Hi there! I've told this story before in this newsletter, but it's been a few years—and I've had a lot of new subscribers since then. Plus, it's been on my mind this week. I grew up with two major cultural influences that shaped my morality: Christianity and Star Trek. The core messages meshed surprisingly well: Care for your neighbor, Do unto others, The needs of the many outweigh the need of the few. These influences have driven me my entire life. They drive me today. They drive my need to...
4 days ago • 5 min read
Hi there! We had some friends over for New Year's Eve, and at one point the conversation turned to our favorite books of the last year. I struggled to recall what I'd read for a moment before I realized that Past Jessie had done something smart. She'd started a list! I grabbed my journal, where I jotted down every book I read each month in 2025, and started waxing poetical about my favorites. I'm pretty sure my friend who asked the question was just hoping for one or two recommendations. I...
25 days ago • 4 min read
Hey there! The weather witches do not seem to be foretelling a White Christmas for Portland, Oregon, but I spent all last week swept away by another kind of Snow. So I guess it's okay. What do I mean by that? Let me rewind. Last month at Author Nation, I was sitting out in the mix-and-mingle area, zoning out on my phone when someone settled on the couch next to mine. "Oh hey," I said, because although we hadn't yet had a chance to meet, I'd exchanged passing hellos with this person multiple...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
Hey there! Depending on which authors you follow, you might have already heard rumblings of this—but there's a really fabulous holiday countdown promo happening right now! I'll tell you more about it in a second, but first I have a couple of announcements. I have three virtual opportunities for you to hang out with me this week, and I'd love to see your shining faces at any of these. Vintage Books Live! Gets a Raygun! (TONIGHT 7pm PST.) I've joined Christy Peterson with Vintage Books Live!...
about 2 months ago • 5 min read
Hey there! On Monday, I joined a crew of authors for an open mic night at the Rose City Book Pub here in Portland, OR. It wasn't just any open mic, though—it was organized by my friend Wendy N. Wagner (a local horror author I've mentioned in this newsletter before), and it was meant to be a fundraiser for the Oregon Food Bank. Food insecurity tends to be in the news a lot this time of year anyway, but obviously got even more newsworthy this past month while the US government shutdown...
3 months ago • 1 min read
Hey there! I have a new book out that I'm extremely excited about. This has been in the works for months, but I've been keeping it under wraps because I wanted it to be a fun surprise on launch day. Which, here we are. Surprise! Last spring, a group of sci-fi writer friends approached me about editing a holiday-themed anthology. I agreed—but with one stipulation: I wanted every story to include a holiday recipe. I mean, why not make a weird concept just a little bit weirder? These ten authors...
3 months ago • 2 min read
Hey there! When I first started writing the Danica Burns books, I was pretty worried about the research aspect. Except for my first thriller, From Earth and Bone, everything else I've written has been science fiction set in far future worlds that you can't fact check. It gave me a lot of freedom to focus on the story and not go down rabbit holes of pesky details like, Is there a convenience store on that corner? How long does it take to drive to the trailhead from downtown Cle Elum? If a body...
3 months ago • 3 min read
Hey there! Today, I woke up to that classic Pacific Northwest fall morning—fog clinging to the trees, leaves crisp on the ground, the air deliciously cool. It’s the kind of misty, liminal weather that makes you want to pull on your favorite sweater… and cozy up with a spooky book. Which is exactly the mood of my thriller, From Earth and Bone. Set in Seattle’s rain-glossed streets and mossy cemeteries, it follows Patricia Ramos-Waites—a mother of three who just wants to keep her family...
4 months ago • 2 min read
Hey there! I have a complicated relationship with squirrels. On the one hand, they're adorable. I love watching them frolic around my backyard even though—especially this time of year—they're frequently planting walnuts that I'll have to pull out of my garden come spring. Those bushy little tails, those cute little noses... They're kinda charming. On the other hand, they really like to eat our lily and tulip bulbs. Which... no. Can't have that. Yesterday I was reading in the backyard when a...
4 months ago • 1 min read
Hey there! As the mornings get moodier and cooler around these parts, I've found myself slipping into an old habit: writing stories longhand in a notebook while sipping coffee, blissfully free of screen distractions. Sometimes I can open my laptop and stay focused on the fiction work at hand. But lately, the sight of my laptop triggers "business brain" to kick in, and I start thinking of all the other projects I "should" be working on: edits for a ghostwriting client's book, admin for my...
5 months ago • 3 min read