica Teas and tell you about the steps to create the new “witch’s elixir” tea blends.

READ

RECENT EVENTS

November 8: World Oddities Expo in Indianapolis, IN

November 15-16: South Bend Fall Artisan Market in South Bend, IN

November 22-23: Autumn Artisan Market at the American Factory in Valparaiso, IN

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:  

OLD TOWN KRAMPUSNACHT
December 6, 2025
Lansing, MI

20th ANNUAL GARDENING SHOW
January 31, 2026
Valparaiso, IN

POLAR VORTEX GAMING CON
February 14-16, 2026
Lisle, IL

MUSKECON
March 21, 2026
Muskegon, MI

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

WOLF HOLLOW WITCHES MARKET
October 3, 2026
Belvidere, IL

SHOP

If you can’t catch me at a local event, my website is the next best place to shop! Many of my products, including the new Apothica witch’s elixirs, are available online, although a few are still event exclusive.

SHOP MY SITE

Browse my custom designs on apparel and accessories, produced and shipped by Spring.

SHOP MERCH & APPAREL

In 2020, I partnered with Old Soul Artisan to make a custom candle fragrance inspired by my book series. Online purchases help to support wolf conservation and a woman-owned small business (as well as an indie author… me)!

SHOP THE CANDLE

Refer a friend

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 pulled this photo of a bonfire from my archive… all the way back from 2014.

GENERAL UPDATES

I’m in the homestretch… in so many ways! I have only five events left this year before I finally get to take a break until the end of January, and my fourth book will be published in about a month. I still have a LOT to do in these final weeks, but at least the end is in sight!

BOOK UPDATES

Chronicles of Avilésor (Book IV: Lab Rat)

It’s almost here!! On Thursday night, I finalized the files and submitted them to my distributor. After a few days of processing, they were approved this morning!

I placed an order for ARCs (advanced reader copies) so my proofreaders and I can review them for any minor typos or formatting errors before I officially give the green light and enable global distribution for the hardcover. (The paperback and ebook will come later.)

The ARCs might arrive this week, but if not, then the order should be here early next week. Lab Rat’s official publication date will be December 5th. For more information about the timeline, final steps, page count, and lots of bonus content that will make this installment in the Chronicles of Avilésor special, check out my latest blog post.

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.

PREORDER BOOK IV

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 PRODUCTS

For several weeks, I anxiously waited for these to arrive, and now they’re here!

I’m excited to offer twelve of my art prints on cute little pocket journals, plus four of my art designs on larger spiral sticker books that have blank pages made of special release paper, allowing stickers to be stuck on and peeled off the pages repeatedly without causing them to lose their stickiness.

These new products are available at my event booth and on my website. However, since this is my starting batch, I ordered limited quantities of each design and won’t have time to get another order in before the holidays… so if there’s one you like, I wouldn’t wait too long to claim it because I can’t guarantee it will still be in stock for very long! The journals have already proven to be popular at events.

SHOP

I’ve also added wooden page holders to my event-exclusive inventory. I use a wood-burning tool to customize each one with a simple design, and people seem to like having this lightweight option in addition to my slightly heavier handmade resin page holders. I don’t currently sell either version on my website since each one is unique.

AUTHOR PANELS

When I arrived in Lisle, IL to set up for Hallow-Fest last month, I didn’t know that I was going to end up being a guest on a couple of author panels! I joined Kassidy VanGundy, RE Bunch, S&E Black, and Laura Enright to chat about reading, writing, and publishing.

PAN-O-PLY FEATURE

You can imagine my surprise when I noticed a very familiar book cover in the latest publication of regional magazine! I had not submitted my book, so it was quite a jolt to stumble across the feature!

EKPHRASTIC POEM

I participated in a local contest through the LCA Sandcastle Writers to create an ekphrastic piece about “The House,” a marble sculpture by Louise Bourgeois that is currently featured in the “Women to the Front: Artworks from the Sara M. and Michelle Vance Waddell Collection” exhibition at the Lubeznik Center for the Arts.

