What's in a Week - Vol. 65
Dragons In, LA Wins, Halloween Ends, Holiday Plans Begin...
The Dodgers won the World Series! Within seconds, fireworks thundered all throughout LA. They were celebrated in a massive parade for the first time in many years. And LA is joyful!
Halloween was a joyful affair, being one of our favorite holidays, and LA is the perfect place for it, with cool, dry weather and decorations that went beyond outrageous. Always a blast.
And now, welcome November! There is a lot to talk about.
Atacama Cover Reveal and Preorders!
@jendiagammonauthor A woman in Appalachia uncovers a secret related to something hidden in the Atacama Desert. She’s already lost her best friend. Will she lose herself as well? #preorder ATACAMA now! Descending in May 2025 via @sleyhousepublishing. #thriller #horror #scifi #booktok
♬ Phosphenes - Dahlia's Tear
Preorders are live and continually rolling out for Atacama, my speculative thriller coming out in May, 2025! You can preorder from Bookshop.org, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, Amazon, and other bookstores already.
I'm so thrilled to have the absolutely awesome review blurb above from Mallory Pearson! And I can't wait for everyone to read this book.
Western North Carolina Charity Auction and Anthology
To help my fellow Appalachians, I donated a science fiction and fantasy short story full of Appalachian beauty, warmth, and charm. It's called "The Dewdrop Bot and the Honey Fae." This will be in the anthology To Appalachia with Love: Sci-Fi Anthology.
Here's info on the charity anthology. Donations go directly to aid organizations helping Appalachians affected by Hurricane Helene. The recovery is going to take a long time, and they need our help.
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My Epic Dragon Trilogy Announced!
If you missed my special midweek announcement, I signed a book deal for a dragon fantasy trilogy! I can't wait to share this new universe with you all. Read more here:
Jendia Gammon
Book Deal for Appalachian Weird Horror Novella Godfestation Announced!
My other massive news this week was the additional book deal for Godfestation, an unsettling and uncanny tale of grief set in East Tennessee. Deeply personal. It arrives August 2026. Read more about the book:
Jendia Gammon
Awards Eligibility Post for 2024
It's once again time for me to showcase my fiction published in the past year, for awards consideration for science fiction, fantasy, horror, and fiction generally. This year, everything is short fiction. You can see it all listed in my dedicated post. There might be some stories you missed, so do take a look! Thank you.
Jendia Gammon
On the Screen
Family tradition dictated that we watch It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown! and again I was struck by the World War I references, as Snoopy, in Flying Ace garb, belly-crawled across the ruined French countryside. It occurs to me that this is probably where my mild obsession with The Great War began, from early childhood.
It's haunting stuff, squeezed into an already under-30-minute cartoon, which also addresses exclusion (Charlie with his lack of a party invitation, Sally feeling left out after choosing to stay with Linus) and faith (Linus believing in the Great Pumpkin when no one else does). That's a lot for a kids' cartoon, and it speaks to Charles Schulz and his ability to address deep topics with any age. It certainly worked with me.
I also was delighted to return to the intriguing drama The Diplomat, starring Keri Russell and Rufus Sewell. It's a sleek, sexy thriller of a show with tremendous acting. Highly recommended.
On the Page
I've been working my way through a tremendous pile of books to read, so no new acquisitions this week, except for the latest issue of DC Comics' Zatanna: Bring Down the House. I'm reading multiple books chapter at once, depending on my mood. And I'm also starting to bust out the cookbooks as temperatures have dropped and allowed for more baking and roasting.
Writing Update
Now that the dragon books have finally found a home, I realize how much their being in limbo for two years had weighed on me. With that behind me, I suddenly feel intense relief, and a renewed energy to move onward with the writing deadlines on deck, as well as new projects.
First up, I submitted a new pitch for something awesome! I passed the first phase of pitching, in which I sent three story pitches. One was chosen for me to expand, and the publishing team loved it. So now it's game time. I wrote a longer pitch and even a bit of story, so the editor can take it to acquisitions. If I don't get this, I'll be disappointed, sure: but also, I now know a new, great editor, and I may be able to pitch again. If I do get it, I will be absolutely delighted. It's a campy, deranged storyline, great fun. Wish me luck with this second pitch!
Next up, it is time to sit down and finish The Secret of the Sapphire Sentinel, the sequel to The Inn at the Amethyst Lantern (which had 5 award nominations and was a Nebula Award finalist!). The halfway point approaches for Sapphire Sentinel, from which all manner of bedlam will ensue until its end.
I have mapped out my other writing deadlines for the next year as well. That will entail writing the sequel to The Vale of Seven Dragons, which is called Coursers of Wings and Flame. And I will also write the prequel for the Amethyst Lantern Series, The Dawn of Dusk and Twilight (I already began that earlier this year). I will also finish up some of my non-contracted manuscripts and get them ready for pitching to publishers.
The Week Ahead
My plans are to walk outside as much as I can, try some new soup recipes, write, paint, and watch some good shows. Wishing you all a peaceful week.
Write on!
Jendia
