June News: Podcasts, Presentations and a Pup
#TeamTrope,
Happy June Everyone!
I hope this month finds you enjoying the increasingly daylight hours as I am! When my kids were home, I used to dread June. It felt like December with better weather--- extra events that crashed my schedule and generated extra work Mom work. If that is how June feels for you, hang in there.
This June, we added Edgar, the labradoodle, to our two-cat mix. Edgar is now twelve weeks old; he has been with us for a month. He is a delight! My time is now Edgar-related (if he’s sleeping, I sneak off to work.) I appreciate the joy he brings when I'm having mobility challenges. His sweet, happy face makes life better every day.
Besides hanging with Edgar, my big summer goal is pulling the Trope Thesaurus Mystery/Thriller draft together by September 1st. I’ve got outlines, a calendar for word count, and my time marked for that.
It’s the time of year when my Kindle/Libby list sizzles. Books come and go with dizzying speed thanks to best-of lists everywhere, friends’ recs, and bookstore browsing. If you have a rec for me, please let me know! This is a gentle reminder to support your public library! They have wonderful resources for digital books, including audio as well as books you can take home--remember those?
Two Recent Podcast Appearances Where We Talked Storytelling Guts:
I visited with Lee Savino and Russell Nohelty on their Six Figure Author Experiment where we discussed How Tropes Sell Books: Mastering Reader Expectations.
I stopped by the Indy Author Podcast for an episode of Decoding Storytelling Tropes with Matty.
It's always so fun to visit about tropes.
Two June Live Presentations Talking about Tropes!
1). 2025 Inker's Con Roundtable June 7th 2pm ET
I'm excited to present at Inker's Con this year and join a pretty awesome lineup.
2). 2025 AuthorTube Writing Conference (AWC)
Saturday June 28th, 12-1pm EDT
AWC is a free 3-day writing and publishing conference. It's a great way to learn about some resources on YouTube with a bit of guidance! There is so much on there that I find it a bit overwhelming.
I'm looking forward to these presentations, then I'll be taking a summer break from teaching to recharge for fall.
What I Read This Past Week:
Super Sushi Ramen Express by Michael Booth. I love a well-written travel memoir. It was an entertaining and informative introduction to Japanese food culture.
The Antidote by Karen Russell. I've got a soft spot for books about the American West. This book was set in Nebraska during the Dust Bowl, so that's close enough. It's dark, daring, and has a wonderfully innovative use of the amnesia trope!
I reread my favorite historical mystery series, Ariana Franklin’s The Mistress of the Art of Death, If you enjoy the Matthew Shardlake mysteries, give it a try.
Want more Trope Talk? Check out jenniferhilt.com for information on my 4-book Trope Thesaurus Series and Trope Con!
Take Care and Keep Writing,
Jen