January 2025

Book bans are not a hoax. They are real, and they are dangerous, and they are targeting teachers and librarians all across this country.

Hi, loves. I’ve been trying out this whole “send more newsletters” thing, and I’ve been so fortunate to feature such amazing guests! I was honestly blown away by the response to my call for guests, and I have people scheduled weekly from now until July (which is … wild). If you’re interested - and I hope you are - remember, you can request a spot here:

I’m so excited to share my platform with other writers; my favorite part about this whole “being an author” experience is the fact that I get to connect with so many interesting people. If the weekly email is too much for you, you can absolutely opt out of the Book(ish) Life section while still staying subscribed to my monthly(ish) updates by following these instructions.

January has flown by. We started with a series of snow days. Alexandria is always so magical in the snow, and it was the perfect way to end winter break. I’ve been trying my best to focus on anything but the current mood in DC; thankfully, the brutal cold has helped with that. My family has spent a lot of time inside reading books, watching TV, and playing board games.

the first snow of the year + my new favorite sweater!

I’ve also been doing a lot of writing. My alarm has been going off at 4:45 almost every weekday morning, and I’m averaging about 1k per day. I’m deep into a draft of a book I love dearly. It’s a departure from my mystery series — or, rather, since I’m rewriting an older manuscript—my mystery series is a departure from my norm. It’s been delightful getting to know these characters all over again, especially as they’re being aged up from YA to Adult, and it’s been fun to work on something that’s really just for me. There’s no guarantee that anyone will ever read this manuscript, which is both terrifying and freeing.

I’ve also been busy prepping for the release of A Poisonous Silence on May 6! Stay tuned for pre-order art (they are SO gorgeous, I can’t even!) and event details. There are some exciting events coming up, and I can’t wait to talk about them as soon as things are finalized.

I also wanted to give you all an update so you could find me. I know I didn’t have many followers on TikTok that didn’t follow me elsewhere, but after last week’s debacle, I deleted my account entirely. For now, you can still find me on Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky, and of course, on the Substack App and here in your inbox. Like everyone else, I’m weighing my relationship with social media, my digital footprint, and my data with the need for self-promotion and connection with readers. It’s a tricky balancing act, and my goal, moving forward, is to focus on the things that bring me joy. For me, that’s the actual writing; my accounts will more generally be used for updates and news about my books.

Speaking of social media/our tech overlords, I learned this week that you can opt out of Microsoft’s AI integration into Office 365.

Go to manage subscription -> cancel -> switch to "Classic" plan. It took me about one minute, and bonus: it’s cheaper. I am still a little miffed that I had to opt-out of a service I never asked for and never wanted (and am ethically opposed to on every level), but I’m relieved we have the choice.

Speaking of choices - I hope you all are taking care of yourselves, and choosing to spread love and kindness in your communities. I’ve joined Authors Against Book Bans. I’ve been dropping books by marginalized authors in my local Little Free Libraries, and I’m back to writing letters to my representatives at the city, state, and federal level urging them to take a stand against censorship and book bans (you can send a pre-filled letter to your own representatives here).

Despite what the new press release from the Department of Education says - book bans are not a “hoax”, and the movement to restrict student choice is not a violation of parents’ rights¹; in fact, as a parent, I demand the right for my child to access whatever book she chooses, because books are the safest way for her to expand her world and figure out who she is and who she wants to be.

We talk a lot in the library about “just-right books” and encourage students and families to work together to determine what books are the right fit for them. I am a trained professional with a master’s degree and over a decade of experience; so are my beleaguered colleagues who are developing collections that reflect and serve their communities.

It’s not a one-size-fits all solution, and no single parent has the right to determine what books other children in the community are allowed to access. I want my child to experience the world as it really is through books - I want her to read about queer and BIPOC families and characters. She needs windows, mirrors, and sliding glass doors² to become an empathetic and informed citizen of the world.

Books. Are. Not. Dangerous.

Book bans are not a hoax. They are real, and they are dangerous, and they are targeting teachers and librarians all across this country.

Do not let them tell you otherwise.

After what has transpired on social media in the last week, I’m deeply concerned about the information landscape in the coming weeks, months, and years; I fear that media literacy and access to information will be more challenged—and more crucial—than ever before. If you’re wondering what things you can do to help advance media literacy—and reading in general—I had a great conversation on the She Wore Black podcast last month that covered these topics (and more), and Agatha, Jocelyn and I all shared concrete action items you can do at home, with your family, right now:

Change starts in small ways, in deliberate choices in our personal lives. It starts in our communities, in our neighborhoods, and in our own personal networks. Commit to something that’s important to you - in my case, that’s freedom of speech and media literacy - but it might be something else for you.

Start small, start local.

Make a difference.

Reading: I have binged the entirety of the Finlay Donovan series by Elle Cosimano in preparation for the newest book, Finlay Donovan Digs her Own Grave, which comes out March 4th³!

Watching: Season 5 of Miss Scarlet. I have Big Thoughts about this season - especially about Nash, but I am pleasantly surprised by the introduction of Inspector Blake, who seems cut from the same cloth as Gilbert (apparently rule-following, grumpy girl dads are my kryptonite - who knew? I kid. I have always known).

Listening To: This song by Hozier on repeat. It’s peak Finch (iykyk) and definitely on the playlist for this rewrite.

Writing: I’m still plugging away at my romantasy rewrite. My goal is to hit the midpoint by the end of February!

Housekeeping notes: Remember, you can order signed copies of A Deadly Endeavor and/or A Poisonous Silence from One More Page Books in Arlington, VA. And please spread the word about The Deadly Twenties Mysteries by leaving reviews on Goodreads, Storygraph, or wherever you buy your books!

1. Staff, SLJ. “U.S. Dept. of Education Dismisses Book Ban Complaints, Rescinds Agreement in Civil Rights Violations in Forsyth County Book Removals.” School Library Journal, www.schoollibraryjournal.com/story/Department-Education-Office-Civil-Rights-Dismisses-Book-Ban-Complaints-ends-agreement-forsyth-county. Accessed 25 Jan. 2025.

2. Bishop, R. S. (1990). The Ohio State University. “Mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors.” Perspectives: Choosing and Using Books for the Classroom, 6(3).

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