February Dispatch

Here we are, folks! February has come and gone, the shortest month following its trend of being the fastest, and I’m writing this to you from March, which has already come in like the lion it is and dragging the cold back with it.

February was a pretty packed month, and while many events happened that were a blast, I am a little disappointed in myself that I missed out on the gym so much. It was not a conscious decision, but then again, what I’m learning is the going to the gym HAS to be a conscious decision. It can’t just be something I do when I have time; it has to be something I MAKE time for. So I’ve started doing that; already have gone three times this week, and am implementing small changes to make sure I can get there a good amount of the days to come. I’m going to start throwing some weight lifting into the mix, so that will be fun.

But here are some fun things from this month:

• My dear friend Lara Elena Donnelly had her debut novel come out, “Amberlough,” and we celebrated by launching it at the Astoria Bookstore, my local hub for all things literature. I’m so proud of her, and this novel is a thing of wonder, pain, and beauty. Go pick it up if you haven’t!
• Saw Neil Gaiman for his new book, Norse Mythology, was a lot of fun. He was a huge influence on me in my youth, and seeing him was a lot of fun, and a reminder of how much his work helped me when I was a teenager.
• Valentine’s Day was a strange day, for obvious reasons. But, I gave myself the night to watch a good show, drink a good beer, and try to be good with myself.
• Played DnD with a bunch of old college friends, where we played chaotic neutral, and were more interested in running a bar than saving the world.
• Went to Victoria Schwab’s book tour for her novel, A Conjuring of Light, which was a blast, and it was so wonderful to see her again. Also read that book because it will destroy you and your emotions.

News wise, the biggest thing to come out of February was that I made a new story sale to John Joseph Adams and the great team at Lightspeed Magazine! I sold my short story, “Godmeat,” and I’m so thrilled to be in such a great magazine with one of my favorite stories. Thanks again to my writing group and other friends who helped whip this story into shape. It’s about gods and monster and cooking one for the other, and much, much more. It makes my sixth sale overall, and the third story due out this year, which is all sorts of wobbly-wobbly excitement! More details as they come.

I’d write about what I read this month, but I think I literally am writing about/reviewing them in different venues over the next week or two. So keep an eye out on my social media, friends! That’s where I live essentially.

Any who! I’m happy to know you’re all out there, and I’m here with you, and maybe together, we can do some good work.

Here’s to a productive March, and more posts to come!