Morally Gray Musings - A Newsletter
August 2025
Hi there!
I hope you’ve been well! Welcome to my August/September newsletter! This one’s coming in slightly later than planned, (more on that in a second), but I’m excited to share some updates and behind-the-scenes info that I don’t get to share anywhere else! Whether you’re a new subscriber or an OG one, I’m glad you’re here!
If you’ve been following this newsletter for a while, you probably know that I usually like to start with a section called “Life Lately,” a designated space in this newsletter where I share a little bit of what’s happening in my non-author life. I tried several ways to do this for the month of August, but the truth is that my life lately has been almost completely consumed by work. It’s something I struggle to explain to my friends and family who don’t work in publishing. There can be months at a time when I enjoy a fairly low-stakes existence. (Want to meet up for lunch? Sure! Need me to help with a random task around town? I’m down!) There can also be months at a time wherein my whole existence becomes wrapped entirely around my writing. That was the case this August. Everyday this month, for hours on end, I either did work to prepare for I, Medusa’s publication in November, or I worked on my fifth book, which isn’t announced just yet. Fortunately, I’m turning Book #5 in to my editor very soon, and I’m hopeful life will go back to being slightly more low-stakes in the next few weeks.
Speaking of I, Medusa, I have lots of fun updates on that front. My first novel for adults is out in less than 3 months! More than 50,000 people have added it on GoodReads, and it has been marked as one of the most anticipated adult fantasy titles of the Fall, which is an honor. I truly send each book I write into the world with equal amounts of hope and caution, and it’s really encouraging to see that, even ahead of its publication, people are excited about it.
Here are some other I, Medusa-related updates, nearly grouped together for your ease!:
The entire first U.S. print of I, Medusa will have sprayed edges while supplies last! Once these are gone, they won’t be reprinted, so my advice is to preorder if that’s the one you want!
You can preorder I, Medusa from anywhere you like to get books, but if you want it signed and/or personalized, the best place to order it from is my local independent bookstore, Wordsworth Books.
To celebrate the fact that Versace’s logo is the head of Medusa, Barnes & Noble has created a special preorder incentive that will allow one (1) lucky winner to win a green and gold Versace Medusa mug along with other treats if you preorder your copy from them. You’re automatically entered when your preorder, so no additional steps are needed!
I, Medusa will also be published in the United Kingdom and Australia, and there will be an exclusive Waterstones edition that will also have sprayed edges!
In sum: there are lots of different places to preorder I, Medusa, and each one comes with different perks. My advice is to pick your favorite. Also, if you prefer audio or eBooks, don’t worry! I, Medusa will be available in those formats too!
Even though August was a work-heavy month, I still made a point to find pockets of joy throughout it. Below are just a few things that have made me happy for the last few weeks.
I wrote a piece for the New York Times!: Okay, yes, technically, this is a work-related joy, but it made me so happy I’m including it. Earlier in August, the New York Times Book Review published my piece recommending 8 monstrous books. It was an honor to recommend some of my favorite authors and stories, and just a really special moment in my career as an author.
Planning Travel: After spending the summer at home on deadline, it was so exciting to plan some travel for the fall. In addition to my book tour or I, Medusa, which I’ll be sharing soon, I’ll also be traveling for both fun and work in coming weeks! Nothing is so satisfying as getting a trip booked and locked in on the calendar. I’ll be visiting at least seven cities this fall, a few of which I’ve never been to before!
Genealogy Work: I have always found genealogy—the study of ancestry—fascinating. (After all, what is a family tree but one big, continuing story?) Recently, I renewed some old work I’d done to build out certain branches of my family tree, but this time I employed the help of a lovely genealogist. She’s just beginning her work, but it’s already been so fascinating and fun to learn more about my family’s history. Perhaps someday, I will write about it.
Books:
Personal Effects: What Recovering the Dead Teaches Me About Caring for the Living by Robert A. Jensen (Adult Non-Fiction): This was recommended to me by my dear friend Becca, who never misses on book recs. It’s a memoir-style book about a man named Robert A. Jensen whose real-life job is to be a first responder to horrific, mass-casualty events all over the world. You might expect this book to be graphic and depressing (and sure, there are parts of it that are pretty grim), but the way Jensen discusses death and, more importantly, preserving the dignity of the deceased and their loved ones after death, is inspiring and thoughtful. It’s also just a really fascinating book.
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo (YA Fantasy): Full disclosure that this is a reread (or relisten since I’m listening to an audiobook), but this is one of my favorite books of all time. It follows a crew of six (surprisingly lovable) miscreants as they undergo an Ocean’s 11 style heist to break a scientist out of an impenetrable fortress. This one definitely sits on the line between YA and Adult fantasy, but it’s really held up over time, and it’s a comfort read.
Movies/TV:
The Gilded Age, Season 3 (2025) - I’ve raved about this show before of course and it continued to be a delight until its season finale in early August. As a wonderful surprise, it was announced that the show would be renewed for a fourth season. I haven’t been so excited for TV since Game of Thrones! Fingers crossed S4 is next summer/fall.
The Hunting Wives (2025) - I stumbled across this one by total accident, but it basically pitches as “a young Northern liberal women moves into a small Texas town for her husband’s job and falls under the influence of the group of southern housewives who are more than they appear.” I should warn that this one is definitely not for kids, but it was truly “bingeable” and kept me watching until the end.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006) - In July, my spouse and I watched POTC #1. Earlier this month, we continued our saga by watching its sequel. In my humble opinion, Dead Man’s Chest is the best installment of the POTC franchise, and it was a delight to see how well so much of the writing and humor held up nearly 20 years later. Someday (when I’m off deadline!!!!) we’ll watch At World’s End.
Songs:
Often times, I remember segments of life by the songs I had on repeat. In no special order, the songs I’ve been listening to a lot lately:
All of the Girls You Loved Before by Taylor Swift
back to friends by sombr
Manchild by Sabrina Carpenter
Honorable Mention:
Carnival of the Animals: The Swan (arranged for Cello and Harp) by Sebastian Comberti and Miriam Keough
Anything by KurtTheViolinist (no really, anything he plays!)
Little Wonders by Rob Thomas
That’s all for now, see you later this month!
xo,
