PENNIES is out today so I reorganized my shelves. Used to be that release day felt celebratory, something that happened TO me. A few books in and it's a quieter thing, more about seeing the results of hard work (and a lot of luck). Thanks to all of you who have been part of this adventure with me.

Any new publishing podcasts I might not know about? More interested in business than craft.

Oh crap I have a book out tomorrow. It's called PENNIES. You can read it before or after the other Blight Harbor books or even all by itself. It has a beautiful cover by @redolaf.bsky.social and @karynslee.bsky.social. I'm proud of it and I hope you like it. Preorders, library requests, etc. 🖤🖤🖤

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Hey Hivemind, help me out? My nephew is sending me his writing. It's good. I think his thing is bleak, bizarre mundanity. Who should he read?

Appreciate the write up in The Spokesman Review today. 🖤 www.spokesman.com/stories/2025...

I'm increasingly convinced that writing has ruined reading for me (with a few exceptions) and it makes me so damned sad.

PENNIES - a Blight Harbor prequel - is out a week from today on 9/23/25. Here are all the places you can find me this fall! As always - signed copies of all my titles available from Auntie's Books and Wishing Tree Books in Spokane, WA. They ship! 🖤

After a LONG travel day I'm in Framingham! Excited to see everyone at Spooktastic tomorrow. I'm staying an extra day and need some suggestions for what to do Sunday. Thinking of going to Salem but open to ideas.

After a LONG travel day I'm in Framingham! Excited to see everyone at Spooktastic tomorrow. I'm staying an extra day and need some suggestions for what to do Sunday. Thinking of going to Salem but open to ideas.

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This one is for my smart-about-websites friends: I'm trying to edit my WordPress website but when I hit edit all I get is a blank page. Any ideas or suggestions?

The Boy Child used Lego to make a "biblically accurate angel" that transforms into a weird little bent-neck guy if you want to know what it's like at our house*. *Weird. We're weird.

Confession: I never learned how to type properly. Any other authors or just me?

PENNIES -A Blight Harbor prequel - is out 2 weeks from today! Readers new to the world can start here & returning readers will find some familiar faces. Preorders & library requests always appreciated. Signed copies of all my titles at Auntie's Books & Wishing Tree Books in Spokane, WA. They ship!

Recently had an author visit with a creative writing class at a rural alternative high school. These kids are already making things - novels & screenplays & video games. And their questions? So smart and thoughtful. This next generation of creatives is A Force and I cannot wait to see what they do.

Question for all my witchy, sensitive, or generally tuned into the universe friends: I'm feeling this ENORMOUS shift coming in like the next 4-10 weeks (weird time frame but it is what it is). Like an actual tangible *feeling.* Is this just a me thing or is this a bigger universe thing?

Just drove past my old college. I do not miss being a dean AT ALL but I miss being on a campus. When they're really humming it's such a good energy.

Join me at the Spooktastic Book Fair as I moderate a panel about horror in kidlit. I'll be joined by @anastasiagarcia.bsky.social @paultremblay.bsky.social @christymandin.bsky.social Nick Eliopulos and Donna Taylor. We'll discuss everything from picture books to YA. Hope to see you there!

Just watched Friendship. I think that is the most profoundly uncomfortable a film has made me for that long. Like a two hour, full body cringe.

One week until the Spooktastic book fair! I cannot wait to see everyone and spend a day with Halloween People, talking and *buying* bookish things...oh! Which reminds me! @copperdogbooks.bsky.social will have early copies of PENNIES - a Blight Harbor prequel - for sale. Who will I see next weekend?

Serious question: what is the point of AI book reviews?

Okay so I'm super excited to be a guest author at this year's Halloween XSpo in Spokane, WA. This might be my family's favorite event and we make a whole weekend out of it together. I'll have all my books for sale and bookmarks and stickers and whatnot to give away. Hope to see you there!

1. Here's the motion for preliminary approval of the settlement in Bartz v Anthropic class action suit. Anthropic will pay $1.5 billion, an "estimated gross recovery of $3,000 per Class Work" & destroy the two datasets of pirated works once litigation ends storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

It always astounds me when people - especially other creative people - aren't aware that there is an absolute wealth of spooky kidlit out there. MG Horror needs better PR I guess.

Copyedit time. Can't wait to share more about this one. UNNAMED BONES is my YA survival/creature/cosmic horror novel coming next summer (Union Square/Hachette). It's full of platonic love and body horror and a different take on Hope. Cover by the end of the year maybe?? Gah I'm bad at waiting.

