August, honey, you were mine!

There is something amazing about starting August in huge convention center full of your fellow nerds. The world is a scary place right now, but it was nice to have a reprieve. I got to run my one shot, my husband met his idol John Scalzi, and even my son got to build a sword and pretend to go on a Viking raid. Lay on—toward Valhalla!

There is still a lot to be done. Not only is my TBR pile continuing to grow, but my proofreader just finished her work on Hidden Root. Now I get the next draft ready for the ARC readers to receive their copies by September. I have another story to finish by December, and I’m still not done working on Who We Were and making it ready for publication. August is looking to be one of the busiest months this year. Here’s hoping I don’t burn myself out!

Written Works

Mother Revolution

Thank you for those of you who bought Mother Revolution while it was on sale! In particular, thank you to the readers on Smashwords for adding it to your TBR list! If you get a chance, please post an honest review wherever you see fit. I appreciate it!

Hidden Root

I passed out a ton of bookmarks for both Mother Revolution and Hidden Root, but it was obvious there was more interest in Hidden Root. Thank you everyone for the excitement around the title reveal.

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Pyre

I’m writing a short story for my dad as a Christmas present. It’s from the same universe as Hidden Root, a historical prequel. After my dad reads it, I’ll see about submitting it to other spaces. I’ll keep everyone posted through the newsletter and through socials.

TTRPG Projects and News

Who We Were

I want to thank everyone who played Who We Were at GenCon. You’ve helped refine some notes on how I should structure the one shot once it’s ready for publication through the AGE Creator’s Alliance. I plan to work on this in the beginning of 2026, so I have the time to give it proper attention. However, I may start some work on it before then, and will happily give you all a sneak peak in every newsletter.

Podcast Update

Our latest episodes covered what I like to call the “cute and deceptively deep” games that a lot of our listeners enjoy. Earlier in July we covered Hollow Knight, a highly anticipated episode full of whimsy and tragedy. Our latest episode was The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. It’s a fan favorite and full of adorable storytelling that fits in with the overarching themes of The Legend of Zelda series. I’m glad I got a chance to play it, even with the snot-nosed kid following me on Link’s island.

Below you’ll see our streaming schedule for August. Due to GenCon, we had to move some streams around. You’ll have plenty of chances to join us for Mass Effect 2!

Sapphy Shares—What I’m digging right now

This month, I’m doing something different—sharing some of the great people and groups I interacted with at GenCon.  

• First, I of course have to once again shout out Sophie DeFelice, aka Crytime, who was in the Makers Mart this year. Her bold prints with amazing color combinations are the reason I knew she had to do the cover for Hidden Root. Click here for her website and to find out her remaining convention schedule for the year.

• I had the pleasure of meeting Matthew Siadak in person! I had to get a copy of The Backwards Knight. It seems his book may inspire an indie book club between me and my friends. If you want to hear about his writing, click here to find out more about his books.

• Matthew’s wife, Laura (Fallen Lights) is an amazing artist who’s work I just discovered this year. I ended up buying three pieces. I love the ethereal vibes and the mastery of her watercolor works. You can click here to find out more about her.

• Speaking of artists, I always have to get at least one thing from Andrew Thompson every GenCon. Carefully crafted, busy pieces with bright colors and energized lines. You can find out more about his work by clicking here.

• Finally, I did give myself some time to play some games, including one in development called Galactic Dawn. It was a unique GM-less game about building a world with multiple political groups/factions that help shape its future. Pangur Ban Collective are sharing the in-development rules for free. You can click here to find Galactic Dawn and other games by them.

As you can see, I had a busy GenCon! But it was worth it, and I hope you give all these amazing creators a try.