Summer Solstice Sundry

Summer Solstice Sundry

Happy first day of summer!

This time of year can be a busy one for a lot of people, myself included. I fly off to Chicago for ALA next week! I'll be at Artist Alley table #1753.

This is barely 5% of the exhibit floor. The whole thing is enormous.

I'll have these risograph prints, among others, at ALA:

The void bleps back

And on top of convention prep, I've been invited to be part of the We Heart Webcomics Digital Comics Fair this year! I'll be debuting my short* comic Ace of Hearts, an (a)romantic comedy that I scripted in a single frenzied day in the middle of my travels.

*"short" apparently means 54 pages in my world
College junior Ames is proudly aro-ace, but not quite out. Which hasn't been a problem... until this year. This year, every single person in her friend group seems to have fallen heads-over-heels for her. Does this have anything to do with the sudden appearance on campus of a disgustingly rosy-cheeked winged cherub wielding a heart-shaped bow? Probably! The only solution: take everyone out before they can take her out. If Ames can't be the girl of anybody's heart... she'll just have to be the matchmaker nobody asked for.

BOOKCHEER SUMMER BOOK BINGO

Summer's the classic time to catch up on the books you haven't had the time to read during the academic year. Since you're going to be working your way through your TBR anyway, why not fill out a bingo card while you're at it and maybe even win some free books?

I asked myself, "What if bingo squares were lily pads?" and the rest is history

Book Bingo is our inaugural event for BookCheer, a new community that I and fellow Middle Grade Escapades alums have recently launched. If you love kidlit and YA books, want to celebrate books written for kids and teens, share resources, and foster a love of reading, our Discord server could be the place for you.

A DOSE OF DELIGHT

Did you know that you can rent an alpaca? Am I sorely tempted to do so for my next book launch despite no alpacas whatsoever showing up in said book? Am I equally tempted to do so for my birthday, just because? You bet.

This town where middle-aged man trading cards are the hot new thing among the local kids.

Frog saunas. Not just adorable, but also helps certain species of frogs fight off chytrid infections!

For this month's creature feature, we're taking a brief departure from cats so that I may present to you this photo of peak animal perfection:

I found this photo on the South Carolina Aquarium website, but sadly, the link is broken now. I'm glad I saved it.

EVENT-UALLY

June 26-29: American Library Association Annual Conference (Chicago, IL) - Table #1753 in Artist Alley

You can now get a copy of Lu and Ren's Guide to Geozoology wherever books are sold! I recommend getting it from Bookshop.org or directly from your local independent bookstore. If you enjoyed it, tell a friend and/or leave a review!

RESOURCES FOR OUR TIMES

It’s a highly uncertain time right now, not least for our unhoused and our migrant neighbors. I urge everyone to inform themselves of their rights and their neighbors’ rights, and to be aware of what to do if you see someone being detained. Stay safe, and keep each other safe.

Migrant Solidarity Mutual Aid (DC-MD-VA area) - look into mutual aid groups in your own communities
SALUTE zines (covers many major metropolitan areas in the US)
ACLU’s Know Your Rights
5 Calls
Gaza Soup Kitchen
Your local food bank

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