I feel like there are two different kinds of people.

The first person binge-watches the newest season of STRANGER THINGS in a single weekend. There are snacks involved. On a scale of 1-10, you gave the experience an Eleven.

The second person watched THE LAST OF US every Sunday night for nine weeks. You realized that this was a magical time in your life. The Sunday blues fell away. You were untouchable on Sunday. You talked about it with your buddies on Monday and Tuesday. Then on Friday and Saturday, you were like “OMG, it’s almost Sunday.”

I grew up in the 90’s, so the plot twist is that I am both people.

That’s why I’m attempting to go all serial on my next project! Join me, won’t you?

GODFATHER DEATH, M.D. is my return to YA after a long detour through the Middle Grade realm. (IMPORTANT: This is firmly rooted in the YA camp. It doesn’t even straddle the middle grade line, like The Carver occasionally did. Content warnings include strong language, mention of death/dying, and the emotional realities of grief. You’ll know within about 2-3 chapters if it won’t work for you. I’m not here to do “shock value” or ruin your day for no reason, and, given the subject matter, I still recommend reading with care.) I’m not giving up on Middle Grade, just as I never gave up on YA! Again, I am both people.

This is also another modern spin on an old fairy tale. I highly recommend checking out the lesser known original. It’ll take you five minutes or less!

You can read the synopsis here:

People whisper that death follows Daniel Grimm everywhere. They even call him The Grimm Reaper.

Then on the ten-year anniversary of the tragedy that shattered Daniel’s family, Dr. Miguel Mortiz–his estranged godfather–reappears. Miguel is one of the few people alive who can understand Daniel’s grief. After all, no one grasps pain better than a healer. So why does Aunt Cass warn him to stay away from Miguel?

He longs to understand, but some secrets are probably better off left in the graveyard.

I chose Kindle Vella as the first home for this because there are pieces of this story that flowed more like TV in my head. This will be told in 3 “arcs.” The first feels like a family drama with a hint of mystery. The second part feels like a sitcom slowly going up in flames. The third… well, by the time you get there, you’ll know. 😉 So a serial format is perfect for the vibe! Beginning this summer, you’ll be able to find weekly installments of GODFATHER DEATH, M.D. on Kindle Vella. Some weeks I may post one chapter. Some weeks, I may post 2 or 3. But you’ll never go hungry. 70% of the story has already been written, and I’ll probably be finished by the time I finish posting the first third!

But, if you’re Person #1–the one who binges the entire experience, then wants to collect a hard copy and display it on the shelf, I’ve got you covered! I do need to wait until the full novel has been living on Vella for at least 30 days, but there are already winter plans in place with a cover artist and formatter–the magical Molly Phipps of “We’ve Got You Covered”!

If you’re already intrigued and want to get a feel for the vibe, feel free to poke around my vision board or my Spotify playlist! Both are constantly evolving.

So, are you a binge-reader, or will you be tuning in weekly and savoring the suspense? 😉

Are, are you both people?

Until then,

Hello, friend.

Have you played God of War: Ragnarok yet? No spoilers (I’m only about 7 hours in), but there’s a line where Mimir tells Atreus that there are multiple ways to be tired, and that he’ll learn this as he gets older. I feel that in my soul tonight. I’m not just 10pm tired. I’m like, April tired. I’m 30-something tired. I have just enough energy to write this post, then enjoy a little Netflix tonight. But, I don’t have the energy to April Fool you. You can put your guard down now!

I feel I’m due for a catch-up post.

Last year at Phoenix Comic Con, my good friend Katie did my astrological chart.

I wasn’t entirely sure how much I believed in these sorts of things. I do, however, have a vivid memory of a woman named Nora.

Nora was a coworker of mine when I got my first real job at Century Theater. We used to clean theaters together. A core memory is the fact that we used to have to check behind the curtains at 2 a.m. to make sure nobody was sleeping there. (They were.) Anyway, Nora had a gift. The first night I worked with her, she asked me if I was a Virgo. I definitely AM a Virgo, and maybe this is obvious. The thing is, I’m a cusp, and Nora knew that, too. And I was baffled. Virgo is a 1/12 shot. Knowing that I’m Virgo/Libra is a 1/365 shot. I never forgot Nora. (Side note: Century Theater was demolished a few weeks ago. I’m feeling oddly nostalgic about it, and also smug as hell about it.)

