New Book, Festival News, and... 💖⚙️📚
A request for help! 📚
Hello!
I hope you’re taking time for yourself. I’ve been splitting my time between revisions, research, and corresponding with the cover artist for the next Strange Happenings Collection! I should have cover art to share soon, along with a link for pre-orders. In the meantime, I can tell you the title! It’s Alchemy and Automatons: A Strange Happenings Collection. I can’t wait to share more stories about Rosie, Lucille, Evelyn, Adam, and a new POV character!
With all the research that I’ve been doing, I’m so thankful for my local libraries! I went out for last weekend for research materials and books to read for fun. I already had filled up my reusable tote and thought I was going to have to carry the rest. The librarians came through for me with two bags that made me smile. (And yes, I filled those bags, too!)
The DSM Book Festival is Coming Soon!
I’ve been selected to be one of the authors at the DSM Book Festival on Saturday, March 22nd, 2025! I’ve head so many good things about this event and I can’t wait to attend. I’ll be at my table from 2:45 pm to 4:15 pm with copies of Monsters and Machines and Forsaken Beauty and the Etherbeast, along with bookmarks.
The DSM Book Festival is a free event, from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm on Saturday, March 22nd, 2025, at the Franklin Event Center, located at 4801 Franklin Avenue in Des Moines, Iowa. There will be author programs, workshops, book signings, children’s activities, and more all day long. For more information about the Festival, click here!
DemiCon Update
I’ve been invited to be a Pro Guest at DemiCon 36 in Des Moines, Iowa, from May 2nd-4th, 2025. I’ll have a table in the vendor room with my books and I’m also participating in a few panels, with more TBA For more info about DemiCon, click here.
I can confirm another fun thing I’ll be doing during DemiCon: I’m going to be performing in a radio play with members of the BrassGear Adventurers Society! My friend Susan wrote the play and when I read the script, it was the first thing to make me laugh that day. I’m thrilled about the small role I get to play. She has all the energy of the Loki gif when he says, “Yes, very sad, anyway…”
I've never been in a radio play, but I'm excited to do it anyway! (So much of my personality can be boiled down to "I don't know if I can do this, but I'm going to do it anyway.") If you attend DemiCon, you can catch our performance on Sunday morning.
For more details about my previously announced DemiCon panels, check out last week’s newsletter.
A Request for Help
Vendor applications and the panel submissions portal just opened up for TeslaCon 2025 (If you’re new here, TeslaCon is steampunk convention named after Nikola Tesla... not the other guy or his vehicle.) This year’s theme leans heavily into Nordic mythology, fairy tales, and steampunk set in 1895.
I’ve already applied to have a table again and pitched a few panels, but if you’re planning on attending TeslaCon, I’d love to know if there’s something you’d like to see on the schedule! Either let me know in the comments or send me an email with requests.
Here’s what I’ve submitted so far to TeslaCon:
Fairies, folklore and superstitions of the later Victorian age
Understanding Automatons
Magic and Machines: Steampunk Fairy Tales
Here are panels I’ve participated in at other conventions (or I’ll be doing this spring):
Once Upon a Twist: Fairy Tale Retellings in Media
Steampunk 101 (with the BrassGears Adventurers Society)
Crafting Villains: Writing Antagonists Readers Love to Hate
What If? Exploring Alternate History in Media
Strange Happenings at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair
Inventions of the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair
Monstrous Women
Fusion Worlds: Blending Fantasy and Science Fiction for Unique Narratives
Plato and the Story of Atlantis
Gadgets and Gizmos of the High Seas
Strange Steampunk and Reinvented Fairy Tales
Steampunk & Storytelling
Science Fiction from Ancient Greece Until 1890 (guest on Alan Koslow's DemiCon 36 panel)
Readings of my books
Looking at this list, I’m considering making my panels available for those who can’t travel to conventions. I already have links for the panels that come with a slideshow, but it’s only the slides. I’m thinking about recording my talks with the slides and having the available on YouTube or something.
However, the earliest I’d probably be able to tackle this project would be midsummer to late summer, which could be tricky as my boys will be home from break. (Kids plus cats make recording anything interesting.) I will definitely consider it, though! (I also thought about streaming my panels whenever possible at conventions, but there are logistical issues that I’d need to work out.)
Speaking of conventions, I recently updated the Events page of my website. May is going to be gloriously chaotic between cons and getting another tattoo, followed by the 60th Nebula Awards Conference in June. You can check out my schedule here.
Looking for steampunk conventions in your area this spring? Here are a few to get you started:
Bourbon City Steam Mar 14 - 16, 2025 in Louisville, KY
Wild Wild West Steampunk Convention Mar 20 - 23, 2025 in Tucson, AZ
Chicago Steampunk Exposition May 30 - Jun 1 in Schaumburg, IL (I’ll be at this one!)
For more events all over the world, check out The Steampunk Explorer! It’s one of my favorite resources to keep track of events and concerts. (They were also kind enough to create a directory of steampunk author pages, including one for me!)
Never been to a steampunk convention? Read this post about why you should go:
Happy reading!
My mom and I would be very interested in watching your panels on YouTube! Especially Mom, as she's getting up there in age and has mobility issues.