Local poet Carnessa L. Carnes and writer David Hoppe reviewed the submissions, and I was honored that my poem “The House Inside the Glass Box” was chosen as a winner along with “Not Today” by Amanda Freymann!

You can read both of our pieces and the judges’ commentary on the LCA post here.

DISPLAY UPDATE

As the weather gets colder and most of my events shift to indoor venues, I had to consider how I could evolve my display to keep the three tapestries that I’d been hanging from my tent frame.

I love the look of the tapestries and the fantasy vibes they create within my booth space. They also help make my artwork stand out by forming a backdrop to hide the other displays, people, and distractions in the booths around me.

After a bit of experimenting and a couple of trips to the local hardware store, I crafted a PVC frame to enclose my booth with the tapestries for indoor events. The mystical forest is here year-round now!

I also added new table covers to clearly convey the art side of the booth vs. the Chronicles of Avilésor & book merch side.

COLLABORATION… COMING SOON!

I’ve been teasing a collaboration with a local business that’s been in the works since late August… and it’s VERY close to launch! My assistant and I made another trip to the shop recently to test a lot of samples and make some final decisions.

I’m really excited to share more about this very soon! Watch out for updates on Patreon, social media, and my website!

ARTWORK OF THE MONTH

Roost © 2025

Level 2 and 3 Patreon subscribers can learn more about this art and watch me create it in an exclusive timelapse video.

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 470 posts! Here are the latest posts since the last newsletter:

• Upcoming event announcements
• Book IV progress & publishing updates
• Poll to vote for my official author headshot
• Behind the scenes: the fourth crow detail (iykyk)
• Collaboration updates
• Video: first look at the brand-new pocket journals & sticker books before their public debut
• Sneak peeks at Book IV’s full dust jacket & new interior pages, graphics, & stats
• Early access to the new products listed on my website + exclusive promo code for online orders
• Timelapse video of this month’s featured artwork

JOIN MY PATREON COMMUNITY

$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

BOOK IV: LAB RAT Publication Update

What are the final steps between now and the December 5th publication? Read the latest updates about the fourth novel in the Chronicles of Avilésor and the bonus content that will be included in the upcoming book.

READ

RECENT EVENTS

October 11-12: Hallow-Fest in Lisle, IL

October 18-19: Tabletop Adventure Con in Warsaw, IN

October 25: Nightmare on Chicago Street in Elgin, IL

November 1-2: Lodge Con in Peotone, 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:  

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

MUSKECON
March 21, 2026
Muskegon, MI

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

WOLF HOLLOW WITCHES MARKET
October 3, 2026
Belvidere, IL

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.

SHOP MY SITE

Browse my custom designs on apparel and accessories, produced and shipped by Spring.

SHOP MERCH & APPAREL

In 2020, I partnered with Old Soul Artisan to make a custom candle fragrance inspired by my book series. Online purchases help to support wolf conservation and a woman-owned small business (as well as an indie author… me)!

SHOP THE CANDLE

Refer a friend

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.

PREORDER BOOK IV

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.

SHOP

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

JOIN MY PATREON COMMUNITY

$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!)

READ

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.

SHOP MY SITE

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).

SHOP MERCH & APPAREL

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)!

SHOP THE CANDLE

Refer a friend

WHAT’S NEW THIS MONTH?

Welcome to the monthly newsletter with all of the latest updates about my books, projects, blog, featured artwork, news, and more!

About the photograph featured in the heading: I took this photo in Luhr Park in 2021.

GENERAL UPDATES

I survived the peak of my event season… but just barely!

My busiest time of the year is from the middle of August through the beginning of September with three heavy-hitter events — the Michiana Ren Fest, Blueberry Festival, and Popcorn Festival. Having these three land back-to-back-to-back is a challenge for me to keep enough inventory in stock and make enough wax-sealed envelopes to go with the books.