Reminder: If your book group or club is reading any of my books and you'd like me to join for a virtual chat please reach out! This message brought to you by the junior book club reading The Clackity that I just invited myself to. 🖤

I don't promote this seller very often but Clackity hardcovers are super cheap right now - like 60% off. And box sets are 50% off (?!?). I know money is tight for a lot of us and if this allows you to pick up a copy for yourself or a kid in your life or a school library or whatever here you go. 🖤

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It's that time of year again (again??) - B&N presale sale. 25% off forthcoming books. I have one coming out soon. Maybe preorder it or something else. Books are good. 🖤 As always, I hope you'll support your local indie but if the sale makes the difference between getting a book or not, here you go.

Everyone is invited to the launch of my debut picture book, The Fib. Join me in conversation with screenwriting legend Peter Atkins (Hellraiser, Wishmaster)!

It's the guns, Don. Don't know how much more of this I can watch.

PENNIES is out three weeks from today. This one is for readers returning to Blight Harbor as well as those who are visiting for the first time. PENNIES is out 9/23/25 and as always signed copies of all my titles are available from Auntie's Books and Wishing Tree Books in Spokane, WA - they ship!

In my house: Fall starts on September 1st Halloween starts on October 1st Back to fall on November 1st Winter starts on December 1st Christmas starts two weekends before actual Christmas Back to winter January 1 - spring equinox Do you have an equally bonkers & complicated calendar in your house?

Books are all at the mercy of publishers but that's extra-true in kidlit. We can't reach our audience directly nor can we market to kids (because gross). I don't know. Thinking this morning about some great kids books that just didn't land. Like I know there's a point to doing this but sometimes...

This is madness. I want every grownup with a child in their life at least as pissed off as I am and then we can work together to figure out how to protect our kids.

Thanks to The Inlander for the shout-out - proud to rep #Spokane 🖤 www.inlander.com/culture/buzz...

Worth a read for any grownup with a kid in their life. www.msn.com/en-ca/health...

I'm sitting in the hospital with a family member reading about the latest school shooting and listening to someone next to us talking about a child's ChatGPT-assisted suicide. This cannot be the world we hand off to our kids. I fucking refuse. Maybe this is me being radicalized.

I'm on the precipice of being a single-issue voter. If your platform is melting every automatic rifle and handgun into scrap metal you have my vote.

Really and truly honored to find out THE LONELIEST PLACE is a Washington State Book Award finalist. A nod from my home state - where I grew up and am raising my family - is extra special. Thank you to The Washington Center for the Book and Washington State Library.

Here’s some Tarntara Sudaduang art to make your Monday a little better.

Book recommendation please! Something very scary or super weird. I'm not in the mood for metaphors, don't want to learn anything about myself, and don't need the monster to represent trauma. I just want to get lost in a story for a bit. Oh - gratuitous SA is an immediate DNF so no thanks on that.

PENNIES - a Blight Harbor prequel - is out one month from today. Here are the first two pages. If you're new to Blight Harbor, welcome. If you've been around for a while you'll find plenty of familiar faces in this one. Preorders and library requests always appreciated. PENNIES is out 9/23/25

I have so many projects waiting patiently for my attention so why do I only want to work on a series of spooky early readers? I need sweet ghosts and helpful spiders and gentle art and neatly tied up stories in darling little packages.

Remember that twitter bot that would just scream forever if you summoned it? I miss that guy.

I don't get many 🌟 starred reviews 🌟 and this one for PENNIES from the Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (BCCB) is the best trade review I've ever received. Period. It's a standalone story in the Blight Harbor world that can also be read before after Evie's books. PENNIES is out 9/23/25

Hahaha I just came up with a new monster and I'm bringing Clackity back for a cameo and I'm so happy.

I went into my Little Tiny Writing Retreat©®™ hoping to get ten thousand words done between Friday afternoon and Sunday morning. I walked out with thirteen thousand new words and a loose plan to close out the story. Thanks, Montvale Hotel. I'll be back for the next book.

Guys. Guys, I'm finishing this fifth Blight Harbor book if it kills me (and it might). I will say though that with my life in a state of chaos, it's nice to spend time in a world where I make the rules. Blight Harbor 5 out summer 2027 come hell or high water or additional mundane life bull crap.