Hi Friend!

The last I updated, I had been accepted to the KissPitch mentoring program with Jen Deluca as my mentor. I’ve completed the mentorship, and it improved my ska rom-com so much! I’m really so grateful for Jen’s guidance and support.
Right now I’m reading and loving the fourth book in Jen’s series, Well Traveled, which came out December 6, In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren, and Red Valkyriesby Kristen Ghodsee.
Another wonderful benefit of the program has been connecting with my fellow mentees. They are so talented and compassionate and supportive, and we’ve all bonded through the process of revising and querying our manuscripts. The program has been a huge success for its inaugural year, and over 20% of the mentees have found agents for their work already! A couple have already gotten book deals with big houses too! I’m so proud of everyone and so excited to see their books on shelves.
I’m still in the midst of querying, and it’s discouraging, especially when I learn stats about the numbers of queries agents receive and then of that small number, the stats of books that sell to publishers.
My desire to publish traditionally is getting more and more conflicted, especially in the midst of the Harper Collins Union and strike, Barnes and Noble being awful, and an ever-more consolidated industry (bright note: yay for the failure of the Penguin/Simon & Schuster merger!).
Publishing is frustrating. But I love my book, and I’ll find a way for people to read it. In the meantime, check out the cover mock up I made:

Happy book news! On Home is featured in Tamarack and Shine On WV’s 55 Gifts from 55 Counties Gift Guide, representing Upshur County! I was so honored when I got the email I teared up. The best gift you can give an author is reviews and word of mouth so please, if you haven’t yet left a review, consider writing one! It can be super simple: “I liked it”—and tell your friends. I really appreciate it!
Aside from querying and drafting a new manuscript (more on that another day!), I’ve spent the second half of the year organizing with my local chapter of Democratic Socialists of America, especially with our cadre building committee and socialist feminist working group. Together, we’ve gotten local meetups going, raised money for abortion access, and have a new time bank in the works. Like my Kiss Pitch mentee group, this group of comrades have helped me feel hopeful and inspired in a climate where that’s difficult. I’m so thankful.
This summer, I made a documentary with the support of IE Listening Post on industrial development in Redlands, CA. You can check it out here. I got to be on public radio for the second time this year, talking about this project! Here is that segmentif you want to listen!
I hope you are finding ways to stay hopeful and well. Let me know.