New Year Is Kicking Off

There is already a lot to look forward to this year. I have explored options for comic conventions and have reserved a space in Phoenix, Arizona that is scheduled for Memorial Day weekend in May. That’s the same month I told my publisher I would have the final Mystic Rampage book completed. I have it all written and am rereading it as many times as I can each month, altering a few portions and finding grammatical errors. There was a slight obstacle since Lothar Speer, the illustrator for Public Display of Aggression was unable to work on any new projects due to too many other clients and medical issues. I found another illustrator of Thumbtack and they already have started working on the cover for Anomaly Aftermath (that’s the title of the third installment). Another event is a virtual tour set up for July that will hopefully generate more reviews online, and that one might be moved to an earlier date.
The event that I’m most excited about is just around the corner. I planned on being back in Chicago to get together with family for a celebration. I don’t check Facebook very often but I’m glad I did last month because I noticed a friend started an event planning service. It’s called Dreams Do Come True and they usually plan things like weddings. I reached out and asked if it would be possible to set up a live reading somewhere in northern Illinois. Surprisingly, they were quick to say yes and even faster to send me a list of locations that offer rooms for events. We decided on Graham’s 318 Coffee House in Geneva, IL on April 23rd. This will be my first time holding a live reading event. I’ve done readings before for a Beastly Books event in Santa Fe, but it was virtual, so it was a recorded reading which I imagine is a different experience. I’m still working on exactly what I’ll say, but I plan to open with something I’ve always wanted to do: I’m going to bring a pen with me and do a mad lib of one or two pages. After that I think I’ll talk about each character, how I developed them, and what I like and don’t like about writing them. 

​https://www.318coffeehouse.com/