I somehow missed a weekly update, so we’re doing two weeks at once because September has been A LOT.

The biggest thing is that I Wish I Was a Vampire is officially out in the world! I’ve spent the last couple of weeks doing all the release stuff, taking photos, making posts, getting ready for the book event, signing books, and having the very surreal experience of seeing my spooky little vampire book actually exist. Younger me would think this is extremely cool.

I also finished the first draft of Werewolf Summer, the second Woods Bay book! It takes place about six months after Small Town Slasher, and I’m really excited about where this one is going. There are werewolves, a very 90s prom, small-town weirdness, and plenty more happening in Woods Bay that Jenna probably would have preferred not to deal with.

We also hit the one-year anniversary of the first Twisted Tales anthology, which is kind of wild considering we’re already getting ready for book three. I’ve been working behind the scenes on Twisted Tales to Tell in the Night: A Slasher Horror Anthology, including contributor announcements and getting ready for the cover reveal.

And Death by TBR officially hit 20K followers on Instagram, which still feels a little unreal. Sales have unfortunately been pretty slow lately, so I’ve also started looking more seriously at sponsorships and paid partnerships as another way to keep the shop and press growing. I finally put together a proper media kit, started reaching out to brands, and applied to Penguin Random House’s Creator House program.

Then there’s all the stuff that doesn’t make especially exciting content: emails, graphics, book listings, marketing, upcoming releases, author stuff, publishing stuff, distribution headaches, and the approximately 900 tiny jobs involved in running a bookstore and small press while also trying to write my own books.

At this point, I am also VERY aware that my break is getting closer.

I’ve been pushing hard for months to get as much done as possible before then, and I am more than ready for some time where I’m not constantly thinking about the next deadline, release, post, edit, or email. I love what I do, but I am tired.

So that’s roughly where the last two weeks went.

A book released. A draft got finished. We hit 20K. More books are coming.

And I am officially counting down to my break.

Sometimes when I write these updates, I feel like I’m just rambling and wonder if anyone actually wants to hear all of this. But I also know so much of this work happens behind the scenes, so I’m trying to get better about sharing more of it instead of only showing up when there’s something shiny to announce.

Hopefully you don’t mind the rambling.

I used to think a Scholastic Book Fair was peak bookish happiness. Table full of books, some merch, money to spend, I was set.

Then I discovered book festivals, and now I'm ruined for anything else. 😂

Originally this was a bindery post only, but it got so long I had to make it a blog post. This year I've been super intentional with going to book events. In 2026, I've been to Black Romance Book Festival, Chocolate City Book Festival, The library of Congress National Book festival and there are so many more I plan to go. Now I know I'm not the only one trying to put myself out there and go to bookish events.

So, I put together my full breakdown of the ones I've been to, the ones I'm dying to get to, and my honest take on which ones are worth your money and which ones need some planning ahead, over on the blog.

👉🏾 Read the full guide: Best Book Festivals 2027: Black Book Fests, Romance Cons & More to Add to Your List

If you're into books AND the community/experience side of being a reader, this one's for you.