Val's October Newsletter: A Short Story in Print and Attending 2.5 Cool Book Signings!

In a moment of inspiration, I realized I should maybe start writing this before the end of the month. I tend to just flail my way through posts the day-of. This is a very chaotic ADHD Val thing to do. Half of my stories are chaotically written 3 days before a short story theme call deadline.

It’s a very good thing past me decided to do that, or there would not be a newsletter this month. College group work has been kicking my butt this week. In an unholy alignment of due dates, two major presentations are due Friday and Sunday of this week. One of my groups is the embodiment of everything I hate and fear about working with others, which is to say uncooperative, dismissive, and unwilling to do any work. I’m sure present Val is keeping it together. Barely!

But it’s okay, it’ll all be okay because after Friday-Saturday(ish), I can rest and hyperfocus on Dragon Age: The Veilguard as nature intended.

But first, a newsletter!

Quick Recap: “Emotional Resonance” Out in The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2024.

I wrote an entire other newsletter about why my story being in this anthology matters so much. If you want a glimpse at emotional Val emotionally resonating quite a lot, you can read it here. And, of course, if you want to pick up a copy of The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2024, you can do so here.

Now for another story, and there’s a picture for this one.

Last year (somehow nearly a full year ago now), my partner and I visited New York City. He’s from there originally, but I’m not, and every time we go it’s a bit of a magical experience. NYC is someplace that I wouldn’t mind moving at least adjacent to (as there’s no way I could afford in, but that’s fine).

My friend Sahana, knowing I am a book fiend, met up with us at Greenlight Bookstore, a tiny independent bookstore in Brooklyn that I immediately fell in love with. Seriously their selection was so great.

They had a copy of The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2023. “Emotional Resonance” wasn’t out yet, but was set to release any day, so I picked it up, turned to Sahana and said (something along the lines of), “I hope my stories get into an anthology like this someday. I want them to, I think they’re good enough. It’s super not likely though, but like—it could happen! How cool!”

Cue several months later, I think it was in March, when I get the email saying my story is going to be in this year’s edition, and it’s one of the most emotional and narratively perfect moments of my life! Sahana picked up a copy of the anthology at the bookstore and now the cycle is complete! Hopefully, I can go back to NYC soon. I miss it (and my friends there).

So there! A final, emotional (resonance) for you.

I Attended 2.5 Book Signings!

How can you attend two and a half book signings? Well, one was technically a book club, where the author attended. So it wasn’t a full Q&A or signing, but it was neat. And so bold—Andrew Joseph White is awesome, by the way.

Earlier in the month I also went to a Nghi Vo event over at One More Page Books, which is again an amazing bookstore with great book taste.

She very graciously signed basically every Singing Hills Cycle novella to date and The City in Glass, which I haven’t read yet, forgive me Nghi Vo, but I shall within the next few weeks.

I also got to attend (and forgot to take pictures) an event and signing from Silvia Moreno-Garcia, which was really awesome. I got Mexican Gothic and Silver Nitrate signed. Mexican Gothic is one of my favorite gothic/horror books. I don’t do horror too much, but I love gothic and more creepy/unsettling horror or suspense. I did awkwardly mention “Emotional Resonance” because it has Latine characters in it (and Ian gently nudged me to). I then felt like a goober and promptly tried to say “I think your work is great” and did not speak up through the mask, and ran away.

If you ever meet me in person, I am the actual shyest.

This Month’s Story Recommendations

Other than everything referenced in the book signing section? Have two more!

“Turducken” by Lindz McLeod

I got to be part of Neon Hemlock Live over on their Instagram on October 23. You can watch it here. It was pretty awesome. There were a few technical difficulties, but you absolutely have to hear Lindz read “Turducken,” it was a great and strange and weird little piece, 10/10.

The Dragonfly Gambit by A.D. Sui

My friends Lark Morgan Lu and K.M. Veohongs both know me well because they came to me with this novella like “Val, it’s sapphic, it’s angsty, it’s in space and is a little Star Wars-y but messy and good, you’ll love it.” They were entirely correct, I did in fact love it. Go read it.

And that’s it for this month! Again, thank you past Val for writing this. Thursday, October 31 Val is both stressed at group work and having to meet with a professor and also probably vibrating through space and time to play Dragon Age: The Veilguard. I can’t wait. Seriously, that series has a special place in my heart. Inquisition got me through some of the toughest moments of my life, and I can’t wait to see where the series takes things.

BUT ALSO? I WANT AT LEAST ONE OF MY TEN YEAR-OLD THEORIES TO BE RIGHT. I want the literal end of the (in-game) Dragon Age (literally the time period the game is set). As in: magic gets restored somehow, since it’s currently dying (and the world along with it). Also, at least a little Mythal swooping. Because swooping is bad, as Alistair once said, and that would be very fun.

Okay, that’s all the Dragon Age flailing, I promise. (For now).

Thank you for reading my newsletter. I put one out every month, plus some extras when I get the rare publication. Next month will be such an occasion, actually! My one short story publication this year other than The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy 2024 will be a short story in Flame Tree’s Moon Falling anthology. I’m excited to tell you more next month 💜