Why, hello there! (Patreon)

I just wanted to give a real quick update about a bunch of little things. ･:*+.\(( °ω° ))/.:+

1) ✉️ January and February postcards are in the mail -- one envelope, two postcards with a letter and some stickers. 

2) 🥱 Bedtime Story is coming soon. I found some Ainu folktales that I want to read. I'm going through now and choosing which ones. They're pretty short, so I'll read a handful. Some are just wild. 

3) ✍️ I pitched three ideas/synopses for books to my agent and he got back to me saying he really liked two of them, the third would be a hard sell, although in a niche market it would work. He asked me to write 3~5 chapters on the first two ideas and send them his way. So I'm excited to get started on that. 

4) 📰 But first! Asahi Newspaper asked me to write a biographical essay for them to publish after the last installment of my serialized story ("Turtle Island") finishes at the end of March. 

"Turtle Island," by the way, is a kind of Urashima Taro meets Yaobikuni (mermaid), with a dash of "How the Jellyfish Lost its Bones" folktale mixed in. Hijinx ensue! I've got big plans to turn it into a very wild and twisty-turny visual novel. I think the skeleton of the story is solid, so lots to play around with.  

5) 📚 I'm going to be making bookmarks, signed bookplates, and (hopefully) stickers to send to all patrons who preorder or order the new book. So once I get them started, I'll let you know and if you're interested, i'll be sending those along 🥰. 

6) 🎤 We're aaaalmost done with the audio book. Well, we're done, but were waiting for the editors to send the opening credits for me to read. Just got those this morning. It comes in at six hours fifty-four minutes. Or if I read those credits slowly, seven hours! 

7) 🐟Next to record is The Carp-Faced Boy. The plan is to have that one narrated and ready by the end of April.

8) 🐦‍⬛And finally, I'm changing my fella crow's name. Maybe Snarfy like the old tanuki episode. He's so darned joyful and hop-y! By the way, that's him up there, cheesin' for the camera. Total snapshot, I wasn't planning on taking a photo so scared him when I opened the curtain.

Here's the setup. So this is looking from the bedroom window. Putting the bowl here completely blocks M-san from seeing them. H-san who is right next door on this side could, but she doesn't like going upstairs. So the birds are safe from meddlers. Also, they're both very discreet and only call out if it's something special or different. I can hear Snarfy fly in. He plonks/clicks down. Sweetpea is so quiet! 

Below is Sweetpea, btw. I just love those little legs. Richard reminded me that Tesla was hopelessly in love with a bird, and I said I was very well aware of that. It was a pigeon, and I totally get it.My entire life I've had dogs and cats and other animals around me. Can't do that in this house really. But I could be very happy just surrounding myself with critters. Tanuki reserve anyone? 

A profile of Snarfy. So handsome and trusting.

Okay, that's all for now. I'll get on the Bedtime Story and put it in Richard's queue. 

Everyone stay well and hopeful, XOXO,

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