The Cycle Begins Anew

Or: The temperature in NE Ohio starts to drop and Andi suddenly feels the Will To Thrive™

We did it! We survived another month! And now the temperature outside is like vaguely survivable! Woo!!

This past month has been interesting for me. Last we talked, I had just gotten the keys for the house my inheritance bought after being kicked out on my ass. Now, a month later, I can say that I am feeling a lot better!

At this very moment one of my cats is sick (poor baby Grandpa has a fever 😭), but before that little hiccup the boys were acclimating to the new house so well! They're a lot more calm and cuddly, and I think that speaks volumes. I am also much more calm, though considerably less cuddly tbh. I'm not done unpacking yet, but I have reached a point where I feel comfortable. My art hasn't gone up yet either, but that's okay. I'm finally allowing myself to slow down a little bit now that I have a safe place to do so, and with that has come a huge wave of creativity!

I've been writing like you won't believe! Lots of re-drafting, revising, editing, and even drafting new outlines and short stories! I've also started partaking in things I enjoy doing, such as going to concerts and sewing. Here are some pretty cool photos from the two concerts I went to last month:

But that's enough about my mental state, I know y'all are dying to hear what's coming down the pipeline!

The first thing is that I will have a short story coming out this year! Information about that will be with my Cozy & Bookish event below!

Secondly, I have started filing paperwork and fleshing out the publishing press! I don't want to say anything too early, but if things go well then I should have everything set up in time for DESECRATE's publication, with DESECRATE being the first thing published under this press! If this goes well, it will be followed up with an anthology announcement and call for story submissions (🤞it goes well, I have high hopes for this press and everything it can bring to y'all!).

Finally, I want to say that I'm working on how to bring Call Me Icarus to this press. CMI is my baby, and I want to do well by it and by y'all who have read and loved it. With it being moved under this press, I will have to publish a second edition, and I think this will be the perfect time to go in and polish some of the rougher edges. I will be working with an artist for a new cover, one that will mesh with the vibe of the story better and portray the horror coming down the line.

That being said, it will still be the same story! It will not change in way that will be confusing to those who already own the first version! ΔΆΙΟΣ is a complete story that stands as is, I don't want anyone to think they'll have to buy another copy before starting book 2 when it comes out (I mean if you want to go ahead! I will not stop you!! I just want you to know that your copy of the book is still the same story as what will be coming out under the press).

All these creative things gotta have an outlet, so here's where I'm going to be the next two months:

UPCOMING EVENTS IN OCTOBER

There are a few events coming up that I will be at! One of them is this month: a virtual movie night fundraiser for the benefit of the International Institute of Akron!

The IIA is a local non-profit that's been assisting refugees and immigrants in NE Ohio for over 100 years! Unfortunately, this past year they were forced to make a choice: receive federal funding and change the work they do into something that goes against their mission or lost their funding but stand up for the community they serve. They chose their community.

As a result, Kristy Park Kulski put out a call for local horror authors who want to support the IIA, and it was decided that we were to host a virtual movie night! October 16th at 8 pm EST join us in watching Army Of Darkness with occasional discussions and panels consisting of local horror authors, Duke Henry himself, and even big names in horror like Grady Hendrix and Paul Tremblay! It is free to attend, and any donations go straight to the IIA to help fund them and their cause.

UPCOMING EVENTS IN NOVEMBER

The virtual movie night is all I have in October, but then we're right back into the swing of things in November! There are two events I will be tabling at: the Mahoning Valley Book Bazaar and Cozy & Bookish!

Mahoning Valley Book Bazaar

November 7th, 9am-5pm - Youngstown, Ohio

This is going to be my first time at this book event, and I really hope it goes well! Make sure to stop by and say hi if you're in the area!

Cozy and Bookish

November 14th, 11am-4pm, Miamisburg, Ohio

Not only will I be tabling at Cozy & Bookish this year, but I will also have a story in their anthology! A nice story called The Granny Woman about a (you'll never guess it) Granny Woman in a rural town in West Virginia as she tells her story to a college kid who's interviewing her for a school project. This is a story of grief and love, and I really hope y'all will love it!

Marshmallow Root Anti-Inflammatory Tea

“Here you go, dear.” A steaming yellow mug is set down in front of me. There’s a bee painted on the side of it, faded and chipped from years of use. My fingers run over the indents, grazing over the rough texture as I take the mug from the Granny Woman. It was kind of her to make me a drink, though not unexpected in the holler. “It’s hot, an herbal blend for that swelling in your legs.”

“Swelling in,” I say, trailing off as I look down at my legs. Sure enough, I could see the tops of my boots digging into my ankles. Painful, now that I am aware of it. Careful not to spill the tea, I set the mug down on the coffee table in front of me.

“Huh,” I say, reaching down to run a finger between the cuff and my sock. There’s only so much I can do without taking my boots off, but the release brings a new temporary wave of comfort. “Well, thank you, ma’am.”

“Don’t call me ma’am,” she responds. “I’m not that old.”

I chuckle, reaching over to grab the mug of tea once again. It’s warm in my hands, and I watch the steam curl in the rather chilled air of the apartment house. Throughout the course of these community interviews, I have gotten used to the rooms being warm, leaving me to sweat through the professional attire of the day. The chill was a pleasant and welcome surprise.

“It’s my own blend,” the Granny Woman says. Her joints pop as she settles into her rocking chair, pulling the fluffiest blanket I have ever seen into her lap. “That mug you got, it’s a blend of cat’s claw bark and marshmallow root, along with some other stuff.” She waves her hand as she speaks, turning to grab her own mug from a table beside her. Her fingers are crooked, knotted from years of hard work as she holds the mug. Her wrinkled lips purse as she blows on the tea, then takes a sip. “Oh my, it’s mighty tasty this time! I added some extra florals to make it better for you, I’ll have to write down what I used.”

I find myself smiling at the old lady, my heart warming with affection as I watch her. I’ve always had a soft spot for my elders, and getting the chance to speak to one of the town’s most respected women while she is still so… alive is a blessing for me.

I hope you enjoy the snippet! This is the start of my piece in Cozy & Bookish's anthology, to be published at their market event in November!

Next month we'll be back to DESECRATE snippets, something I'm really excited for! I think I finally figured out what was holding everything up on that, so I am hoping to have some good news for y'all with it in the next newsletter.

I'll see y'all next month (or sooner if you go to the movie night 👀). In the meantime: have fun, be safe, and don't die <3

Andi