SURPRISE! I have a new novella coming out, and it’s coming out SOON!
PARTY OF FOOLS: EMPIRE OF EATS NOVELLA #1
Ale's Well That Ends Well...
Resistance members Reed Thorley and Gladys the Destroyer can't believe their luck when the Immortal Emperor herself wanders into their favorite bar, unguarded and playacting an ordinary citizen. This is their chance to give the rebellion the upper hand against the Empire—after a few pints, of course. The middle-aged halfling musician and his elderly barbarian partner are seasoned enough to know that when Emperor Vallora invites them to join her worldwide food tour, their best bet is to say “Yes, chef!” and wait for an opportunity to strike.
But hot as a greased griddle behind them comes Captain Andromeda Stagge, Vallora’s personal bodyguard, intent on returning the Emperor to the palace. She's only doing her job. She isn't pissed off at being left behind. It's not as if the Emperor is her only real friend, given the difficulty of fitting in when you're a 200-year-old autistic elf from a lower-class socioeconomic background. It isn't that at all!
Vallora's worldwide food tour hinges on her ability to escape the capital city with Reed and Gladys without being caught. The Emperor isn’t supposed to be sampling local cheeses in the company of commoners. Though why the most powerful person in the Endless Empire needs to be under lock and key in Zenith Palace is anyone’s guess…
Join the party on this brand new adventure comedy as the chase ensues. Make sure you have some good food on hand, because you're bound to get hungry along the way.
Party of Fools is the first novella in a new comedic fantasy series, and it will be available in ebook and paperback on April 11, 2024. I’ll be announcing it here in the newsletter so that you won’t miss it, but I wanted to stir up some hype and show you the cover I painted that I’m absolutely in love with.
My plan with this series is to release two novellas per year, so, universe willing, the second installment will be out this fall. I’m uncertain exactly how many novellas there will be total, but the current outline is up to eight—like a good meal, there will be lots of it to enjoy.
There are no content warnings for Party of Fools, aside from the fact that it is very food-centric. I try my best to ensure that the way I discuss food, eating, diet, and weight in my work is nuanced, kind, and inclusive, but if you are sensitive to descriptions and discussions of eating, please take care.
Additionally, this will be my first release with the Kraken Collective!
You may remember them from the Kraken & Friends ebook sale back in January; the Kraken Collective is a cooperative of self-published, queer speculative fiction authors who pool their resources and support one another in order to boost everyone’s fantastic, fantastical work. I have read many books by other Kraken authors and am genuinely honored to join such a quality group of writers!
The best thing about the work done in the Kraken Collective, in my personal opinion, is the sheer originality and uniqueness of the writing, characters, and premises. Some people like to say there’s no such thing as originality anymore, but I vehemently disagree, especially when it comes to stories by marginalized authors.
Just take a look at the book list to see!
Some of my favorites I haven’t talked as much about before include:
Kaia Sønderby’s Failure to Communicate (Xandri helped me realize that I’m autistic, too!)
RoAnna Sylver’s Stake Sauce (huge PTSD rep, and RoAnna is hopepunk personified)
D.N. Brynn’s Our Bloody Pearl (disabled ace siren MC!!)
And I recently started reading Al Hess’s Mazarin Blues and am thoroughly enjoying it (a scarily accurate AI augmented near future where wearing patterned clothes and loving bright colors and decor is taboo, ahhhhh)
A huge thank you to the Kraken Collective for adding me to the roster! I’m excited to have this new series under such a cool umbrella with such cool people.
Keep an eye on your inbox or on Instagram for some more Party of Fools sneak-peeks and for the official release day announcement. I can’t wait to share this one with you all—I’ve been attempting to write a comedic fantasy for literally a decade, maybe more, and this is the first one that’s come to full fruition. I was known as the “serious friend” growing up, but now I understand how being autistic has impacted my sense of humor and the way I interact with it in the world, and I’m ready to let my absurd, silly side reign!
(Also, I recently started learning about asteroids in astrology, and it turns out I have Thalia, the muse of comedy, exactly conjunct my Mercury in Scorpio at 29 degrees. If you know, you know. An aspect of my chart I’m excited to explore alongside this new book series.)
P.S. I have been publicly quiet when it comes to speaking out on recent world events due to my very limited daily energy and feeling that other people have already said everything I would want to say, but there’s no harm in reiterating: ceasefire now, protect trans kids, peace and justice for Palestine, and everything else I hope is evident in the values I express in my work.
Take care of yourselves, and take care of each other—whatever it is you can do that comes from the shining light and the righteous anger in your soul. <3