Release Party! Book Fair!!! And more?

 
 

The book launch was a success!

I met new friends & had good convos. My anxieties told me nobody would come, so joke is on them! Wrong again, you little bugbears. 😝

I'm continually amazed by all the independent bookstores that have chosen to share my little witch story. My favorite thing about promoting my book is that it gives me an excuse to visit bookish places and buy other people's books. Huehehehehue~

Up next, I’ll be at the KPBS San Diego Book Festival next Sunday!

You can catch me on the Witches, Waterfalls and Thin Ice panel in the KIPJ Section (sections A&B) at 3:30pm, and I will be signing books afterwards.

I plan to go nice and early to explore the whole book fair, and stay until the end—volunteering at the SCBWI booth as well!


Even now, I miss the vibrancy of the Twin Cities writing community, and I’m jealous of how New York is Lit Central. I guess I have no choice but to join the folks helping San Diego's literary scene grow. The San Diego Book Festival is only in its second year, although it alreay feels like a community mainstay. I couldn’t make it last time, so this time, I have to go all out! 😤

Lastly, I'm headed to the World Fantasy Convention for the first time in late October, but I haven’t decided the level of promotion I plan to do. I do want to start spending time in more professional SFF spaces, pitching panels and voting on the Nebulas and whatnot.

Recently, 90% of my energy has gone to my day job, where I’ve been putting in a bit of overtime and late nights. My goal is to help get the right systems set up so that my work life has predictability and regularity. It turns out my INTP 超ND brain thrives on having just enough routine.

Welp, back to work now.

See you in Oakland if I don't see you in SD!

Greetings from SD County Fair!

A lovely review for AIRRELLE OF THE MAROON WITCHES came in from Booklist this month:

Airrelle is ready to start her magical journey and finally become a witch like everyone else in her family. Having grown up in Missen Dessalin, a place created by enslaved and other marginalized folks, 12-year-old Airrelle is surrounded and protected by magic, with very little experience of the outside world. Her witch trials take her far from her home, where she witnesses the harsh realities of the nonmagical Overside and meets a girl she can’t help but feel drawn to. Beck’s middle-grade debut is a sweet coming-of-age story that mixes the mundane with the magical. The exploration of historical maroon societies will pique readers’ curiosity, and it serves as the perfect jumping-off point for further research. [...] Reminiscent of Kiki’s Delivery Service, this fantasy tale delightfully balances whimsy and real-life issues.

A balance of whimsy and real-life is the perfect way to put it! They're also right that one of my goals with this novel is to serve as a jumping-off point for children and families to do further research into the history of maronnage. It feels good to have your artistic aims seen & understood. 🥰

 

In other news, the San Diego County Fair was delightful thanks to the Del Mar Fairgrounds staff and their exhibit theme of Once Upon a Fair. I especially loved the Scholastic Book Fair within the county fair! I would have loved to return for multiple story-time readings!


(I would also have returned to the petting zoo because I love goats. 🐐)

Look at this goat! He’s so silly! So stubborn! So pretty! So perfect! Eats whatever he wants and doesn’t afraid of anything

My next event will be a Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers’ Masterclass on July 21st with The Clarion Foundation. Endless thank yous to Jac Jemc for the invitation to present! Tickets are linked here.

That weekend, I hope to serve on a Comic-Con panel with the wonderful folks of Mysterious Galaxy (my favorite local bookstore) and Meet Cute (Friday, July 24th). I'll be signing books the (Satur)day after, on July 25th.

More events are coming up soon!

Big thanks to Holiday House Publishing. for the support. Sarah Howard Parker has been making it happen!

PS: My former writing mentor William Alexander has a new book out, Sunward. I’m excited to read it!
I’m also currently 5 books deep into the Dungeon Crawler Carl series, which has critiques more structural and solutions more collaborative than those practiced by internet leftists. I took a break from reading George Saunders’ Vigil (less audiobook-friendly than Lincoln in the Bardo, so I’ll need to buy a hard copy too) to read Putnam’s Bowling Alone.
Oh, and SZA is baby girl.

’Til later!

Greetings from LinkedIn!

Recently, I've been more focused on doing big things than sharing the big things I've been doing, so I've got a few overdue life updates to share.

Most notably, my debut Middle Grade novel AIRRELLE OF THE MAROON WITCHES comes out on July 14th of this year with Holiday House Publishing.

Pre-orders are officially open, and you can get your copy from:

...Or wherever books are sold! (I prefer indie bookstores, but you can also request it at your library.)

The School Library Journal describes it as a story of magic that "interweaves themes of acceptance and belonging, with inspiration drawn from historic maroon societies of escaped enslaved people who thrived in secret communities. Despite being non-magic, readers will find ways to relate to Airrelle and her experiences. The magical elements are cute and fun, and the relationship between Airrelle and the supporting characters is sweet."

I love it when reviewers pull out the elements I poured my sweat, tears, and thesis hours into. I'm excited to see readers discover the worldbuilding, relationships, and cultural Easter Eggs.

That said, I am actively looking to connect with more kid lit writers and am always open to collaborations.

I've recently joined the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators and the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association as I prep to begin hosting readings, school visits, and library events. I may or may not have signed up to read at the San Diego County Fair, for example. 👀

Greetings from Instagram!

Happy Aries season!

Just popping in to share that my book AIRRELLE OF THE MAROON WITCHES has a review from Publishers Weekly, who calls it a “tender tale of hope and belonging”.


Preorders are open, so feel free to buy a copy for the young people in your life who want to experience a story of magic rooted in rebellious Black History. It’s available wherever books are sold!

In my personal life, I have turned 38, moved in with my partner, and started a new job!

Recently, I’ve trying to confront alexithymia by listening to my body more. I used to faint several times a year, and I think overextending myself was why. 😮‍💨

My body has been telling me “I have difficulty with transitions, but you’re making me do all of this at the same time? And a Business Intelligence Analysis Certificate? I passed Intro to SQL with 98% even while packing and job searching. Please acknowledge my hard work before you move on to the next task. 😡 Or your skin will break out again.”

I responded by feeding my body some Shawarma Guys and lots of good tea, watching comfy anime like Journal with Witch and Frieren, and reading lots of David Graeber and Dungeon Crawler Carl. Because my life feels so up-in-the-air right now, I don’t plan to return to social media until I feel more stable—and even then, I’ll probably be focused on book promo.

Til next time! Abayo!