The Weirdball Book Moves Forward!
And how I learned not to fight winter
The next book is on my agent’s desk!
This one is about a woman who gets lured into a spirit world in the Nordic wilderness and finds half of herself there in the form of a destructive ghost. She must find a way to survive and a place to call home with her soul split between two worlds before the pain of her lost ghost-self causes real world consequences.
I revised it over the last month based on feedback from my agent, and now she’s rereading to see if we’re ready to pitch it to publishers. Fingers crossed!
Often I don’t know what a book is really about until I’m all the way at the end of the process. That’s when the story’s themes and deeper questions reveal themselves.
This book, tentatively titled THE SPIRIT OF BROKEN THINGS, speaks to feeling divided as to who you are and where you belong. In my life, this comes from feeling a deep bond to Finland, my mother’s birthplace and home to most my extended family on her side. And not only have I become connected to the place, I’ve realized how Finnish my upbringing was. Even though I was raised in Washington, D.C., there are bedrock parts of my personality and worldview that are distinctly other.
Especially after the recent U.S. election, I feel less “American” than ever. I have dual citizenship, and my husband and I have seriously considered moving to Finland permanently. And yet I am American, and I value many things about that identity. No matter where I land in the world, my heart will be divided. It’s simply something I have to learn to live with.
In recognizing this, I think I have a tiny window into my mother’s experience as an immigrant. And perhaps I also have a window into other experiences of being neither This nor That.
Meanwhile, I’m enjoying sauna season at the Rivanna River Company, right here in Charlottesville. In The Spirit of Broken Things, the sauna serves as a kind of portal into the spirit world. In real life, it’s a wonderful way to embrace winter and feel as if, for a moment, I’m in my other home.
If you haven’t yet read my first two books, you can buy them at Bookshop.org, Bluebird & Co. or anywhere that sells books. Or request them at your library!
Upcoming Events
Barnes & Noble, Woodbridge VA, February 11th 2025, 7pm.
What I’m Reading: Paladin’s Grace by T Kingfisher
I devoured this imaginative romantasy. T Kingfisher is one of my favorite authors right now. The romance is adorable, and the plot surrounding it is engaging all on its own. It has intrigue and a dash of horror/creepiness that is just a perfect flavor to go with the sweetness.
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I am so excited about the book - I can't wait to read it! And in 7 minutes... HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!! 🥰🥰🥰
Love the title and premise!