This year added some extra challenges when my printer died and I ended up falling sick right after the Blueberry Festival. After four long days manning the booth (five if you count the extra day before the festival started to drive to Plymouth, set up the tent, and unload all of the totes), I was pretty run down and wasn’t able to bounce back right away. I lost several days in between Blueberry and Popcorn that I really needed to prep and restock.

Somehow, I survived the peak despite being sick, and now I’m trying to strike a balance between recovering and catching up. After replacing a part on my printer, I do have it operational again.

I was overwhelmed by the support I had from both old and new fans at these events! I ran out of paperbacks of Books II and III on the first day of the Renaissance festival due to people buying full sets at a time. Although I was restocked for Blueberry, I ended up selling out of ALL titles and formats by the end! That’s the first time that has ever happened! I’ve sold out of one or two titles in paperback or hardcover before, but I’ve never sold every single book that I had with me. Luckily, I was restocked again in time for Popcorn.

Fans and friends treated us to ice cream, handmade bracelets, tea, fan art, and other gifts at these events. Some even made a special trip just to see us! I’m exhausted, but it was a good time.

BOOK UPDATES

Chronicles of Avilésor (Book IV: Lab Rat)

My goal was to finish the line edit before the Michiana Ren Fest kicked off the craziest stretch of my event season… and I did! With the completion of the line edit, cover, and map, the final pieces are falling into place.

I’m now working on editing the supplemental material and formatting the interior layout to put it all together. If I stay on schedule, I should have the proof copy (or at least have it ordered) by the next newsletter! I still don’t have an exact publication date set yet, but it should be available before the holidays.

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.

PREORDER BOOK IV

Inked: An Author’s Advice & Inspiration for Writers

No updates to report since my focus has been completely on Lab Rat.

Cobblestones

No updates to report at this time. So far, I’ve gathered 30 drawings, 20 photographs, and 15 poems. I’m planning to type the poems on an old-fashioned typewriter rather than the computer to give the book a little extra charm!

MAP UPDATE & FIRST PRINTS

If you recall in the last newsletter, I mentioned that the Project Alpha map would need a minor update to change the configuration of the staircase around the elevator. That change has been made, and I printed five posterboards of the new map to have at events.

This will likely be the final version that is printed in Lab Rat, but it’s still possible that it might need some small adjustments between now and publication, which will make those five posters limited editions (beyond simply being part of the first print). Four of the five have already been sold, so I have only one left! This is an event-exclusive item that is not listed on my website.

NEW KEYCHAINS & STICKERS

I was relieved to receive an order of new keychains and stickers just in the nick of time to feature Popcorn Kit at the Popcorn Festival! New to the keychain collection:

• Popcorn Kit

• Birthday Kit

• Sleepy Kit

• Bookworm Kit

• It’s a Good Day to Read

• I Support Diverse Books

• I Support Indie Authors

• I Support Artists

• Sorrow Angel

• Consumed Angel

“Full Moon” and “Read Banned Books” are not NEW keychain designs, but they’ve been slightly modified from the original versions.

The Kit emoji sticker collection is finally complete with all of the new emojis I’ve released this year, including Birthday, Popcorn, Bookworm, Wink, Unamused, Kiss, and Exasperated. Level 2 and 3 Patreon subscribers have received these new Kit stickers (or will very soon) to complete their collection as part of their membership perk.

“It’s a Good Day to Read” also joined the sticker collection, although it isn’t pictured in this photo.

This sticker batch was small because I was testing out a different company than the one I’ve used in the past. It did pass my quality control standards, so I’ll likely be ordering more soon.

The new stickers and keychains have been added to my website, and they’re also available to purchase in my event booth.

SHOP

BOOTH UPGRADE

My booth is always evolving, but it’s had some big changes recently to make it truly booktok-worthy. You can tour the booth in this TikTok video.

I’ve added new forest tapestries on the sides to fully enclose my booth space and create an immersive, mystical vibe. These backdrops separate my booth from the vendors on either side of me and really make the art pop since it’s easier to focus on my displays without seeing other vendors, customers, and wares in the other booths behind them.