Back to Katie: What I remember most about my chart is that she told me I’m supposed to be in front of people… that I do my best work when I’m “public facing,” as long as I have my safe haven to retreat to and can look forward to going home. This was probably one of the realest things anyone has told me about myself. I AM a hardcore introvert, but I do feel that my best work is done when I’m out and about. Writing is fun… when it’s not frustrating. Editing is thrilling… when the pieces come together. Being out and about sharing my stories with others? It’s always priceless. I could do it all day. My 9-5 life? It’s highly social and service-oriented. My least favorite days are the ones where I’m behind a screen all day. BUT, I need to go home, I need to tune everything out, and I need to be a whole turtle in my shell.

I have somewhat of an “introvert hangover” from the electric energy of March.

I had a wonderful time presenting for a very special group at the Tucson Festival of Books. The following weekend, I made four drives between Tucson and Apache Junction for the Arizona Renaissance Festival, which was the best and most productive signing I’ve ever done. And the FOLLOWING weekend, I had a writing deadline. More on that later.

Things are not about to get quieter. I have no free weekends in April.

Then May, June, and July? If you know me, those are the months when it’s REALLY go time. There’s another deadline tucked in there, too.

Somewhere in all this beautiful chaos, my inboxes have exploded. I’ve had to say a lot of no’s, put up some boundaries, and a lot of messages are going unread or unanswered. If this is you, I’m sorry and it’s not personal! Social media in general has started to feel a lot more laborious for me. There was a time when I posted every day and leaned into the mundane aspects of my life. Here’s the Sexy Grilled Cheese I ordered from Sexy Grilled Cheese! Here’s the book I’m reading at the laundromat these days! Here’s my cheesy grin after the gym! But lately, I guess I feel more protective of those simple joys–like if I post them, I minimize the moment I actually have with them. There was a weird study that I saw once, where it was determined that “Instagramming” one’s food actually diminishes the taste. Isn’t that wild?

So, one update is that now when I’m home, I’m FULLY at home. In other words, I’ve scaled back tremendously on my social media time. Maybe you won’t notice the difference. I hope it still feels cozy and relatable on top of what I share about my book stuff. But I’m warding off those “introvert hangovers” and being more selective about what I share. I promise, if I meet the love of my life or discover the sexiest grilled cheese in the world or read something that changes my life (aren’t these all the same thing?), I will not keep it secret. Not forever, at least…

Speaking of social media: Have you watched The Circle? I find it hilarious and entertaining when I need something mindless to watch.

Oh! Back to that deadline… in the middle of the summer, I will begin posting weekly episodes of a fantasy serial called GODFATHER DEATH, M.D. This is based loosely on a lesser known story by the Brothers Grimm, and it’s beyond my comfort zone in a couple of different ways. The serial nature will be different for me. It’s also more dark-and-dreary than it is fun-and-heartwarming. I will be providing content warnings about a few instances of strong language, and about the deep dive into the characters’ experiences with grief. With that said, it will not be entirely off brand for me–just aged up! It will start on Kindle Vella, and it will then be bound into an omnibus at the end of the run. I can’t wait to share more later!

So to recap… social media is draining, and I’m writing a book drenched in grief. You’re probably like, “Are you okay?” Well, thank you for checking in! I’m still going to the gym a few times a week. I’ve spent the past few weeks doing a really difficult Iron Man puzzle and have like 300 red pieces scattered all over the floor. I started watching Ted Lasso recently, because two separate people have told me that I’m Ted, and I’ve decided that was one of the nicest compliments I’ve ever received. I finally bought a PS5 after months of planning, saving, and looking around for one. The world is chaos, but hey, I’m still chillin’ and finding comforts and joys. I hope you are, too. 🙂

Until next time, friend.

Jacob

Sonder n: The profound feeling of realizing that everyone, including strangers passing in the street, has a life as complex as one’s own, which they are constantly living despite one’s personal lack of awareness of it.

