Two May books to preorder

And a progress update

Not checking in as much, but still writing.

The Progress Tracker from Free Period Press

Honestly, I don’t know if I would be writing every day without this very simple analog tool, which has become one of my most treasured possessions because of what it helps me visualize and make tangible. One evening session, one missed day (and it was a day!), but overall a consistent routine during what has otherwise been a wild and crazy year.

Anyway, I’m really here to share that TWO dear friends of mine have books coming out in May. I have read multiple drafts of both books over the last several years, and now they will be in the world and I highly recommend preordering!

The first is Sara Lippmann’s Hidden River. Sara is so, so, so good at (1) messy, complex human relationships (2) gutting scenes (3) dark, stark, often very funny prose, and this novel has all three. As a teenager, the narrator Cass had a sexual relationship with her best friend Sally’s father, who then unexpectedly died. Now she’s in her thirties and gets an invite to Sally’s wedding. Does Sally know? Does her family know? Was this relationship what Cass thought it was or something else entirely? It’s so good!

Sara is launching Hidden River with two events, one at Narberth Bookshop on May 6 (with Jiordan Castle!) and another at Powerhouse Arena in Brooklyn on May 7. I will be at the NYC event! Come hang with us!

The second book I think you should preorder is Rachel León’s How We See the Gray. Rachel and I originally bonded over the fact that we were both writing Rockford novels, and THIS IS HER ROCKFORD NOVEL! It’s about a foster care social worker named Meredith who makes a terrible mistake and loses custody of her own kid. I love a kaleidoscopic novel, and this one has lots of POVs, including a Greek chorus of seasoned social workers who have a lot of thoughts on Meredith’s choices. Just as the Rockford Anthology Rachel edited is a love letter to our city, this novel is a totally different kind of love letter to Rockford and the people who call it home.

Rachel is launching How We See the Gray at Maze Books on May 15 and has a bunch of other events coming up, including the Rally Reading Series in Brooklyn on June 4. Show up, NYC!

Okay, dipping back out for who knows how long, but I’m posting my writing times daily on Instagram if that is at all the kind of thing you are interested in.

Until next time,
Shayne