Where the fuck did July go?
No, seriously, where?
Lots of things happened this month, but I can’t seem to remember what happened. That might be because I. Have. A. Book. Coming. Out. Tomorrow????
Oh, I did turn 38 on the 9th. Oh! And the BTS book came out! …which I haven’t had a chance to read yet because I’ve been up to my eyeballs in a revision of GUARDIANS 2.
Hmmm, maybe that’s where my July went.
In this issue:
1. personal
2. upcoming events
3. lexical gap: iktsuarpok
4. this creative life
5. morning realms dispatch
6. in case you missed it
7. what i’m listening to
8. other things of note
📅 upcoming events
LAUNCH EVENT
WHEN: Tuesday, August 1
TIME: 6:30PM
WHERE: Bookmarks Bookstore, Winston-Salem, NC
BARNES & NOBLE CHARLOTTE WITH RENÉE AHDIEH
WHEN: Thursday, August 3
TIME: 6:00PM
WHERE: Arboretum Barnes & Noble, Charlotte, NC
🧩 lexical gap: iktsuarpok
According to the internet, iktsuarpok is Inuit for a form of anticipation, as though you are constantly peeking out the window while expecting someone. As Guardians of Dawn: Zhara releases TOMORROW...yeah, I’d say that iktsuarpok is exactly the feeling I have right now.
✍🏻 this creative life
AS OF THIS TYPING, I HAVE TURNED IN THE LATEST DRAFT OF GUARDIANS 2.
I feel like I say this every time I write a new book, but I swear this was the hardest book I’ve ever had to write. Granted, I had a lot happening while I was trying to whip it into shape; I managed to write the first terrible draft in a bout of mania and then struggled through depression trying to FIX the mess I had written in that bout of mania.
As someone with ADHD, a.k.a. time blindness, publishing can really fuck with your head. I’m polishing edits on a book that is a sequel to a book that hasn’t been published yet, while taking notes for the third book in the series. WHAT IS TIME. HELP ME.
🌞 the morning realms dispatch
LAST CHANCE TO RECEIVE YOUR PREORDER SWAG PACK. You can preorder and submit up to 11:59PM EST tonight, so get those receipts in!
news & other press 📰
Guardians of Dawn: Zhara is a Barnes & Noble YA Bookclub pick!
other things 🔥
The Morning Realms Dispatch No. 9: Pronouns
The Guardians Gazette No. 6: Identities. For my 절친 only.
✨ stuff you might have missed
Friends-locked: Analog, The protagonist of my own narrative. For my 절친 only.
Negative capability: balance, the year of the hierophant, the fool, the magician, the high priestess. For my 절친 only.
🎧 what i’m listening to
Admittedly, I do not listen to a lot of music with lyrics when I write or revise, but I do collect a sampling of songs whose vibes seem to match that of my book. Unsurprisingly a lot of pop and Kpop, but also country? Basically anything fun and sweetly earnest. I’ve compiled a playlist for Zhara, which the following songs:
Celebrity by IU
Dancing on Own by Robyn
Dimple by BTS
Our Summer by TOMORROW X TOGETHER
Cowboy Take Me Away by The Chicks
21st Century Girl by BTS
NOBODY by Blue.D ft. MINO
Shut Up and Dance by WALK THE MOON
Kiss Me by Sixpence None the Richer
Supermassive Black Hole by Muse
Gaslighter by The Chicks
Too Much by Carly Rae Jepsen
Unpretty by TLC
Stigma by BTS
Happier Than Ever by Billie Eilish
Make It Right by BTS
Moon in the Ocean by Lee Hyun
Our Summer (Acoustic Mix) by TOMORROW X TOGETHER
💾 other things of note
Ruttenberg, Danya. “The Radical Theology of Mr. Rogers.” Life is a Sacred Text. Jun 2023. (via
)
TOMORROW. ZHARA COMES OUT TOMORROW. OMG. AAAAAAH.
Until then,