It feels a tad ironic writing a headline bidding goodbye to the summer on one of the hottest and most humid days of the year, but here we are!

It’s been a busy summer, which is why you haven’t heard from me much. I was planning a revamp of these newsletters but I haven’t had a chance to really decide what that might look like. So I’m here, doing the usual! But I have some updates before I get into the stuff I’ve been enjoying.

• My Little Pony: Camp Bighoof #2 is out TOMORROW!!! You can grab your copy at your local comic book shop or check online for more info.
• As mentioned previously, FanExpo is a wrap! We had a great show and an amazing time talking to people about our books, making comics, the industry, and more. You can read a summary of it here.
• T-minus 4 MONTHS until Racc Pack is out. Preorders mean a lot to creators and authors—it shows publishers that people are into the book and want to have it on Day One. For a series—and especially for potential ongoing series—it can make or break whether or not the publisher will ask for more. So you can visit RaccPack.com to find out more.
• We’re a mere two months away from the release of Animal Rescue Friends: Learning New Tricks. We’ll be doing a book launch in Toronto at Another Story on Roncesvalles. It’ll be on Tuesday November 7 at 7pm. More details here.
• My first issue of Time Buddies (part of Season 2 from Epic! Originals) came out last month! It’s called Cream of the Century and you can learn more about it and where you can read it here.
• And this is more of a tease but I should have some exciting news to share soon on the Pillow Talk front. It’s been a while since we announced this graphic novel but there have been some exciting developments that we’ll get to talk more about SOON!

And that’s mostly it for now. Things are going to be gearing up for the next little while

TV:

• The Challenge S20-21, S24-30
• The Other Two S3
• RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars S8
• His Dark Materials S3
• The Ultimatum S2

His Dark Materials was wonderful and I had a bit of a cry watching the final episodes. The books meant so much to me growing up and seeing them adapted with the love and respect that they deserve has been such a joy! It’s been a long time since I’ve read them, but they felt like what I enjoyed about the books and that, to me, is the mark of a good adaptation. The cast did such amazing work and the music by Lorne Balfe was simply top notch. Other than that, I have spent a lot of time over the last couple of months just watching reality TV…namely mostly The Challenge, which I love a ridiculous amount.

Time for some books! Although I must say that the summer has been a bit slow for me with reading. And I haven’t written up many reviews for what I’ve been enjoying, so you’ll have to use your imaginations. Mostly if I finish a book though, that means I liked it…otherwise I’d simply DNF (do not finish). So here’s what I read:

BOOKS:

• Enlightened by Sachi Ediriweera – An incredible exploration of the origins of Buddhism, delving into the life of Siddhartha and what pushed him to seek out answers about the world. This graphic novel is beautifully illustrated and adapted to give anyone interested a great gateway into learning more about other teachings and religions – OUT SEPTEMBER 26, 2023
• In Limbo by Deb JJ Lee – An emotional gut punch of a graphic novel.
• Book Lovers by Emily Henry – Now that I’ve embraced the romance novel in my life, Emily Henry has quickly become one of my favourites. Witty, sharp, and fun.
• Dungeon Critters by Natalie Riess and Sara Goetter – Delightful and fun!
• Beneath the Sugar Sky (Wayward Children #3 ) by Seanan McGuire – I am in love with this series and the imaginative other world stories that we get from each installation. Truly such a great time reading each and every book.
• The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw
• Himawari House by Harmony Becker
• Fable by Adrienne Young
• Are You Listening? by Tillie Walden
• Tiger, Tiger Vol. 1 by Petra Erika Nordlund
• The Ones We’re Meant to Find by Joan He
• Untethered Sky by Fonda Lee
• A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid – Since making her debut not all that long ago, Ava Reid has been an author that I’ve followed with much interest. All of her projects have been filled with imagination and executed with expertise, passion, and a love for the subject. A Study in Drowning is no different and in fact, is my favourite of Reid’s work to date. A carefully crafted story filled with folklore, fairytales, and a mystery to unravel. It kept me engaged from start to finish and I devoured this story, unable (or rather, not wanting…) to put it down. Satisfying and satiating in every way, I highly recommend this book, especially for fans of Krystal Sutherland’s House of Hollow – OUT SEPTEMBER 19, 2023
• Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo

Okay so I read slightly more than I said but it still feels pretty small considering this is two months worth of books. But as always, you can find my full reading list on Goodreads.

WHEW! Okay, that’s it for now. I’ll have more for you soon but September is shaping up to be BUSY!!! Stay safe out there and thank you—as always—for your love and support.