Hey guys, I will post the video of the Dorothy Sayers Read-Along soon. I want to review it, though. We had an attendee who emailed me some negativity that got in my head, and they withdrew support over it. I'm fine now, got some perspective, and all's well.
When you're a public-facing person, sometimes this comes your way. But the thing you learn early on is to never believe your own press—whether good or bad. Some people will just not understand what you're doing, assume the worst, etc. It's actually been years since I've had that experience, and it threw me a little. There may be some lurkers who hate my guts, but the fact is, 99.99% of the messages I receive about my books or my podcast are supportive, personal and very moving. So I keep moving forward.
I'm not sure why some people feel the need to direct their pain at perfect strangers, but I think we're all much more vulnerable than we were 2 (or 6) years ago. I can personally attest to the loss of approximately 20% of my social skills. So let's take care of ourselves, and part of that is re-learning how to care for each other, especially the relatively few people with whom our lives truly intersect. Who in your life needs care, the kind of care you can bring?
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 ...
