Murder Book's 2nd Birthday!
Plus! A New Writing Club!
My babys a toddler!! Murder Book, my first graphic memoir, came out two years ago today and the coolest thing about it is that I still receive messages every week from someone who has just discovered it. Long live books!
I often whisper into the wind, “Take me back to my book party,” because it felt like my wedding. Were any of you there? If not, I’m sorry. I guess you’ll never know what it’s like to see me walk around publicly in a robe.
One of my favorite things I made for the release party was something I barely got to even enjoy, since I was signing books and panicking about whether or not the night would go well. It was a video loop of true crime clips I made to play in the background at Littlefield while everyone was hobknobbing. I uploaded it to YouTube now so you can play it if you’re ever in need of a little background drama.
So what’s happened in Murder Book’s second year of life?
I was almost on Forensic Files.
Last year I had updated everyone that the creator of Forensic Files messaged me on Facebook. And that was just the beginning!! After the creators discovered Murder Book, they brought me on to produce a Forensic Files anniversary special. I was of course, over the moon in a psychotic way about the whole situation. My mom was even going to be a part of it. I thought this might become the pinnacle of my career, and then the night before the shoot, the plug was pulled, and funding went out the door. It was obviously very sad and then I was so embarrassed because I had told so many people “I am gonna be on Forensic Files!!!” and then I had to walk around in the cone of shame for months. That’s Hollywood, folks!! But I did get a Forensic Files hat and zip up sweater so I am still a winner in fashion…
Librarians continue to be the biggest fans!
I don’t know why but librarians seem to be my demographic. Quite frankly I think that is hot!! The more librarians I can get in my corner the better. Even just this week I got a message on Instagram from a librarian telling me her librarian friends had been recommending Murder Book to her for some time and then she finally read it and loved it. All I can say is, wow!!
Speaking of librarians…
I saw Murder Book on display in the window of New York Public Library: Riverside! What a thrill!
And finally, Murder Book won Best Graphic Novel in the Midwest Book Awards!
I’m honored!!! To be loved by the midwest… I couldn’t ask for anything more.
WHAT I WISH WAS IN THE BOOK
A lot has obviously happened since Murder Book came out in 2021. If I were writing the book right now, here’s some things I would include.
Finally putting to rest the case of Kristin Smart. The podcast Your Own Backyard brought back to light the devastating, incredibly frustrating, and over 20 year case of the missing Cal Poly student Kristin Smart. Paul Flores was convicted (FINALLY) and the Smart family found some semblance of closure this past year. If you’ve read Murder Book you know that I do actually talk about Cal Poly, since my brother attended there, but it’s brought up in a different case—that of Laci Peterson and her unborn child, since she and her husband (and convicted murderer) Scott Peterson attended the college. What I didn’t know as a 9 year old, was that Kristin Smart had disappeared off campus only a year or two before my brother would step foot there. If you don’t know anything about this case, I highly suggest listening to Chris Lambert’s podcast. One of my favorite thing about true crime podcasts today is their ability to, when done well, assist in solving cold cases by bringing public pressure back in the media.
Last Stop Larrimah is one of the most fascinating true crime documentaries I’ve ever seen. This docu-series was recently released on HBO and I feel like no one outside my family is talking about it? It tells the story of a small town, I mean small town in Australia, that is home to 11 people. When one of those 11 people goes missing (and is likely murdered), this tiny place gets put on the map in Australian news. I don’t want to say too much more since it seems a lot of people haven’t viewed this series yet, but what I’ll say is this: it has an almost Christopher Guest quality, due to the range of characters in this town, while mixed with the Hitchcockian terror of knowing one of your neighbors is a murderer. All that being said, the references I just made are of course fictional, and this story is very real. Would have loved to have written about it in Murder Book, but alas, time was not on my side!
There have been many other cases in the past two years that I would have written about, but I don’t want to list them out as if it were some celebratory thing, since its anything but.
MY (updated) FAVORITE REVIEWS, THE BAD AND THE BEAUTIFUL
Some people want to like me but they simply can’t!!!!
My favorite part about this one is that it starts off as a review then just goes into his opinions on the police.
This person just hates the way I draw!!!
But this person loves me and her mother :)
Murder Book Merch is still available!
If you’re new to the book and a murderino at heart, you can get all sorts of goodies for the coming holiday season! The Murder Book tee! The tote bag! The Ann Rule hat!
and now… in other news!!!
What Did I Do Today? is now available at 5 Below!
Oh boy, oh boy, I’ve had to keep this news to myself for some time, but this week I can finally share that a brand new version of What Did I Do Today? was created specifically for the 5 Below chain stores! My journal came out at the beginning of this year and I’ve been so excited to see it take on a life of it’s own. 5 Below approached my publisher Andrews McMeel and said they wanted 30,000 copies of the book (yes, I fell over) to sell in their stores. Not only did they want that many, but they wanted a different color cover! I honestly loved getting to pick a new color.
I didn’t know when this was all going to come to fruition, and for months I had to deal with texts from my mother that were like “when will it be out? is it out? have you heard from your agent?” but finally this week it happened. I found myself in Union Square on Monday where, famously, there is a 5 Below next to the Whole Foods. I heard the journal might be there starting in October (but did I really believe it?? No). It being the beginning of November, I thought I would stroll in to see if all the fuss was true. I’ve never actually been in a 5 Below but the moment I walked in I was in heaven because it’s full on discount Christmas in there right now!! Holiday trinkets aside, I had my eyes set on the book table. I approached what looked like all sorts of prompted journals and at first, I didn’t see my sweet child. I saw black covers, pink covers, white covers, but nothing baby blue. But then! There it was!! What Did I Do Today? in the flesh!! A whole stack of ‘em! It felt like such a Carrie Bradshaw moment. Me, alone in the city, rearranging a book display to feature mine more prominently. I wished I had a bottle of champagne! But then they might have asked me to leave. Instead, I had a major photoshoot. I also left with a Christmas blanket because how could you not???
So if you’re looking for an affordable journal to buy yourself, your sister, your niece, this holiday season, stop on by a 5 Below and grab a few copies!! Unfortunately it does seem this is something that is only available in stores, not online. If that changes, I’ll let y’all know. You can also still purchase the original journal here. If you’re wondering the difference between the two, other than gorgeous colors that POP, the 5 Below version does not have stickers or a folder in the back.
A FINAL ANNOUNCEMENT! Join the Today List Writing Club!
In honor of my cute ass journal, I’m starting a new weekly Today List Writing Club for paid subscribers! It will meet every Tuesday morning where we will share our today lists and talk about finding inspiration from our daily thoughts, activities, and musings, as a way to fight writer’s block. You do not need a copy of What Did I Do Today? to join the club… though it certainly wouldn’t hurt if you had one!
If you are not yet a paid subscriber, please consider joining for just $5 a month! You will also get access to Long Form Comics, The Pinot Noir Film Club, Weekly Rambles and the extensive archives I have here on Substack!
Thank you for reading! New posts every Friday!
ICYMI: There’s just a few more pet portraits available for purchase on Etsy!
Reading: Used to be Young by Miley Cyrus
From the Archives: Business Insider from 2018
Come see me: Funny on Paper at Caveat Tuesday 11/14!
Most of the cartoons in this newsletter are available on Etsy!
Happy birthday to the GOAT.
Happy Birthday! What an adventure! Does it have any teeth yet?