t-minus one month to book launch!
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH okay that’s out of my system. anyway,
let me tell you, friends, this is a weird fucking time to be releasing a book. which is actually a massive understatement, but like. I’m pretty sure you all know what’s going on, at least in an extremely general sense, and I don’t mean for my newsletter to be part of your daily doomscroll.
on that note, if you’d like to keep informed but are trying not to either doomscroll or stay glued to the news 24/7, may I recommend this digest? link to subscribe to WTF Just Happened Today, a once-a-day newsletter that summarizes the news in brief, then gives more detail on each story if you want it.
…I meant to talk about my book some more, but now I find myself wanting to give you more tips for if you want to be aware but not paralyzed by social media accounts screaming WE’RE ALL FUCKED all the time.
okay, what if both?
my book: is a cozy fantasy featuring a cast of queer and neurodivergent folks doing their best to navigate grief, being kind, and building community (despite the instincts of many of them to self-isolate). maybe that’s important itself, right now.
my tips: include Mr. Rogers’s “look for the helpers,” focusing on 2-3 small actions you can take personally*, and curating online spaces** so you see more posts about what’s being done, what can be done, and what you can do, and fewer posts about how we’re all doomed.
*small actions such as setting up a recurring monthly donation of $5 to a fund you care about, sharing information about safety protocols for protesters, or even something like checking in on friends and neighbors
**curating online spaces to the extent possible—some platforms are more curatable than others
okay, let’s all pretend I spent this intro talking in depth about The Keeper of Lonely Spirits, how important it is to me personally, what it means to me to be releasing a book right now, etc, etc. here’s a picture of it to help with the pretending.
and now, back to your regularly scheduled newsletter.
launch events
save the date(s)! I’ve got some events coming up to celebrate the release of The Keeper of Lonely Spirits. most of them are in-person in Ohio and Michigan, but there’s a virtual event for all my long-distance and disabled peeps!
March 25 - launch party at Gathering Volumes (in-person)
6:30-8:00p.m. EST
Gathering Volumes Bookshop in Perrysburg, OH
join me at my favorite local indie to celebrate the release of The Keeper of Lonely Spirits! I’ll be in conversation with Kate Michaelson, author of Hidden Rooms. a book signing will follow.
buy Kate’s book here: link to Hidden Rooms at Gathering Volumes Bookshop
March 27 - launch party with author Chelsea Abdullah (virtual)
7:00-8:00p.m. EST
Zoom (registration required)
join me on Zoom for a virtual celebration of The Keeper of Lonely Spirits, including book trivia and a giveaway! I’ll be in conversation with Chelsea Abdullah, author of The Stardust Thief and its upcoming sequel. The Ashfire King releases on April 15. Preorder from Word Bookstores to get preorder goodies!
click here to register: link to register on Eventbrite
preorder Chelsea’s book here: link to The Ashfire King at Word Bookstores
March 28 - library visit at Marine City Library (in-person)
1:00-2:30p.m. EST
Marine City Branch Library in Marine City, MI
I’m heading back to my hometown! join me at the Marine City Branch Library for an author talk and presentation.
click here to visit the library’s website: link to Marine City Library webpage
March 28 - in conversation at Sidetrack Bookshop
6:30-8:00p.m. EST
Sidetrack Bookshop in Royal Oak, MI
join me at a new-to-me bookstore that I’m very excited to visit! I’ll be in conversation with one of the booksellers, with a signing to follow. the event is free and open to the public, but RSVPs are requested to help the shop with planning!
click here to RSVP: link to event page on Sidetrack (dot) Com
trade review roundup
it’s incredible to have multiple positive reviews for The Keeper of Lonely Spirits! while trade reviews may not matter much to readers, they’re a great way to convince librarians and booksellers to put a book on their shelves—especially starred reviews like this one from Library Journal.
Anderson writes a curmudgeonly immortal protagonist and a (literally) haunting story full of heart; a delightful novel. - Kristi Chadwick
click here to read the full review: link to starred LJ review
my personal favorite is this one from Booklist, less for what it says here (although that is lovely) and more because this reviewer mentions The Whole Name Thing™ that’s in the book and spends the review referring to the main character as “the groundskeeper.”
(if you haven’t read an ARC and have no clue what I’m talking about, you’ll find out soon!)
This riveting story combines an older protagonist, queer romance, and family connections with delightfully surprising twists. - Frances Moritz
click here to read the full review: link to Booklist review
and then there’s this one from Publishers Weekly, which somewhat confusingly calls the book a “Gothic romantasy,” which I do not think it is, but they liked the book, so. whatever lol, I’m happy with it (and the comps are on point).
Refreshing... Moving... Delivers enough horror-inflected moments to keep readers on the edge of their seats... Heartfelt queer romp. - Publishers Weekly
click here to read the full review: link to PW review
odds & ends
recent reads:
Kamilah Cole’s This Ends in Embers, the sequel to So Let Them Burn (which I read around this time last year), and I’m super excited to have received a matching dust jacket for the first book with my preorder of the second 💗 one thing I really love about this duology is how much it highlights the horror of literal children being the ones to save the world—not that the idea isn’t present in other YA books, but I feel like this duology underscores it like no other book I’ve ever read
recent watches:
tragically I missed seeing Love Hurts (2025) in theaters, but I’m putting it here anyway because I would’ve seen it if only I’d had time to get to the theater 🥲 hopefully I can catch it on streaming somewhere soon
recent listens:
a Beauty & the Beast playlist on repeat partly because of my current WIP and partly because of the pole routine I want to put together for October’s showcase
recent birds:
I don’t see brown creepers often. HOWEVER. not only did I see one—but thanks to my new camera (a Kodak Pix Pro, if you’re looking for a decent point-and-shoot) I actually got a couple pictures of one! not very good ones, for which I blame the bird for not sitting still. but still! the fact that it even happened!
multiple red-headed woodpeckers and a white-throated sparrow on this year’s silence retreat—both birds I might see in any given year but am never guaranteed to
until next time!
