It's Freezing in Here!

On dipping my toes into something new...

Hey, look! We made it.

Welcome to The What If Journal, friends! Through the magic of technology, my newsletter will now appear in this brand-spankin’ new format.

I know, I know…change is hard. I’ve resisted hopping on the Substack bandwagon for a while now, mainly because change takes time—and time is in short supply.

If you’re new to Substack, the power of this format is that it provides a community of news sources, many of them creatives like me. You’ll still receive my newsletter—freshly titled The What If Journal—directly to your inbox. But you can also browse Substack to find other creative news that’s interesting to you.

Why the Title? What the What?

Because “What If?” is powerful. Everything I do stems from asking myself this question. Starting the first draft of a new book, using a new medium to connect, stepping outside my comfort zone—all require me to ask, What if I try this? What if my character does this, or that? What if I share this idea, this resource, this creative’s work, with my followers? What then?

A Word about Substack’s Business Model

Readers can subscribe to Substacks and optionally (this word is key) upgrade to paid. Substack takes a small cut of paid subscriptions; that’s how they make their money. Substackers set their own subscription rates and decide if they want to offer bonus content to paid subscribers.

The What If Journal’s content is free to all subscribers. I have no bonus content behind a paywall. If you upgrade to paid, it’s as a token of your support—and I do appreciate it. But it’s not necessary.

Just Give It a Try

I promise you this new format won’t hurt. It might even be fun! And what if you discover something new?

What if…?

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What If We Connect?

What if this journal is easily skimmed? What if this section provides connections: Substacks to peruse, books to read, and other sources of inspiration?

Like…

What if We Explore Substack?

• Moon Rabbit Reader: Substack by author, writing instructor, and Denver Noir contributor Mathangi Subramanian. Recently, Mathangi posted a simple quiz to discover your creative era. Turns out I’m in my Toni Morrison era. Who knew?

• The Tumbleweed: I’ve loved Jenny Shank’s writing for a long time, and I especially love her Substack, The Tumbleweed. Jenny makes me think, makes me consider a different view on something I thought I had all figured out. Plus, she’s funny and brave. If that’s not inspiring, I don’t know what is!

What if We Read?

All That is Secret by Patricia Raybon: Historical mystery fans, you’ve found your new favorite author. Set in 1923, Raybon’s debut novel (she’s written tons of fascinating nonfiction) tells the story of you-will-love-her heroine Annalee Spain, who returns to her hometown of Denver to sleuth out her father’s murderer. I love that Annalee is guided by her faith but Raybon never gets preachy about it. As an agnostic, I find much faith-based fiction unrelatable, but that was never the case with this entertaining story. (The affable young preacherman love interest helped, too.)

I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai. This recently came out in paperback (and Makkai wrote a nifty Substack piece about paperback releases, if you’re interested). Makkai has long been a favorite author of mine, and her latest didn’t disappoint. I was caught up in this world of boarding school privilege and long-buried secrets. I don’t think of Makkai as a traditional “thriller” author, but this one had me guessing whodunnit far into the story.

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What If We Create?

If you know me, you know I’m a creative. My heart is in storytelling, and while there’s a whole lot of business-y stuff that goes on behind-the-scenes, none of it would matter if authors and other creatives didn’t have a passion for their work.

To celebrate the arts, in this section of The What If Journal I’ll share creative news—my own and others’. I hope to inspire you in your own creative journey.

So what’s up with my writing? A lot. If you’ve been with me for a while, you know I have three novels in the works. Yes—I keep promising more news about them. Yes—you have been more than patient. I apologize for the incubator status. Hang with me for a little longer, okay? I think it will be worth it.

In the meantime, how about this awesome little lamp for creative inspiration? Even more awesome—my son, Dennis, made it. To quote Dennis: “There’s something special about a product that feels just a little bit alien.” More of his work is here.

What are you working on creatively? I want to hear all about it!

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What If We Step Out?

I spend a lot of time in my writing hidey-hole, so it’s incredibly gratifying when I get out. Here’s where I’ve been and where I’ll be soon.

Reading Den. The Denver Post called this new reading series “sexy”—and they were not wrong. Here I am under the disco ball with fellow writers, creatives, and readers at the inaugural event:

Next Reading Den event is on March 27, 7 pm, at Fort Greene Bar, with fabulous authors Erika T. Wurth (another Denver Noir contributor), Steven Dunn, and Nanette Gamily (back row middle, above). Hope to see you there!

Left Coast Crime: Seattle Shakedown. I can’t wait to attend my first-ever LCC conference, April 11 - 14. And who doesn’t love Seattle? Besides fangirling all over guests of honor Megan Abbott and Robert Dugoni, as well as toastmaster Wanda M. Morris, I look forward to connecting with gobs of fellow writers and readers of mystery, suspense, and thrillers. I’m also thrilled to be on a panel about editing with David Downing, Juliet Grames, Ti Locke, and Zoe Quinton.

Will you be at LCC? Let’s connect!

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