Dear ,

I had planned a cover reveal for you this week...but I'm just too sad. I have a new project almost ready to go out to you, and I really think you'll like it — but I just can't gather together my enthusiasm to talk about it.

I'm not the only one. In light of the terrible things going on in the US, both domestically and internationally, many writers, artists, and content creators are taking a pause.

Art is political, they say, because you can't make art if masked agents throw you in a detention center thousand of miles away.

I want to add to that. Art takes deep concentration, which takes trust in the physical environment. It takes hours and hours of work, and layers of logical processing.

It's hard to make art when you don't dare leave your house to get groceries.

It's hard to make art when you're texting distant relatives every day to make sure they haven't disappeared.

It's hard to make art when your kids aren't safe.

I'm a historian. I'm not surprised...

...at the level of cruelty that can happen when people divide themselves into us vs them. The powerful... vs the newly arrived. The ones with guns... vs the ones with accents and big families and folklore that doesn't follow logical rules. It happens again and again.

I am not surprised, but I am so sad.

And angry.

I'm sure I'll get unsubscribes from this, but...

Probably not from people who have actually read my books, because I always write about outsiders. My books feature interracial romance, immigration, adoption — acts of love, family, and hope that are inherently political and constantly dangerous.

I wrote them to be "cozy" (no on-page violence, promised happy endings) not to sugar-coat the real world, but to provide a retreat where we can visualize joy...and then go forth and create it. It's been proven that reading books builds empathy, and I truly believe that by visualizing the world we want, it helps make it real. Not by some kind of "manifesting," but by giving ourselves the strength to hold on to what we believe — to know what we believe.

If you're staying on this newsletter, I think that you, like me...

🩵 Believe we can make a better world for our children, with honesty and respect.

🩵 Believe that we can create new beginnings, and safe homes for our families — including found family.

🩵 Believe that love is not limited by race.

As I said in my introduction newsletter...

My family is made of immigrants. Of the people right here, living in my house, some of us were born in the US and some of us were not. We don't all match. That much is pretty obvious, but frankly, at this point I'm afraid to say more in any kind of public way. This is very real for us.

Right now, I don't think we're in any immediate danger. But there are people just like us who are.

I hope you're safe. I hope your neighbors are safe. I know so many people are not safe, and my heart is breaking.

So, I am going to keep writing. I'm going to keep envisioning small victories in a terrifying world, and sharing them with you.

I am going to keep writing hope and love and defeating the sorcerer.

But as for right now, I'm going to cuddle my puppies (who aren't worried about any of this) and cuddle my children (who understand way too much).

Best wishes,

Christy & the Shelties

Here is Inish in my writing chair. He wants to help, but his paws have trouble typing.

Adare offers loving empathy in any difficult situation.

Also, poof. He has lots of poof.

Malin's collection of books about bravery and kindness.

Castle in Kilkenny: Fairy Tales