CURRENT WIP
COMPANY MAN
Lord have mercy, Company Man is kicking my ass. I’m not sure what it is about the second chapter that is always the hardest (well, final chapter is always the hardest, but the second chapter is a big runner-up for the pain-in-my-ass award). I think my second chapters see the most revision out of anything else. But don’t get it twisted, I absolutely love this book. This is a story that I have been mulling over for a long time. I love The Count of Monte Cristo and it’s a nice little break from my very preacher-heavy plotlines (and then we’re diving right back in with Dallas). This plotline is a little extra special to me, because my grandfather was the tenor of his own Southern Gospel quartet. I remember attending the rehearsals, watching their shows from the pews, and watching him make CD’s and work hard to broadcast the music to his own radio station. Delulu entrepreneurship is genetic, by the way.
And can we please, please take a moment to fall to our knees for that cover? Because the work of PlasticLamb is UNRIVALED. The last few Dread South releases have been Holden and Bee heavy, and now we’re returning back to Abel’s territory. Which, I have a big soft spot for Abel. I don’t know about y’all.
CATCHING UP
Did I really not send out a newsletter in December?
That wasn’t on purpose! December kicked my ass and the family gatherings started like, two weeks in and kept going until January. I feel like I’m still trying to get my head screwed back on straight. It feels like it should already be the 30th (it’s definitely not).
On Air With the Devil ARC’s!
In case you missed it on Instagram, On Air With the Devil’s ARC’s have started to go out! There’s still time to claim one, if you want to give it a read and review ahead of time. You can message me here or email me here. I have been so nervous about this book that the moment I sent them out, I wanted to throw up. It was definitely a moment of oh god what have I done. I’ve been nervous about books before, but for some reason On Air has my knees shaking.
And maybe that’s because writing about Josiah has become such incredible personal escapism. I know that I need to stop worrying about the reception and just worry about writing the next thing. I know that I can keep writing for him even if no one else ever wants to read him again (and he’s terrible, so honestly, I don’t blame y’all if that’s the case). But, you know, I do hope that his stories are enjoyable, even just a little.
New / Upcoming Endeavors
I’m trying to set myself (and the press) up for success in 2026, so I’ve been working really hard on catching up on things on the back-end. I updated the website, although I’m still working to move it altogether. Hopefully, now, it’s easier to navigate.
I’m moving from Patreon back to Ko-Fi, because I honestly like Ko-Fi a lot better and it’s easier to maintain. I also want to connect with people on a more personal artist level.
I’ve opened up wholesale forms and I’ve been cold-emailing so many bookstores. I’m hoping to land our titles on some new shelves this year. Sometimes it gets frustrating, because a lot of bookstores only have forms for single author inquiries (and single book inquiries, at that) or they only offer consignment (which gets very expensive, very quickly). Money is a fun hurdle. Our books sell in bookstores, we have proof of that! But getting them placed there is like dental surgery (agonizing and pricey).
We’re booking in-person events already, we’ve got some coming up in Raleigh and have applied for more in Youngsville, aaannddd some other spots I can’t remember right this second. My brain is still processing the caffeine I’ve been ingesting.
The House has some fun things coming up, which I’ll send out in more detail from the LMH newsletter. We’ve got our special editions crate coming out (that we were going to launch last year, but the sales were not there to support a big project, so we revised contracts and we’re trying again this year). On a similar note, we’ve partnered with Curious Corvid Publishing for a new shop that features dark fiction book bundles (Crow & Vulture Bookstore).
The Uncrowned: Heirs of Gods TTRPG illustrations are underway, I have been working on this game for YEARS (since 2022) and to finally have it almost in my hands in insane. I might cry. Real behind-the-scenes information will probably be mostly on my Ko-Fi, but I’ll definitely drop some general updates (and maybe an illustration preview or two) here because I’m just so excited I cannot keep it to myself. The artwork is being done by Luisa Leiroz (Moe_Machine), who you might recognize from the CrossXroads TTRPG, Court of Tides, and On Air’s book cover.
Late Night with the Rev is another project I am working on. I’ve been mulling over this idea for a time, of doing interviews (artist, author, creator, etc) as my Rev character. I think it would be fun. I’m getting a PNGtuber made and that will be the last step (because honestly, setup and lighting takes a lot, a lot of work that I don’t have in me right now. I don’t think I could get into makeup every single time I needed to record).
Back to Uncrowned: Heirs of Gods for just a minute and speaking of podcasts… I’ve been thinking about running a game and recording it. Yes, I know everyone does that, but not with MY game (just yet, anyway). Does that sound fun?
I’ll post a bunch of links at the bottom of this newsletter if you’re interested in exploring anything I’ve talked about.
HIGHLIGHT
Upcoming On Air Book Signing
I will be signing copies of On Air With the Devil on March 15th (2pm-4pm) with Folk and Fable Co.! (I’m working on an event exclusive treat annnnd once I know exactly what that will be, y’all will be the first to know). It’s going to be at the Painted Tree (Book J19) on Creedmoor Road in Raleigh, NC. Come by and see me if you’re in the area!
That’s all for now…
Thank you for listening to my madman ravings.
Next time I will talk about… TTRPG updates, Hymn of the Hanging Albatross (one that I am EXTREMELY excited about), bookstore and event updates, and the next Dread South after Hymn that I’ve been mulling over.
Links
Wholesale Form (have a local bookstore you think would be a good fit? You can always send us their way!)