I don’t remember where I first heard this word–only that I found it really beautiful. For one thing, it makes me super curious about the people I see in the airports, and it generates empathy and humanism for them. Where are they going? Is it for business or fun? Is it spontaneous? Is the other place home or is Tucson home?

If Tucson is home for you, you may have seen the “Umbrella Lady” walking through town at some point or another, if not multiple times. If you’re not from Tucson, I wonder if you have a legend such as she was.

I felt compelled to write a little bit about her tonight, because she has sadly passed away from a tragic hit-and-run incident. I don’t quite know how else to process or explain why this affected me so deeply today. It was truly a chemical reaction. I saw the headline, I did a double-take, and then the tears came. I’ve never spoken to her in my life. I don’t know one true thing about her, except that her name was Lydia.

The first time I saw The Umbrella Lady was when I was in college. Around that time, I was really branching out and coming to appreciate my city, taking the bus around to explore its hidden gems and the things we tend to take for granted about our backyards. My mom had mentioned the lady at dinner one night, and I had no idea who she was talking about.

“You’d know her if you saw her,” my mom said. “She looks like she stepped out of a time machine, and she always carries an umbrella with her and has her hair done up in ringlets.”

“Huh,” I said.

Then Fourth Avenue became a popular hangout for me. I spent many a college night at a bar called O’Malley’s, including my “going away” hangout, commencement day, and a couple of birthdays. By day, it’s a fascinating street to simply wander. There are a couple of bookstores there, an ice cream shop, local foodie paradises that have been featured on the Food Network, and it has a distinct personality. My uncle and I used to have burgers with strange names at Bumstead’s (Michael Bolton Mullet, anyone?). As my friend said when the Spring Fourth Avenue Street Fair was one of the last events to cancel at the dawn of COVID, “It takes a LOT to scare Fourth Avenue.”

Go figure, that’s where I first saw the Umbrella Lady–inside of the Goodwill, sipping on a drink from the Chocolate Iguana. There was NO mistaking the woman from my mom’s description: ringlets, a big eccentric dress, and an umbrella!

“I see her all around town,” my mom said. “She’s always walking and she always has her umbrella with her.”

I saw her again a number of times before I left Tucson. With every passing occasion, I wanted to know why. Where was she going? Where was she coming from? Why did she choose to dress that way, and what was the story with the umbrellas? Wasn’t it too hot to be walking around all day?

For a while, I thought this was just a “thing” my mom and I talked about, but one day I found a Facebook page. Sure enough, it was called “Tucson Umbrella Lady,” and it was just a collection of posts from people all over Tucson who said, “I saw her today!” A lot of these posters had stories, and they were spinning a tall tale. People talked about how they stopped and talked to her, how they offered her a ride once, how they believed there were multiple umbrella ladies, how they weren’t even sure she was real, how she knew she had a “following” and thought it was interesting, and so on. She was a legend.

I remember telling my uncle about her once, and he was probably the one person I knew who didn’t understand who I was talking about.

“Sooo what? Did she talk to you, did she scare you, what happened?” he asked.

I just shrugged. “I dunno. It’s just a thing. That’s the story. I see her all the time and I wondered if you ever have, too!”

That was shortly before I moved to Virginia.

Coming back to Tucson after two years was somewhat difficult. Old restaurants had closed. Friends had moved away or changed. In some ways, I changed. I jumped headfirst into the full-time workforce. My tia grew ill. There’s a bitter note of truth to the adage about how “you can’t go home,” even if I’ve since reforged it into something new for me.

But I can’t even describe the joy I felt when a few years ago, I spotted The Umbrella Lady on one of her walks again. To be honest, I had forgotten about her for a while, and that sighting on Ina Road was everything. I told my mom almost immediately. It became a routine whenever I saw the woman, usually on either Oracle or Ina. “GUESS who I saw today?”

Three days ago, she was hit on one of her walks, and yesterday she succumbed to her injuries.

More stories pour in: Someone had her over for Thanksgiving dinner once, and she was quiet and sweet and happy. People talk about how they’ve seen her walking around for 25 years. A few more people talk about the rides they gave her on hot or rainy days, and what she chose to share about her past along the way. A picture begins to form, but it’s a little blurry. It’s a mosaic of all kinds of people chiming in with imperfect memory, so it feels almost like a game of Telephone. I believe what seems to be consistent, but I’m not sure it’s my place to air it here. What’s said tends to invoke a lot of grief and a tragedy in her life. I’m astounded at what it reveals about her resilience and heart.

