I missed my October newsletter deadline by one day. Disappointing but not surprising at this point, unfortunately.
Anyways— hello! It’s been a while, hasn’t it?
To get the biggest announcement out of the way first— I got a job! I am once again working as a teacher, which now means that most of my days are going to be spent offline and extremely busy, but I am glad to be back in the saddle. One year doing nothing but office work really highlighted that my true calling/passion, i.e. career-wise, will always be teaching.
(I don’t see myself as a full-time author in the future for a variety of different reasons, but being one while also being a teacher as a day job? I can do that).
Also, a gentle reminder that A VERMILION CURSE is currently available on Kindle, KindleUnlimited, and paperback. Your support, love, and recommendation will help me in the long run continue to pursue my dream of becoming a writer on the side. If you have read and enjoyed AVC, please leave me a review on the platform of your choice— it helps boost me as an author in the eyes of readers searching for the book.
— and a last little writer development, A VERMILION CURSE is now an eligible nominee for the 2023 Indie Ink Awards. Here’s a list of tropes that I consider that AVC could be a perfect nominee for:
Other than that, I don’t have a lot to update you on my personal life. This new job has taken up so much of my time that I have genuinely lost track of a lot of things happening social media-wise— but one thing hasn’t escaped my notice and I desperately hope it hasn’t escaped your notice either.
The current and ongoing bombing attacks on Gaza have been an abhorrent catastrophe to witness, and I genuinely cannot even fathom the horrible conditions in which Palestinians right now are trying to survive. My heart goes out to Palestine and I wish for nothing more for their liberation.
For me, it will always be Free Palestine, Free Puerto Rico, Free Sudan, Free Guam, Free Congo, Free Yemen, Free Hawaii, Free Haiti. I dream of a world free of colonizing powers.
For more information on how to better comprehend the current situation written by people smarter than me, please visit decolonizepalestine.com
Currently Watching (TV)
I watched three spooky series in an attempt to make it feel like a spooky season. While a lot of things are out of my control preventing me from enjoying this time of year, these three series did help at least get my interest and keep it on monsters and vibes.
Over the Garden Wall: I’m a million years to this mini-series and it’s everything that people have said it is and more. Quick, deep, and intricately woven, ITGW is a series that everyone should see at least once, no question.
Castlevania: Nocturne: I’m a huge fan of the Castlevania TV series, so I binged this as soon as possible. Same as the previous Castlevania installments, the characters, story, and worldbuilding were superb. My only complaint is an EXTREMELY me thing and it’s that since it didn’t have a strict, romantic throughline it causes me to be just a slight tad bit less invested. But only a little bit, though. Annette is my everything. <3
Interview with a Vampire (2022): Oh my god. This series was so good I’m still shaking, thinking about it. Jacob Anderson and Sam Reid embodied Louis and Lestat and this show made Louis a much more interesting character compared to his Brad Pitt counterpart back in the 1994 film of the same name. And Claudia! Bailey Bass was the perfect embodiment of cold, beautiful, calculating, lethal, and threatening Claudia— I’m so sad she won’t be returning in season two, but I’m excited to see what the new actress, Delainey Hayles, can bring to the table. Please watch it, I’m begging you.
Currently Watching (Film)
Killers of the Flower Moon might not be Scorsese’s best work (according to some, I do think it’s his best work), but it is for certain his most important one. One of the many horrors of the genocide against the Osage is that this history is still so recent. Ernest Burkhart lived until 1986— Labyrinth was released that year! As a history buff, I’ve always been a firm believer that those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it, and it is up to us as the current generation to assume that responsibility. KotFM was so poignant, powerful, and devastating that I am still left without words, thinking about it constantly. If you haven’t yet, I suggest watching it with an open mind and an empathetic heart. Also, it’s just fun to see Leonardo DiCaprio play the biggest mamalón I’ve ever seen in film.
Currently Listening To
One of my best friends was born with the brain of a DJ, so now and then she makes obscure, random playlists and sends them to us— and since I trust her judgment, I always give them a listen. Right now I’m obsessed with this Ethan/Ilsa playlist from the Mission Impossible series. It’s full of dark synth pop and electronica and honestly, getting baked and listening to this while staring at the ceiling is the closest to therapy I can monetarily afford right now.
Currently Reading
October was Spooky reading month and while none of these are straight-out horror, they are all Halloween adjacent.
Blood Moon by Jillian Graves: A cute, light-hearted & slightly steamy paranormal romance that felt like coming back to my comfort roots. 3.5/5
Beasts & Beauty by Soman Chainani: A captivating and lyrical collection of remixed fairy tales and let me tell you, I didn’t know where any of them were going to go. So many twists and turns, that I genuinely kept gasping at how Chainani managed to create such poetic lyricism and such haunting imagery. 5/5
Ensnared by the Werewolf by Lillian Lark: I loved this little bite-sized adventure so much! It was so charming and witty and fun, and I am also very biased because I am a big Werewolf fan. 4/5
Yours, Cruelly: Memoirs of the Mistress of the Night by Cassandra Peterson: I loved this. I genuinely, unironically, totally fell in love and read this in three days loved it. Peterson has lived such a varied, wacky, complicated, and off-the-wall life that it is an exhilarating thrill ride to read about her going from go-go dancer to a cabaret girl to the network sensation we all know. If you’re a fan of Elvira or TV personalities in general, I highly recommend this memoir. 5/5
In the Comfort of Shadows by B. Nacole: This is a re-read for me since I was part of the beta team for ItCoS, but I fucking LOVE this, I genuinely do. I’ll have a full, lengthy review of this up on my Goodreads whenever I can find the time to do so but 5/5, no questions asked.
Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas: The only book on this list that I am still currently reading but man, am I loving the fuck out of it. I read Cañas’ debut LA HACIENDA sometime last year and adored it, and I’m pretty sure that Cañas is instantly becoming an auto-buy author.