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+ musings on whimsy & a FUNERAL LADIES ARC giveaway!

Hi, friends.

The biggest thing that happened in October is that I watched a lot of scoring sourdough videos on YouTube, which is my favorite procrastination technique. Please peep that photo I texted to my best friend/bread doula.

But the second biggest thing is that I got a new computer, which is terribly fun for me and not at all fun for poor Krzysztof. Some examples of conversations we have when we switch over my technology:

Him: “What’s your password for XYZ?”

Me: “I have literally no idea and no access to the email that it’s connected to.”

…

Him: “How do you sort your documents?”
Me: “I just scroll through recents for a really, really long time till I find what I need.”

…

Him: “Did you back everything up?”

Me: “I emailed everything or texted it to myself. That counts, right?”

Him: “Just to be clear, you honestly thought texting yourself a screenshot of this contract that’s almost your entire yearly earnings was 'backing it up’?”

Me: 😘

…

I’m a ridiculous human in that in some areas of my life I’m incredibly organized. My seasonal picture book shelves are stunning! The different kinds of flour in my pantry are organized by type of baking! I can handle 19 different projects for work on any given week and not a single one will be turned in a minute late! But give me a closet or a computer and, like, God only knows what you’ll find.

I wish I could tell you that this shiny new computer made me superhumanly productive but the truth is, I’m much further behind on my next book than I’d like. But I’m really trying to be okay with the concept of slow writing. Some stories just take time, and my inner over-achiever that wants to hand everything in early can just take a melatonin gummy and relax. I’ve been writing long enough that I know the difference between this-isn’t-working and this-is-hard and I’m frustrated that writing has felt hard for a good year now. However, I always promised myself I’d never become one of those writers who frequently complains about their very cushy job on the internet, so let’s just save that for the group chat.

Because there’s so many things to be joyful about, and sometimes there’s a sacredness to just making life a bit less dull and a bit more beautiful. Is your nice enamel coffee mug and Hogwarts in the autumn ASMR going to change your dialogue from sluggish to snappy? No. But the more whimsical I can paint the world around me, the more my job seems less like desperately typing words on a brand-new computer and more like storytelling.

All of this to say: cheer me on, please. I’m researching one book (secret and not even committed to), drafting one book (historical fiction middle grade), editing another (theater camp middle grade), and promoting another (The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County). Plus the chaos and complexities of every day life, because listen: Mary Oliver may claim¹ that the true artist shows up late and forgets the mustard but I have three kids who are only going to eat lunch if I make it for them.

And Krzysztof—I promise² to try and organize my documents better this time around.

Want an ARC of Funeral Ladies?

In the publishing landscape I exist in right now—few conferences, fewer paper ARCs, very very very few promotional pushes—I was stoked to learn that not only is the Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County print run much larger than I expected, but I got paperback ARCs! Most advance copies are digital these days so I really was thrilled to receive a giant box of these pretty little things. So how about we celebrate with a giveaway, shall we?

Just respond to this email telling me your favorite book you’ve read lately. Any genre, and it doesn’t have to be new—just new to you! USA/Canada only. Winner randomly chosen Tuesday, October 10.

Listen, you know the drill—preorders help authors and it’s true! They do! They really, really do.

But here are a few ways to help authors that cost you absolutely nada:

• Request your library purchases a particular book. Many libraries take reader requests (literally every time I’ve requested a book at my library they couldn’t get through interlibrary loan, they’ve purchased it!) and if you’re not sure if yours does, just ask! Libraries help get books into the hands of everyone, regardless of income level or discretionary spending budget. Plus, they make the world a better place, plain and simple.

• Add it to your GoodReads “want to read” list. Even if you’re planning to check a book out at the library vs. purchase it, that little stat can be helpful on the marketing side of things.

• Share about a book on social media. You don’t have to have a ton of followers for this to be really, really helpful—a small shout out or image of a cover can help get the book on more readers’ TBR lists!

• Tell an IRL friend about it. Because honestly, when I think about how I pick books to read, I realize 90% of the time my choices come from recommendations from my bestie, sister, or mama.

• Nominate a book for an award. In fact, the CYBILS Awards³ are currently accepting nominations from the public and I would so, so honored if you would consider suggesting What Happened to Rachel Riley.

• Be a reader. Man, the AI machines are coming for us. I’ve seen I, Robot. None of my books got fed to this machine everyone’s mad about but I truly believe it’s only a matter of time before AI books are covering the shelves at our indies and Target. The best way to prevent that from happening is to read real books by real authors and not give more of your time to endless doom-scrolling and crappy Netflix marathons of shows you don’t even really like. Just read, ok? I don’t even care if it’s my book.

Although if it was my book…that would be great. So don’t forget that preorder. ;) Out 3/12/24!

And to all of my local readers, happy autumn-in-Wisconsin. This made me genuinely cackle.

Lastly, a book I’ve loved lately for…

Kids: The Witches Supermarket by Susan Meddaugh is a silly story about a girl + her dog stumbling into a secret grocery store that we read every year around Halloween.

Middle graders: I stumbled upon Shannon in the Spotlight by Kalena Miller at the library and it was fantastic. I love a good musical theater story, and while the main character had OCD, it wasn’t an “issue” book with a ~MeSsAgE~ by any means. It also featured a friendship triangle, which is pretty much my favorite middle grade trope. 100 stars!

Adults: I’m curling up every night with Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young and it’s a great atmospheric read for a chilly fall night. Witches, small towns, long-ago fires…

Thanks for reading along!

-Claire-

1. “It is six A.M., and I am working. I am absentminded, reckless, heedless of social obligations, etc. It is as it must be. The tire goes flat, the tooth falls out, there will be a hundred meals without mustard. The poem gets written. I have wrestled with the angel and I am stained with light and I have no shame. Neither do I have guilt. My responsibility is not to the ordinary, or the timely. It does not include mustard, or teeth. It does not extend to the lost button, or the beans in the pot. My loyalty is to the inner vision, whenever and howsoever it may arrive. If I have a meeting with you at three o’clock, rejoice if I am late. Rejoice even more if I do not arrive at all.” - Mary Oliver, Upstream

2. fingers crossed, W-I-N-K

3. These are prestigious kid lit awards, if you’re unfamiliar!