I feel this because on some level, The Umbrella Lady was constant. Before and after my time in Virginia, she was always out and about taking her long walks. She always had her unique style, her umbrella, and a sort of mystery to her. All of this made her a sort of legend to the Tucson community.

I feel this because it’s tragic that she would be killed doing something we saw her doing every day–something that must’ve brought her peace, joy, or meaning.

I feel this because underneath the tall tale that she’s become, The Umbrella Lady was a human being with a full story and a whole life, as we all are. She was the embodiment of sonder, and her name was Lydia. May she rest in peace.

Wow, y’all.

What a feeling it was to dust the cobwebs off this blog and realize I haven’t even posted since October 2021. That kind of says it all. 2020 and 2021 left me so drained that I didn’t even have it in me to set an intention or to hope for much more than “surviving.” If you’re still with me, I hope you’re hanging in there. I hope 2022 was a little better than the years before it. I hope you’re thriving, and if you’re not, I hope you still have the fighting spirit to demand better of 2023. 🙂

It turned out 2022 wasn’t so bad for me. Maybe it was my low expectations. It was a strange cocktail of ugly and beautiful things. Among the beautiful things:

• Book events returned! I missed these deeply. The Tucson Festival of Books (where I met V.E. Schwab again and T.J. Klune, and swooned over both), Phoenix Fan Fusion (where I got to reunite with two of my besties after a few years apart), Tucson Comic Con, and YumaCon were fantastic.
• I got into the podcasting world. It started with my friend Vickie inviting me to cohost an episode of her new show, Speculative Sandbox. Speculative fiction lovers: I highly recommend you check it out! Since then, I started my own little show called The Quantum Realm. As a Marvel love, a writer, and a human, it’s been medicine for the soul. Connecting with friends and talking about the MCU? What could be better?
• In November, I flew to Miami, Florida to finally accept my Reader’s Favorite Award for Roses in the Dragon’s Den! I had never been to Miami before and had fun exploring their downtown book fair, enjoying the local food, and being in “adventure mode” again. I also learned a TON and can’t wait to put my new knowledge to work.

Writing this out, I’m filled with gratitude. Ugly things did happen along the way, and I won’t even attempt to expect anything different from 2023. But for the first time in a while, I feel good about looking ahead! I set up my new notebook for the year, and the word I bolded on the first page is NOURISH:

• Nourish my body: I’ve lost about 50 pounds and lowered my blood pressure since 2020, and I want to keep the benefits going! Cook good food, hit the gym a few times a week, actually sleep…
• Nourish my mind: I got a book on mindfulness exercises for Christmas, and want to try them out! I want to do more reflective journaling, even if it’s just one line every day. This is especially important when I get into the middle of the year, when I’m likely to fall into patterns where I spiral into stress and DON’T nourish myself. 🙂
• Nourish my financial health: The short version of this is that I’m 2-3 years into a 5-year plan for a “debt avalanche.” Debt avalanches involve a LOT of initial patience with no instant gratification, but this year I’ll hit the huge first milestone and see it all slide down and wipe out the remaining debts with more and more momentum over the next 3 years. YAY!
• Nourish my passions. I’m working on two books right now! The first is called Dark Deals and Tarnished Gold, which is my “spin” on Rumpelstiltskin. The one I chose to tackle for NaNoWriMo is a twist on Godfather Death, one of Grimm’s lesser known fairy tales. I’ll share more about each in separate posts this year, but the goal is to keep the progress going on these. I also have a new event lined up for March: The Arizona Renaissance Festival! I plan to keep looking for new ways to connect with readers in person, and doing SOMETHING for my writing every day, whether it’s reading, thinking, or putting words on a page.

