I’ve got another announcement to share with you. This is a project we’ve been keeping secret for the majority of this year…which is known as author torture. I have a new middle-grade graphic novel series that’s being launched called The Racc Pack. It’s created by myself and my amazing partner-in-crime, Whitney Gardner.
This is from the announcement: “The City of Toronto may be doing its best to keep the raccoon population out of its garbage, but that’s not going to stop the Bins family from continuing in their pursuit of the tastiest, most delicious trash they can find. So when a fancy new grocery store opens up in their neighborhood, the dumpster-diving critters hatch a heist so daring, it’ll have them rolling in garbage all winter long. Publication for the first book is planned for fall 2023.”
You might notice that this is a heist book and Whitney and I are co-hosts on The Caper Cast. It’s almost like we’ve been doing research for a while and subtly trying to tell you what’s been going on. But don’t worry, this is only part of our Big Reveal and more will be coming soon.
You can visit RaccPack.com to learn more and sign up for any updates.
Surprise! I’ve been working on a short story for Archie Comics and it’s just been announced. My Archie debut will be in the Love & Heartbreak special which is an anthology comprised of a few different stories written by myself, Sina Grace, and Thomas Pitilli.
I get to write Veronica Lodge (!!!!) and I’m teamed up with the incredible Lisa Sterle who will be doing the art. The image here is the variant cover by Paulina Ganucheau.
To say that this is a dream come true is an understatement. There are very few licensed properties that I’ve wanted to work on but Archie has been on my bucket list since Day 1. Archie Comics are what got me into comics in the first place and they have a special place in my heart. Getting to make my mark on the Archieverse is nothing short of an incredible milestone for me.
Love & Heartbreak will be out in February. You can order your copy over on the Archie website here.
Today, the line-up for Canadian Children’s Book Week 2022 was announced. I’m happy to share that among the many talented authors and illustrators on the list, I’ve been chosen as a participant. I’ll be touring (virtually) for a week in 2022.
From the press release: “Over fifty talented Canadian authors, illustrators and storytellers have been selected to take part in this virtual tour and share a love of reading with young people in schools, libraries and homes all across Canada. Established in 1977, the upcoming national tour will take place from May 1-7, 2022.”
You can read the full release and see all the other people I will be joining by visiting here!
Like my watch list this month, I didn’t wind up reading a ton in October. I started a few things but wound up being pretty busy overall and spent much of my free time watching spooky movies. So without any further delay, let’s get into my October Reading Roundup:
A Touch of Ruin by Scarlett St. Clair — I really enjoyed this sequel! Again, it’s like Scarlett St. Clair took everything I love from Sarah J. Maas’ books and then was like BUT GREEK MYTHOLOGY. So this is all super up my alley. I will say that I struggled with some of the characterization of Persephone; she was mildly insufferable at times. I know it’s all character development and it’s part of her journey and I should love to see her grow but ahhhhh there were so many deeply frustrating parts that had me screaming at the book. That being said, I did enjoy it overall and I’m excited to check out the next book in the series. I’ve heard great things about the books from Hades’ perspective.
Tokyo Ever After by Emiko Jean — The writing and the book itself? DELIGHTFUL. While I was reading it, I’d pick it up only intending to get through a chapter and then next thing I realized, I’d gone through several. The writing style is effortlessly fun and youthful and you really feel for Izumi as she tries to find where she fits into the world. Comparisons to The Princess Diaries are very apt and I think any fans of that series will find this book right up their alley.
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig — Despite the hype over this book, it did not disappoint. Beautiful, tragic, heartfelt, emotional, and magical. Truly one of the best books I’ve read this year, maybe up there in my fave books of all time. It’s just such a poignant exploration of humanity and the idea of regrets. I felt such a strong connection to the story and to the message behind it. A must-read story.
The Witch Haven by Sasha Peyton Smith — I loved the writing and premise for the story! A fantastic debut book that explores an urban world but one where magic exists and a handful of extraordinary individuals are gifted with it. While I did love the characters, the majority of the story itself, etc., I wound up wishing that there was a little more of a satisfying final act. It does wrap things up nicely while leaving room for more books (which I appreciate…so few books are standalone these days) but I felt a little disappointed. Definitely worth reading though, an enjoyable ride overall!
And that’s it for the month. I’m quickly working my way through The Ex Hex which I thought I might finish in time for the roundup but you’ll have to wait until next month to see my thoughts on that. What did you read this month and what were some of the highlights?
Today I’ve got some exciting news to share: I’m writing an upcoming video game for Kitten Cup Studio. I’ve been brought on board to write Pekoe, which is a tea-making simulator that takes place in a small town that is populated by cats.
Pekoe will be out in 2022 (date TBA) and I’ll be sure to update y’all with new information as it becomes available. You can also read the latest newsletter here and subscribe.
You can add Pekoe to your Steam wishlist here. And watch the launch trailer for the game below:
Annnnd that’s a wrap on Spooktober! I’m not gonna lie, I’m sad that it’s come and gone. Now it’s time to process the fact that the holidays are almost here…and it’s nearly the end of the year. I DON’T WANNA TALK ABOUT IT YET. So until then, let’s talk about some of the things I watched last month. I watched 40 horror movies for Halloween—you can see the full list on my Letterboxd. That’s what I spent the majority of my TV time on. But I still managed to watch a few shows too, so here they are:
What If…S1
Baking Impossible S1
Only Murders in the Building S1
The White Lotus S1
Holey Moley S3
DuckTales S3
Mare of Easttown
What We Do In The Shadows S3
Almost all of these were quality TV shows! It’s been a long time since I could claim that. Out of this mix, my #1 by far was Only Murders in the Building. What an ABSOLUTE JOY it was. Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez are perfection together with the latter balancing out the big, over-the-top personalities of the two formers. I was hooked on the premise too and enjoyed watching it every single week. It’s a new favourite!
Mare of Easttown was fantastic, but pretty much everyone has already said that already. Kate Winslet is a treasure.
And then the last show I’ll quickly mention here is What We Do in the Shadows which someone in its third season continues to be a brilliant and hilarious journey. It took some unexpected turns and I love how it keeps me on my toes but remains ridiculous and light-hearted.
What did you watch during Spooktober? Any highlights?
I’ve got another announcement to share with you. This is a project we’ve been keeping secret for the majority of this year…which is known as author torture. I have a new middle-grade graphic novel series that’s being launched called The Racc Pack. It’s created by myself and my amazing partner-in-crime, Whitney Gardner.
Surprise! I’ve been working on a short story for Archie Comics and it’s just been announced. My Archie debut will be in the Love & Heartbreak special which is an anthology comprised of a few different stories written by myself, Sina Grace, and Thomas Pitilli.
Like my watch list this month, I didn’t wind up reading a ton in October. I started a few things but wound up being pretty busy overall and spent much of my free time watching spooky movies. So without any further delay, let’s get into my October Reading Roundup:
Annnnd that’s a wrap on Spooktober! I’m not gonna lie, I’m sad that it’s come and gone. Now it’s time to process the fact that the holidays are almost here…and it’s nearly the end of the year. I DON’T WANNA TALK ABOUT IT YET. So until then, let’s talk about some of the things I watched last month. I watched 40 horror movies for Halloween—you can see 