See the difference in these photos from the Chesterton European Market last month (top) vs. the Popcorn Festival this past weekend (bottom):

While the wisteria draped through the frame isn’t new, I typically brought it out exclusively for Renaissance faires in the past. But it complements the new tapestries so well that it’ll be part of the normal display now.

As space opened up when the discontinued puzzles were sold, I made some changes to the table setups by moving the keychains and stickers over to the art table so I could make room to display all four of the maps on the book table… and make space for a new (pending) collaboration with a local business! I’ll hopefully have more details about that in the near future…

ARTWORK OF THE MONTH

Heartless © 2025

I didn’t think I’d have enough time to create a featured art piece after losing precious time being sick during the peak of event season, but I did manage to create this poor little guy yesterday. The newest addition to my angel collection pulls elements from its three predecessors: Broken, Sorrow, and Consumed. Since I was limited on time and still not feeling great, I wanted to do a simple piece and ease myself back into sketching.

Level 2 and 3 Patreon subscribers can learn more about this latest featured 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 440 posts! Here are the latest posts since the last newsletter:

• Upcoming event announcements
• Updates about the new pending collaboration with a local business
• Worldbuilding post exploring the power of oneirokinesis in the Chronicles of Avilésor (and the hypothetical outcome of a Sandt vs. Ero face-off)
• Book IV milestones, progress, updates, and final steps for publication
• New Kit stickers sent to Level 2 and 3 patrons as a membership perk
• Timelapse video of this month’s featured artwork

JOIN MY PATREON COMMUNITY

$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

Do Artists Need Liability Insurance to Have a Booth?

I discuss the business side of having an artist booth at events and whether or not these types of vendors need to have insurance before they can set up.

READ

RECENT EVENTS

August 9: Art Beat in South Bend, IN

August 16: OUTFest in Lafayette, IN

August 23-24: Michiana Ren Fest in South Bend, IN

August 29 - September 1: Blueberry Festival in Plymouth, IN

September 6: Popcorn Festival in Valparaiso, IN

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:  

NWI PAGAN PRIDE
Saturday, September 13, 2025
10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Lake County Fairgrounds
Crown Point, IN

SUNFLOWER FAIR
Saturday, September 20, 2025
8:00 am - 4:00 pm
Michigan Avenue
La Porte, IN

BIZARRE BAZAAR
Saturday, September 27, 2025
1:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Porter County Expo Center
Valparaiso, IN

WOLF HOLLOW WITCHES MARKET
Saturday, October 4, 2025
3:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Boone County Fairgrounds
Belvidere, IL

HALLOW-FEST
Saturday, October 11, 2025
10:00 am - 6:00 pm

Sunday, October 12, 2025
10:00 am - 5:00 pm

Sheraton Lisle Naperville Hotel
Lisle, IL

TABLETOP ADVENTURE CON
Saturday, October 18, 2025
9:00 am - 10:00 pm

Sunday, October 19, 2025
9:00 am - 4:00 pm

Warsaw Community High School
Warsaw, IN

LODGE CON
Saturday, November 1, 2025
10:00 am - 5:00 pm

Sunday, November 2, 2025
10:00 am - 5:00 pm

Will County Fairgrounds Atrium
Peotone, IL

SOUTH BEND ARTISAN MARKET

Saturday, November 15, 2025
10:00 am - 4:00 pm

Sunday, November 16, 2025
10:00 am - 3:00 pm

The Century Center
South Bend, IN

OLD TOWN KRAMPUSNACHT
Saturday, December 6, 2025
4:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Old Town District of Turner Street
Lansing, MI

20th ANNUAL GARDENING SHOW
Saturday, January 31, 2026
8:00 am - 4:00 pm
Porter County Expo Center
Valparaiso, IN

KALAMAZOO COMIC-CON
Friday, April 10, 2026
12:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Saturday, April 11, 2026
10:00 am - 7:00 pm

