my brain always gets a bit wonky when I finish a project.

more specifically, my brain gets to be like a dog whose favorite toy has been chewed up beyond repair, so you’re trying to give it a new toy, but it doesn’t WANT a new toy. it wants its FAVORITE TOY. even though, if you managed to give it a new toy, it would love the new toy and forget all about the mangled favorite that is now in the garbage.

when the finished project is a novel, I deal with this by writing fics, or rewriting part of the story from a different character’s POV, or similar. it scratches the itch until my brain loses interest and I can successfully pivot to a new project.

unfortunately, the two projects I most recently finished were a novella and a short story.

with the novella, although I didn’t have any lil Scenarios to put into service for fic, I scratched the itch with a line share on Bluesky. but the short story is only 12 pages long. which doesn’t make for much of a line share.

so my brain is like unto a working dog left cooped up in the house all day, and by the time my owner comes home I've shredded all their Tupperware containers with my teeth.

I’ve been doing some doodles, though. which is sort of helping. presenting: doomed husbands, attempt number two.

I have to begrudgingly admit that it’s sort of helping. and it’s giving me more drawing practice. so that’s good.

upcoming events

next month’s newsletter is a subscriber-exclusive post-novel short story about Peter and David from The Keeper of Lonely Spirits, so here are my book events for November and December.

Writers on the River

Sunday, November 8, from 12:00 to 3:00p.m. EST at the Ellis Library & Reference Center in Monroe, MI. meet authors from Ohio and Michigan, chat, buy books, get them signed, and enter a prize drawing. this event is free and open to the public. Click here for more details.

Wine & Words / Beer & Books

Tuesday, November 10, from 6:30 to 7:30p.m. EST at Earnest Brew Works in South Toledo. join us for a casual chat about my recent queer cozy horror, The Lord of the Wood. this event is free and open to the public, but you can buy a copy of the book from Gathering Volumes beforehand. click here for more details.

Authors! with E.M. Anderson

Thursday, December 10, from 7:00 to 8:00p.m. EST at the Main Branch Library in Downtown Toledo. a 45-minute discussion will be followed by a Q&A and book signing. this event is ticketed, but your ticket price includes a copy of The Lord of the Wood. to learn more, click here. to buy tickets, click here.

odds & ends

recent watches

• saw Wildwood (2026) in theaters with my nesting partner, a rare occurrence since I usually go to the movies alone

recent reads

• The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones, which was horrifying and excellent

• the first four books of The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells, which I’ve been enjoying greatly

recent listens

• the new playlist I put together for The Keeper of Lonely Spirits

recent birds

• a ruby-throated hummingbird during migration, which is much later than I usually catch sight of one for the year

until next time!