Greetings, adventurers!

The big day has finally arrived. At long last, Mushroom & Anchovy has made its way into the world. Thank you so much for your incredible support and unwavering patience. Hopefully, some of you have started to receive your copies. If not, they will be here very soon, and your ebooks are available today, as well! Make sure to double-check your junk folder if you haven’t seen your ebook yet.

Nearly 9 years is a very long time, but you’ve been so incredibly patient and I can’t thank you enough. Yesterday was our first (and only?) State of the Onion Address, where I took the time to chat with some of you and thank you out loud. You can go back and watch it on my Facebook page if you’d like. I tried to keep it succinct, despite my tendency to yap, but there was a solid 5 minutes of technical difficulties (including me accidentally answering my phone while live--STREAMING FROM THE PHONE) that reminded me why I don’t do Facebook Live and why I’ll just freaking do it on Twitch next time, if there is a next time. I really wanted to make sure to thank you all in person, though.

I would also be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge here that there are some supporters who are sadly no longer with us. My grandmother, Peggy; my theatre friends Jeanne, Kathleen, and Dianne; and my former fellow manager friend, Jane. A solemn reminder of the sometimes grim reality behind long projects. Their friendship and support will never be forgotten.

A lot of people have been asking me how to get the book so that I can be supported the best, and I appreciate that question more than I can say. My answer is in a few steps and depends where in the world you are.

1. If you’re in New Brunswick, Canada, there are a few copies in Comic Hunter Moncton. You can request them to be shipped to either the Fredericton or Charlottetown locations at no extra cost, as well. If you get your copy through Comic Hunter, please specify if you would like it signed! Books aren’t available through the website but give the store a call if you’d like to arrange any of this.
2. Another Maritime/Canadian option to consider is King’s Co-Op Bookstore in Halifax NS. You can order the title online and they have $5 flat rate shipping across Canada. Plus, you’ll probably want to order more books, because of course you will, so take advantage of that shipping cost and purchase some other fine books as well!
3. If you’re not in Canada, buying directly from Inkshares is your best bet. Ebook copies direct from Inkshares as well are best no matter where you’re from. (And, to add, it’s so nice to finally see "AVAILABLE NOW" on the book page!)
4. Request it from your local bookstore! Whether this helps financially is irrelevant because this gets more people talking about the book and more eyes on it! Money is obviously awesome, but so is reach--plus, it helps your local bookstore.
5. Request it from your local library, for the same reasons as previous, and please take it out as many times as you like.
6. If you’re feeling really generous, grab an extra copy and stick it in your local little free library. Just remember: this book isn’t for kids, so please don’t leave it in a library that’s focused on children’s books.
7. Whether you get a copy yourself or simply see one on a shelf in the wild, please do tag me on your social media posts! I’m @thepracticalescapist everywhere that it fits, and @thepracticalesc everywhere that it doesn’t.

The book’s distributor is a far-reaching American distributor called Ingram, so even if you’re not in North America, you should be able to get a copy from most major bookstores. You may have to ask or special order it in, but many stores will have it. I have it on good authority that several UK stores are able to get it, as well.

A reminder that I’ll be at Chapters in Dieppe NB on June 7th for signings. You can pick up a copy there or feel free to bring your own by, or you can just come over and say hi, honestly. I’d love to see you!

Speaking of Chapters, they actually got my book a couple of days early and tossed it on the shelf on Friday morning! A friend texted me with a picture, and so the whole family and I went over to see the books in person. I hadn’t yet received my personal copies and, quite frankly, I had to make sure they really did exist with my own two eyes. As I was on my way over to the shop, I got a phone call from my dad, who asked me to meet him in the parking lot there. He had just been in the store and was the first to buy a copy. Thanks, Dad!

And so, friends, our adventure has come to an end. We really have been through a lot together on this publication journey and I’m really proud of our perseverance. I can assure you that it will NOT be another 9 years before my next book, and that you WILL hear from me again very soon. For now, please enjoy the book. I hope it makes you laugh and maybe scratch your head in confusion from time to time.

Thank you, for everything. A special thanks to Noah at Inkshares, as well, for being so great through this whole process. I really can’t stress enough how much this day means to me. While I won’t be as active here anymore, I encourage you to follow along with me on my Substack. I may touch base here every so often to say hi, though!

For the last time, may your adventures be fraught with wonder and just enough peril to keep them interesting,

K. M. Cooper