Sunday, April 12, 2026
10:00 am - 5:00 pm

Kalamazoo Expo Center
Kalamazoo, MI

MICHIANA REN FEST
Saturday, August 29, 2026
10:00 am - 6:00 pm

Sunday, August 30, 2026
10:00 am - 6:00 pm

St. Joe County 4H Fairgrounds
South Bend, IN

BLUEBERRY FESTIVAL
Friday, September 4, 2026
12:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Saturday, September 5, 2026
9:00 am - 9:00 pm

Sunday, September 6, 2026
9:00 am - 9:00 pm

Monday, September 7, 2026
9:00 am - 6:00 pm

Centennial Park
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, including notecards, keychains, buttons, postcards, bookmarks, stickers, mouse pads, novelty CoA merch, and autographed books. Some products, such as my canvas prints, puzzles, resin book holders, and build-your-own bookmarks, are still event-exclusive.

SHOP MY SITE

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).

SHOP MERCH & APPAREL

In 2020, I partnered with Old Soul Artisan — a small USA business operated by an amazingly creative woman — 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!

SHOP THE CANDLE

Refer a friend

WHAT’S NEW THIS MONTH?

Welcome to the monthly newsletter with all of the latest updates about my books, projects, blog, featured artwork, news, and more!

About the photograph featured in the heading: I took this photo earlier this year in March after spotting a cluster of mushrooms sprouting in my lawn.

GENERAL UPDATES

I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to send the newsletter on time! After finally finishing this month’s timelapse video, which took up so much storage space with the original recordings that my computer almost couldn’t handle it, my power cord failed last night. As always, if it’s not one thing, it’s another. Luckily, my phone charger is just enough to keep the laptop running until I can get a new one with the proper wattage for a computer. (Thank goodness for Lenovo switching to a type C port so the cables are compatible in situations like this!)

I’m feeling pretty good about the progress I made in July. In May and June, I was really struggling with burnout and feeling like I wasn’t getting enough done around my event schedule. My productivity definitely improved last month!

Reminder: Next month’s newsletter will be delayed due to Labor Day and the four-day Blueberry Festival that weekend.

BOOK UPDATES

Chronicles of Avilésor (Book IV: Lab Rat)

I’m about 75% of the way through the line edit. Most of my progress over the last few weeks has been on the visual front rather than the manuscript. In my latest blog post, I dive into more detail about the recently unveiled book cover, new map, planned supplemental material, and final steps to publication.

The second half of August is going to be extremely busy with the Michiana Renaissance Faire followed by the Blueberry Festival, so I hope to have the line edit done before those multi-day events consume my time.

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.

PREORDER BOOK IV

Inked: An Author’s Advice & Inspiration for Writers

No updates to report since my focus has been completely on Lab Rat.

Cobblestones

No updates to report at this time. So far, I’ve gathered 30 drawings, 20 photographs, and 15 poems. I’m planning to type the poems on an old-fashioned typewriter rather than the computer to give the book a little extra charm!

NEW LOCAL RETAILER

I took a trip to New Buffalo, MI to visit a charming bookstore that not only has a cozy atmosphere and plenty of books, but also houseplants for sale! (Am I in heaven??)

Flourish Books & Plants is not only the latest indie bookstore to carry autographed copies of the Chronicles of Avilésor, but it’s also the first bookstore in the state of Michigan to join my network. If you’re in the area, make sure you visit this gem of a shop!

NEW KIT EMOJIS

I couldn’t stop making new emojis, even after releasing four new designs in the last newsletter! The newest additions to the Discord server are Kissing Kit, Winking Kit, and Exasperated Kit.

These seven latest Kit designs, along with Birthday Kit that I released at the end of February, will be included in an upcoming sticker order that will also include more of my art prints and graphic designs. Level 2 and 3 Patreon members will receive complimentary stickers to complete their emoji collections as a membership perk.

NEW ART ADDITIONS TO PRODUCT COLLECTIONS

I’ve added more of my art prints to my necklaces, brooches, magnets, and buttons!

