Today we began a journey as a family which has totally taken me by surprise: we have officially become catechumens in the Orthodox Church. For five years we have been searching for a community where we could rest from the intensity of the work we do, be ourselves, feel like people not only "got us", but would have our back in times of trouble. We are not "church-hoppers"—we believe in staying in one place and committing to those people in all our differences, and walking through life together. That's what we've always done. So when we moved to a new town, we visited church after church, only to feel like we never knew what was coming, couldn't find ways to plug in and serve without a lot of hoops, and had a general sense that most of the churches we courted didn't really have a strong sense of who they were or who was in the pews, so to speak.
So it was a real shock when the most warm, loving, authentic community turned out to be one I had researched for one of my books. I went for an evening service one Saturday (called, yes, Vespers), and the priest who I had interviewed two years prior, when I reminded him of my name, immediately embraced me, and, wrapped in his vestments, I felt covered and loved and like I could breathe for the first time in years.
I would love to chat this through with y'all. What would you like to ask me?
This was honestly one of my favorite pieces of the year to work on. If you'd like to get your hands on this special illustrated edition of Nicholas Kotar's novella Son of the Deathless, you can get it through our Kickstarter here:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1402845448/jolabokaflod-christmas-book-flood-in-a-box
We're so grateful that we were fully funded in about 4 hours, so there are new perks opening up for everyone! We're almost at our 3rd stretch goal, which is very exciting. Go on over and choose your level!
My husband Ben is creating a series of short book trailers for BERLINERS, and I swear, each one is better than the last! Here's the first! Feel free to share on your social media!
This isn't the official trailer, but I wanted to talk about how the idea for Berliners came to me. You can pre-order at https://bookshop.org/books/berliners-9780593428375/9780593428368 and, you know, that other place that starts with an "A".
Hi all,
Since I haven't been as active on here as in the past, I'm going to officially disband this Locals community. If you'd like to stay tuned with my work, the best way to do that is via my email newsletter. Just go to https://vesperillustration.com and at the bottom of every single page there is a newsletter signup. I don't send a ton of mail, just important updates like appearances and new projects. Let's see if I come back in the future, but for now, if you've been a supporter, feel free to end your support and stay in touch via the newsletter or Instagram (@vesperillustration). Thanks to all of you—nothing's over, just paused!
Vesperisms Community, dears:
I'm so excited to announce today that I am doing a collaboration with fantasy author Nicholas Kotar (the Raven Son series, and the fabulous fairy tale/fantasy podcasts In a Certain Kingdom and Fantasy for Our Time).
The dead will rise. The living will fall. The Deathless will reign...
This collaboration is a very special edition of Kotar's novella, Son of the Deathless, available in hardcover with illustrations by none other than Yours Truly—just in time for the Holidays! Here's an illustration in progress to whet your appetite.
With book design by Graphic and Surface Designer for film and television, Heather Pollington (Harry Potter, Malificent, Marvel, and more.), this is going to be a beautiful, gift-worthy edition that will be perfect for yourself or for your holiday giving. Son of the Deathless is one of those cozy winter reads that you want to pair with a warm beverage, a blanket and a crackling fire.
So how does one obtain this ...
