NOVEMBER 2024

Just when you’d given up all hope, the newsletter returns!

Obviously, this is mostly because I let other things get in the way—but I can also add, in all seriousness, that an international move completely annihilates your mind, your free time, your lower back, and just about anything else you can imagine. We’re still unpacking the final boxes, but I am now, and for at least the next few years, a resident of Italy.

This is quite not as chichi as it may sound. First of all, we’re enormously privileged to be able to do this at all, but it’s not a thing we could do (or undo) lightly. Second, the main reason for the relocation was that, as a self-employed person, if I had the option of claiming my citizenship in a nation where I could get affordable health care, I needed to take it. That said, we are enjoying it immensely so far! Attempting to learn a new language at my age is humbling, but after months of study, I can now have a meaningful conversation on such exciting topics as “what color clothes we’re wearing,” “the names of common animals,” and “days of the week.” Surely fluency is no more than five or six short years away.

As you might guess, given the move, the number and location of my personal appearances will be changing. For 2024, I have two upcoming events: TOMORROW, November 16, I’ll be appearing at Book City Milano in Milan, Italy; and the following weekend, November 23-24, I’ll be attending my first European comic-book convention: Vienna Comic-Con! If you happen to be in northern Italy, or Austria, or both, please do stop by! My U.S. appearances for 2025 will (probably) all be in February and March. So far I’m confirmed for MegaCon Orlando, CollectiveCon in Jacksonville, and FanExpo Cleveland; we hope to add at least one more convention and/or library event, too. (If you run a con and/or a library, and you’re interested in an appearance during that time frame, please reach out ASAP, and we’ll see if we can make that happen.) Sadly, it looks like I won’t be making the cut for Star Wars Celebration in April ‘25, but I will try to add more European/international dates later in the year.

Also upcoming; the cover for the fourth book in the Mr. Darcy and Miss Tilney mystery series will be revealed next month, and y’all, it’s so good. My next novel release will be Star Wars: The High Republic: Into the Light, which I believe is coming in April, with D&T 4 following in June. And I hope to have more to announce in the relatively near future—it won’t be nearly so long between newsletters next time. Thanks, as always, for subscribing.

Currently reading: When Women Ran Fifth Avenue by Julie Salow; The Information by James Gleick, White Ivy by Susie Yang, and Women’s Hotel by Daniel Lavery

Currently watching: Season 2 of “The Diplomat,” “Agatha All Along,” “Those About To Die,” “The Jackal”, and “The Penguin” (Special note: “The Penguin” is, seriously, the best show I’ve seen since “Andor” season 1. Matt Reeves’ “The Batman” caught me completely by surprise—I put it on when bored and then was astonished to see my favorite Batman movie ever. [Yeah, yeah, I know, “The Dark Knight,” but I feel like TDK is a better Joker movie than it is a Batman movie. Discussion topic for future cons!] “The Penguin” fully lives up to the film: It’s a rich, operatic organized-crime story that has just the right Gothic flavor for me to believe we’re in Gotham City, even without Batman’s presence. Well worth checking out.)  

Currently anticipating:  Slow Down by Kohei Saito, Rental House by Weike Wang, Relic by Ed Simon, “Andor” season 2 (WHERE IS IT BRING IT TO ME), “Conclave,” “Anora”, “Gladiator 2”