HANDMADE NECKLACE & BROOCH:

• Consumed

MAGNET:

• Amínytes
• Broken (restocked)
• Consumed
• Death by Venom
• Full Moon
• Good Day to Read
• Lunos
• Rosebush Rabbit
• Sorrow
• Sunflower Swallowtail
• Valdenar’s Bow

BUTTON:

• I Support Artists
• I Support Bookstores
• I Support Diverse Books
• I Support Indie Authors
• I Support Public Libraries
• I Support Teachers

SHOP

NEW WEBSITE PAGE

In between editing, doing weekend events, finishing the back cover, and wrapping up the final phase of the new map, I built a new website page featuring the business partners I work with on a regular basis, including:

• Collaborators on special projects
• Freelancers involved with the book and audiobook production
• Indie retailers who carry my series
• Affiliate partners
• Global distribution partners

I’m excited to reach the stage where I have a roster of partnerships that’s long enough to dedicate a full page to them! And, of course, I’m always ready to expand that list…

ARTWORK OF THE MONTH

Project Alpha © 2025

This is the semi-final map that will be published in Book IV! It still needs some minor tweaks and will change slightly when I reconfigure the staircase around the main elevator.

Like the other three maps that were published in Book III, this one is a blend of hand-drawn and digital. Level 2 and 3 patrons can learn more about this latest featured artwork and watch me create it in an exclusive timelapse video.

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 400 posts! Here are the latest posts since the last newsletter:

• Upcoming event announcements
• Early look at the newest batch of Kit emojis before they launched on Discord
• Sneak peek at Book IV’s full cover three weeks before it was shared publicly, plus behind-the-scenes content about the cover design and process
• Updates about the Gaming Geeks collaboration and the modified version of the Amínyte pendants currently in production
• Progress updates on the new map as it advanced through the third stage
• Timelapse video of the Project Alpha floor plan from the hand-drawn stage (phase 2) through the digital adjustments (phase 3) with the first full look at the semi-final map (phase 4)

JOIN MY PATREON COMMUNITY

$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

The Misleading Truth About IngramSpark’s Wholesale Discount

I recently learned about a grave misconception regarding my book listing in Ingram’s system and how I was inadvertently misrepresenting the discount offered to retailers. So, as always, I’m sharing my experience to alert other indie authors.

READ

Lab Rat Updates: Full Cover, New Map, and More

I’ve been busy over the last few weeks! Check out the visual graphics I recently shared, planned supplemental material for the interior, and the final steps necessary for publication.

READ

RECENT EVENTS

July 12: Chesterton European Market in Chesterton, IN

July 19: Battle Creek Pride in Battle Creek, MI

July 26: ARTS in the Street Festival in Plymouth, IN
(We ended up inside a bridal shop due to the heavy rain and thunderstorms!)

August 2: Chesterton European Market in Chesterton, IN
Thanks to bookstagrammer @the_bookish_realm_by_tiffany for posting some of these photos on Instagram!

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:  

ART BEAT
Saturday, August 09, 2025
11:00 am - 7:00 pm
Downtown
South Bend, IN

OUTFest
Saturday, August 16, 2025
4:00 pm - 11:30 pm
Downtown Lafayette, IN

MICHIANA REN FEST
Saturday, August 23, 2025
10:00 am - 6:00 pm

Sunday, August 24, 2025
10:00 am - 6:00 pm

St. Joe County 4H Fairgrounds
South Bend, IN

BLUEBERRY FESTIVAL
Friday, August 29, 2025
12:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Saturday, August 30, 2025
9:00 am - 9:00 pm

Sunday, August 31, 2025
9:00 am - 9:00 pm

Monday, September 01, 2025
9:00 am - 6:00 pm

Centennial Park
Plymouth, IN

POPCORN FESTIVAL
Saturday, September 6, 2025
8:00 am - 6:30 pm
Downtown
Valparaiso, IN

NWI PAGAN PRIDE
Saturday, September 13, 2025
10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Lake County Fairgrounds
Crown Point, IN