The last thought I’ll leave you with is that I fell into a habit of apologizing for being true to my intentions. Does this sound like you? “I don’t have much energy to hang out today and need to rest up–I’m really sorry.” “I’m not going out tonight because I’m trying to save a little cash this week. Sorry!” I would genuinely feel awful about saying no to something, and it would drag me down. Let’s experiment with being unapologetic about the time we need to nourish ourselves. The past few years have been WILD. We deserve some grace and kindness, especially from ourselves. 🙂

Do you have a one-word theme or intention? How will you nourish yourself in 2023?

Happy New Year and Happy Reading!

Jacob

Dear Friends,

What’s your favorite thing about Halloween season?

I can’t say I have a tradition, but I’ve always looked forward to this time of year. When I was little, it was ALL about dressing up and becoming my heroes! I remember being Batman one year, the Riddler a few years later, and there have been many years where I recycled a pirate costume. This year, I’m looking for any excuse to keep using the WandaVision costume I pieced together for YumaCon! All I can say is, “She recast Pietro?” (Again?)

Maybe you carve or paint pumpkins? Scoop out all the goo and toast the seeds?

I’m not a huge fan of scary movies, but for years, I loved watching the Disney Channel Halloween marathons. Usually they’d usually show some originals like Phantom of the Megaplex, Mom’s Got a Date with a Vampire, Halloweentown, and of course, Hocus Pocus! I’d grab some snacks, get all cozy, and watch all the good stuff. It was in this spirit that I wrote A THOUSAND DREADFUL CURSES.

“Devlin’s best story-telling yet.” – Kandy, School Librarian

This story is so important to me for many reasons. In addition to the Halloween aspect, I wanted to release this story close to National Coming Out Week, which starts today! A Thousand Dreadful Curses isn’t necessarily a coming out story. However it does feature two gay protagonists, and there is some musing about what this means for each of them in the worlds they grow up in. I feel that middle grade literature needs more LGBTQ+ representation, and those doors are beginning to open. And I sincerely hope that readers of any orientation, age, race, or gender will find some comfort and joy in the message woven into A THOUSAND DREADFUL CURSES. Click on the cover below to learn more and purchase on Kindle or Paperback!

Until next time, I wish you so much happiness and many good stories to fill your minds and hearts!

Amazon | Audible | Barnes and Noble | Goodreads

Happy Reading,

Hey all!

Happy almost Fall! Trust that I’m over here doing everything I can to manifest the best of the four seasons. (I know, I know, September 22 or whatever.) My favorite jackets are ready to go on my computer chair, I tried one of those new Apple Crisp Macchiatos, and I’m watching the weather app like a hawk waiting for Tucson to get out of this 100+ degree heat.

Oh, and I wrote a whole novel that takes place the week leading up to Halloween. That’s how deeply I’ve committed to this. XD

Cover conversations are happening, editing is just about done, and I can’t wait to introduce you to a brand new setting and cast of characters! That being said, it is very loosely related to CARVER and ROSES and there will be Easter eggs for those of you who have been following my little universe from the beginning. Or, you can simply jump in, and you won’t feel like you’ve missed a thing!

A THOUSAND DREADFUL CURSES is a love letter to the “spooky-lite” genre of entertainment that I loved so deeply growing up, and still enjoy. Remember the days when that first breath of autumn would arrive, and you’d come home from school and Disney or what-used-to-be-ABC-Family would start advertising their marathons featuring Hocus Pocus, Halloweentown, Phantom of the Megaplex, maybe some Harry Potter here and there? I look back on those days so fondly.

I also took deep inspiration from Italo Calvino’s RAGAZZA MELA, or APPLE GIRL, which is a shorted and twisted little folktale that originated in Florence. In just about 3 pages, there’s a beautiful princess and a dashing prince, an evil queen, an enchanted apple, jealousy, and just a little bit of blood.

Except that I wanted to do this my way. With pumpkins and familia and LGBTQ+ characters. There aren’t enough middle grade books that tie all three of these things together, so I made one myself! Here is the blurb for A THOUSAND DREADFUL CURSES:

You can add the book on Goodreads here, and watch for a preview to come soon!

Also, are you near Yuma, AZ? Come see me at YumaCon on October 2-3! I’ll have books AND art prints this time, and if I may say, I’m VERY excited about my new cosplay outfit… just make sure to vaxx up and protect yourself so we can fully enjoy. 🙂

Cheers,