Let's fall into Fall!
Autumn is here! This is my favourite time of year, and here on Vancouver Island it’s been especially beautiful. The leaves are beginning to turn, the mornings are misty and cool, and the sun continues to shine. Eventually, it’ll be all grey skies and fierce windstorms, but until then, I’m going to enjoy every minute of the season!
As of today, The Body in the Back Garden has been out in the world for six weeks. Positive reviews and a few nice messages have rolled in, and I’m glad people are enjoying it. Sometimes, I feel like a parent who’s sent their child off to college—I hope they’re doing okay, but they’re on their own . It belongs to readers now, not me.
(If you’d like to grab your own copy, or send one to a friend, click below!)
Recently, I did a fun interview with Dan White, who features LGBTQ+ authors on his podcast, Out With Dan. You can watch it below, or find it on Spotify or SoundCloud.
Here are some of the books I read over the past month:
Conviction, by Denise Mina. A thriller that starts with a true-crime podcast and becomes a country-hopping adventure through Europe. There are some very dark elements to this story, but also some surprising moments of warmth and hope. I enjoyed it.
The Rook, by Daniel O’Malley. Contemporary fantasy set in the UK. A woman finds herself standing in a park, surrounded by dead bodies and with no idea who she is or what has happened. The story revolves around a clandestine government agency that deals with supernatural threats, and was adapted into a series for Starz. Highly recommended if fantasy is your jam!
Dietland, by Sarai Walker. A dark and witty take on the beauty industry and society’s obsession with weight loss and women’s bodies. Also adapted into a TV series. I love this book—it’s bleak but also very funny, and the character of Plum is wonderfully relatable. Though it was published eight years ago, its cultural commentary is still on-point and (unfortunately) pertinent.
I also just finished watching The Other Black Girl, the Hulu series based on the book of the same name by Zakiya Dalila Harris. It was excellent. I especially appreciated the biting commentary on the clueless racism still embedded in certain corners of the publishing industry, not unlike R.F. Kuang’s Yellowface. I’ve already requested the book from my local library, and I can’t wait to read it.
Hopefully, I’ll have some exciting publishing news to share next month. (!!) For now, Lucy wants you to know that you’re doing great, and that she believes in you.
Be well.
- Mark