Never too late...

(Yes, yes I did take my books on a photo shoot to the botanical gardens, as one does).

Hello friends!

I meant to send out a newsletter every month this year, but now it’s December and this is merely the third one of the year. Maybe that tells you everything you need to know about 2023: it’s been wild and busy and joy-filled and grief-inflected, but one theme I keep bumping into lately— be it via a TikTok about Monet creating most of his most famous paintings later in life, or watching a show about Julia Child and thinking on her incredible midlife career switch, or reading a story in Big Magic about a woman who, at the age of 80, devoted a decade of her life to learning about ancient Mesopotamia and became a world-renowned expert on the subject— is that it’s never too late to start something. The point is to get started. Try something. Make something. Do something.

And, so, let us begin. If you’re new to this newsletter, one thing to know is I treat it like a conversation. The type of chat we’d have over coffee or drinks, with bookish + writing updates, some sharing of what I’m reading, watching, and finding delightful, and a few other things.

Writing Updates

There’s so much going on in my writing life! Like ridiculous things behind the scenes, even as we head into the time of year when I slow down for two weeks and just rest, watch bad tv, read lots of romance novels, and play video games.

2023 is the first time in four years that I’ve not had a book coming out, and, that’s felt weird, but it’s also been a year of finishing up edits on two books, promoting them, and then selling a surprise third book adult book.

Here are some of the highlights:

The Vermilion Emporium just came out in paperback a few weeks ago, and it’s being published in Spanish-speaking countries in January. Here’s a sneak peek at part of the Spanish cover, which I simply cannot believe how beautiful it is. This whimsical dream of a book continues to surprise me, and I’m so happy readers all over the world are getting to walk the endless rooms of the Vermilion Emporium as well.

The Absinthe Underground publishes 2/6/24 in the US, and my publisher is doing an amazing pre-order campaign for it. We’re still finalizing things, but there will be art cards, adorable necklaces, and bookplates. There will also be a special edition of The Absinthe Underground from The Dazzling Bookish Shop, which is so beautiful, I can hardly stand it. I can’t share all of it yet, but I can say that on the sprayed edge is cats! 7 of them! Unbelievably cute. You can learn more about the book, see some of the nice things people are saying about it, and get pre-order links here.

Also, in case you missed it, I’m sending out 8*11 posters of the cover for free, all over the world. At the time of writing this, I’ve sent out hundreds, and I have been generally knocked over by all the excitement for this book. The form to get one of those posters is here.

And, if you’re curious about my inspiration for The Absinthe Underground or the story behind the cover, I’ve talked about both of these things (and much more) over on TikTok.

Furious, the sapphic, YA contemporary that my dear friend, Becca Podos, and I co-wrote publishes 6/4/24, and digital arcs are already heading into the world. We should have print arcs of those soon, and I can’t wait to share this story of love, racing, found family, grief, and being brave enough to go after what you want. More info about it including pre-order and Goodreads links here.

And, finally, I sold an adult cozy romance this year as well! This one was also co-written with Becca Podos, and it’s our queer love letter to D&D, bi-disasters, gardening, and much more. Cannot wait to tell you all about it soon! (And in the meantime, writing/revising it has inspired me to buy every piece of cute, cottagecore decor I come across. Like this mushroom garland, ornament, and other such things that hang above my desk).

Pre-Order Giveaway of The Absinthe Underground

Thanks for subscribing to this newsletter! As a special thank you, I’m doing a pre-order giveaway of the The Absinthe Underground. The winner of that is: @PoaticLibrary

I’ll send you an email about this pre-order!

Craft and Publishing Thoughts

Have you read Elizabeth Gilbert’s Big Magic? What a book! This is my first time reading it, and I’m galloping through the pages, sending lots of thoughts from it to fellow author friends because it’s just so lovely and wise. Some of the big takeaways from it for me so far are:

*Relax. What we do— writing books, telling stories— is important, but it’s not so important that we need to cause ourself too much heartache and stress over it.

*Love the work and also know that there’s a degree of hardship that comes with it, and that’s okay. Do it anyways.

*Step away from the need to control.

*Have a day job, so your creative life isn’t solely responsible for earning income.

There is so much more in this book, but what it’s really doing for me is rewiring my brain when it comes to the difference between being a writer and doing the job of being an author.

A Poem I love

Like so many other people, I first read Nikita Gill’s poetry online. That inspired me to buy several of her books— I’m reading Great Goddesses right now— and here’s a poem of hers I keep on my desktop, sent to my sister, and keep thinking about every time I sit down to write a story. It feels fitting with this theme of “Never too late.”

What I’m Reading

I’ve read so many great books this year! I’d love to spotlight three that I’ve blurbed and really enjoyed.

By Any Other Name by Erin Cotter— This is a queer, historical YA set in Elizabethan England about an out-of-work actor and a nobleman who team up to solve the murder of Kit Marlowe. Shakespeare makes an appearance, as does Queen Elizabeth, and it’s an absolute delight.

The No-Girlfriend Rule by Christen Randall— This queer, YA contemporary romance is a joyful celebration of D&D, finding your place, and queer found family. I adored it!

and The Final Curse of Ophelia Cray by Christine Calella— This YA historical is a sweeping story of pirates, sisters, and making your own path through the world. It’s such a fabulous adventure and I devoured it. Perfect for fans of Our Flag Means Death!

What I’m Watching

I’m really loving JULIA on HBO Max right now! It’s such a treat to relax into, and I love the way this show weaves its themes together via different storylines. It’s also great for publishing/author cameos, like Julia’s friend, Avis, wandering around 1960s Paris with Jean Paul Sartre; learning more about the Blanche and Alfred Knopf, founders of the publishing house; and, seeing legendary editor Judith Jones (who was both Julia Child’s editor and the editor who pulled The Diary of Anne Frank out of the slush pile). I really love the show, and I am also absolutely enjoying swanning around my kitchen, baking, and talking with a Julia-esque accent.

Hope you have a restful holiday season and that you move into the new year full of new projects, much hope, and many small delights.

xx,

Jamie

Email me questions about all things books, writing, publishing here: jamiepacton@outlook.com

Find me on Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter @jamiepacton