SUNFLOWER FAIR
Saturday, September 20, 2025
8:00 am - 4:00 pm
Michigan Avenue
La Porte, IN

BIZARRE BAZAAR
Saturday, September 27, 2025
1:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Porter County Expo Center
Valparaiso, IN

WOLF HOLLOW WITCHES MARKET
Saturday, October 4, 2025
3:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Boone County Fairgrounds
Belvidere, IL

TABLETOP ADVENTURE CON
Saturday, October 18, 2025
9:00 am - 10:00 pm

Sunday, October 19, 2025
9:00 am - 4:00 pm

Warsaw Community High School
Warsaw, IN

LODGE CON
Saturday, November 1, 2025
10:00 am - 5:00 pm

Sunday, November 2, 2025
10:00 am - 5:00 pm

Will County Fairgrounds Atrium
Peotone, IL

20th ANNUAL GARDENING SHOW
Saturday, January 31, 2026
8:00 am - 4:00 pm
Porter County Expo Center
Valparaiso, IN

KALAMAZOO COMIC-CON
Friday, April 10, 2026
12:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Saturday, April 11, 2026
10:00 am - 7:00 pm

Sunday, April 12, 2026
10:00 am - 5:00 pm

Kalamazoo Expo Center
Kalamazoo, MI

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, including notecards, keychains, buttons, postcards, bookmarks, stickers, mouse pads, novelty CoA merch, and autographed books. Some products, such as my canvas prints, puzzles, resin book holders, and build-your-own bookmarks, are still event-exclusive.

SHOP MY SITE

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).

SHOP MERCH & APPAREL

In 2020, I partnered with Old Soul Artisan — a small USA business operated by an amazingly creative woman — 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!

SHOP THE CANDLE

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WHAT’S NEW THIS MONTH?

Welcome to the monthly newsletter with all of the latest updates about my books, projects, blog, featured artwork, news, and more!

About the photograph featured in the heading: I pulled this photo from my archives. It was taken in 2013 when I took a trip to the beach with a friend, who also happens to be the photographer responsible for my author photo in Phantom’s Mask.

GENERAL UPDATES

I’m right in the middle of event season and trying to juggle many projects all at once. The most important, of course, being Book IV. However, I’ve been struggling a bit with my mental health and am trying very hard to successfully walk the tightrope between staying productive and not burning out.

Events have been going well, which is great! But it also means that I’ve had a hard time keeping some of my products in stock. Luckily, I’m finally catching up to restock some of my most popular art prints and get the books back on local shelves.

BOOK UPDATES

Chronicles of Avilésor (Book IV: Lab Rat)

I’m more than 2/3 of the way through the line edit. Most of the revisions have been minor technical changes, although I did encounter a chapter that needed some rewrites to address the line editor’s concerns. I’m still making some tweaks to that chapter.

I’ve recruited a few ARC (Advance Reader Copy) reviewers who are going to help me with the proofreading phase once the file is ready to be sent to the printing facility. These readers will start with the digital version while the books are in production, and then they’ll receive one of only a few proof hardcovers once they arrive. Hopefully, the extra sets of eyes will help me find any final typos/errors that might have slipped through. After that, the hardcover will be off to the presses while the paperback and ebook are being formatted!

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.

PREORDER BOOK IV

Inked: An Author’s Advice & Inspiration for Writers

No updates to report since my focus has been completely on Lab Rat.

Cobblestones

No updates to report at this time. So far, I’ve gathered 30 drawings, 20 photographs, and 15 poems. I’m planning to type the poems on an old-fashioned typewriter rather than the computer to give the book a little extra charm!

NEW LOCAL RETAILER

Books and Whimsy, a bookstore in downtown La Porte, IN, is now carrying the Chronicles of Avilésor! In addition to autographed paperbacks and hardcovers, they also have some of my book-themed stickers and keychains available for purchase as well. I’ve already had to restock after they sold out of the first set of paperbacks almost immediately!

