Happy Pride, everyone 🌈

This month has been hard–especially here at the end–for a lot of us in America. One minute we’re celebrating Juneteenth, the next we’re mourning the loss of rights. I often get frustrated and angry about how little power I have to change things and how feeble the suggestions are for fixing what’s wrong with our country (voting is only the most basic thing you can do and not the most effective, but that’s a rant for another time).

However, a wise elder recently told me that I can’t hold on to frustration at what I can’t change. I need to focus on what I can and should be doing. I was put on this Earth to make art and build community. That’s how I’m going to contribute to making things better. Imma keep writing. Imma keep holding space for the marginalized. Imma keep fighting.

I hope you keep fighting and doing what you were put on this Earth to do, too.

🧡 Tempest

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I have a bit of news to share with you below, but down in the comments I want to hear your news. Tell me about the stuff going on in your life that you’d like to share. Can be great things, or not so great things, or a funny story, or an epic story. Share pictures, share laughter, share what’s troubling you, share wisdom.

Help Me Start A BIPOC Book Fair

Last week Eventbrite announced that I’m one of ten finalists for the RECONVENE Accelerator program, which is offering $10K to select winners to create an event series. I want to create a BIPOC Book fair here in Portland, and I need your help to do it. The two finalists who win the popular vote will get the prize, and three others will be chosen by a jury. I want to win the popular vote because I want to show that this idea is supported by the community.

Voting ends tomorrow, June 29, so I only have a few hours for a final push! Want to help me win? Read all the details about the BIPOC Book Fair on my blog, click here to vote for me, click here to share my tweet thread about it, click here to share my Facebook post, and click here to see my Instagram post.

LGBTQ+ Inclusion in Ruby Finley vs. the Interstellar Invasion

In case you didn’t see, I wrote up a short essay for Pride Month about the new book and how I incorporated LGBTQ+ community into it.

Ruby in the Wild

The American Library Association’s conference was this past weekend. I found out a few days before that my book would be one of the featured galleys at the MacKids booth, and here it is!

It was right next to R.L. Stein the first day. Prime placement! Thanks to my editor, Grace Kendall, and my fellow debut author Erik Slangerup for the pictures. Eeeeee my book is so close to being real.

You Can’t Persuade Me To Watch This

Over in my FB Group I have some thoughts on the new Jane Austen adaptation. I can sum it up here: Thanks, I hate it.

New episode of ORIGINality

Listen to Episode #35: Lean Into Your Creative Genius – It’s easy to get bogged down in the notion that you’ve waited too long to start a new creative pursuit, but Tempest and Aleen are here to tell you that it is never too late to try something new.

Also, if you become a member of Relay.fm and support our show, you get access to a member’s only episode/radio play written by yours truly.

Enough About Me

I’m ready to hear from you 🤗 Just one note: this is a community space. Please keep in mind that this is my space, so please act the way you would if you were in my actual parlor having actual tea with me 😍