RESTOCKED AT HOTSPOT

Books and Whimsy wasn’t the only location in La Porte to sell out of the paperback set! HotSpot Café was also completely sold out of paperbacks, so I made a trip to restock and grab my favorite bubble tea. Thanks to a recent donation from a supporter on Buy Me a Coffee for giving me an excuse to treat myself! 😊

NEW KIT EMOJIS

Patreon subscribers got the very first look at a new batch of Kit emojis before they dropped on the Discord server this weekend. Welcome Sleepy Kit, Popcorn Kit, Unamused Kit, and Bookworm Kit!

These four new designs, along with Birthday Kit I released at the end of February, will be included in an upcoming sticker order that will also include more of my art prints. Level 2 and 3 patrons will receive complimentary stickers to complete their emoji collections as a membership perk.

SUMMER KIT IS BACK!

Springtime Kit (right) has officially gone back into the vault for a nap until next year, but Summer Kit (left) is here to play for the season! Keychains and stickers of this design are for sale at my event booth and on my website for a limited time until she also goes back into the vault.

NEW PRODUCT: FEATHER PENS

Last month, I introduced a test run of a new product. These black feather pens are an event-exclusive item at my booth. Calypso thinks they’re pretty neat!

NEW CHARACTER BOOKMARK SIDE

Madison Tarrow has joined the build-your-own bookmark lineup at the event booth! I’ll eventually be adding her to the book print collection as well… but I’m looking to upgrade my printer, so that might need to happen first.

RESIN BOOK PAGE HOLDERS

I teamed up with Dead Arts, a local resin artist, to create some new book page holders for me. This is a product that I had been making myself using UV resin, colored foil, and dried flowers, but I simply haven’t had the time to make more and restock.

Dead Arts uses epoxy resin, which is more durable (but takes much longer to cure). The first batch incorporated mica powder and coffee grounds, but keep an eye out for other unique materials in future batches!

(Check out Dead Arts on Facebook and Instagram)

ARTWORK OF THE MONTH

“Support Series” © 2025

My latest art project was a combination of hand-painted and digital. I’ve had this idea in my head for a while and finally pulled the trigger in anticipation of placing a large sticker order soon.

These designs will be arriving on large buttons first, then stickers… and possibly keychains in the future, but I haven’t decided for sure. I chose places, professions, and causes that are tied directly to my own small business, close to my heart, and in need of support.

Level 2 and 3 patrons can learn more about the latest featured artwork and watch me paint the hearts and do the digital edits in an exclusive timelapse video.

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 400 posts! Here are the latest posts since the last newsletter:

• Upcoming event announcements
• Sneak peek at Chapter 2 of Lab Rat (requested by a patron!)
• Member check-in to make sure everyone is up to date with merch and has a chance to let me know about any preferences for how their name might appear in Book IV
• The top five mistakes my line editor flagged in the manuscript
• Timelapse video of this month’s featured artwork being created
• News, updates, and currents projects happening behind the scenes
• Update on the collaboration with the Gaming Geeks in 2023 + a potential NEW collaboration with a new business (currently in the works, not official yet)
• First look at the new Kit emojis before they launched

JOIN MY PATREON COMMUNITY

$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

Perspective: The Freedom of an Indie Author

I initially thought that I wanted to publish the Chronicles of Avilésor through one of the Big Five traditional publishing houses, but after a lot of research, I decided to self-publish instead and have never regretted that decision.

READ

5 Lessons I Learned as a Professional Artist

From handling unsolicited critiques to deciding what types of products to sell, I discuss tips and advice for artists based on my experience selling art at events.

READ

RECENT EVENTS

June 7: Kzoo Pride in Kalamazoo, MI

June 14: Pridefest in Michigan City, IN

June 20-21: Roxx Fest in Portage, IN

June 28: Independence Day Celebration in Mishawaka, IN

UPCOMING EVENTS

My 2025 calendar is still falling into place with pending applications! 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:  

CHESTERTON EUROPEAN MARKET
Saturday, July 12, 2025
8:00 am - 2:00 pm
Broadway & Third Street
Chesterton, IN