What a year.
It started with that gut-wrenching Vulture article and part of Los Angeles burning completely to the ground, followed quickly by the presidential inauguration of one of the most loathsome people on earth. The air was literally and spiritually unbreathable. I couldn’t talk about anything, I was so overwhelmed with grief and horror. Friends lost their homes in the fires, and later our neighbors would be ripped illegally from theirs by ICE. Even a dear friend — a sweet grade school teacher — would be pepper sprayed by ICE at a protest. The United States would return to looking like The Upside Down, but somehow much worse than before. I participated in a number of marches, even leading chants at one.
After listening to a Hidden Brain episode about the ways that we mask our true identities and how that actually hurts us in the longrun, I made a decision. I’d been holding onto some major secrets in my life for a long time, giving people brief glimpses but never telling the true story except to a very small handful of close friends. One of those stories was about how I really met Neil Gaiman in 1996. I had a memoir that was supposed to be come out in late 2024, but I’d pulled the book from the publisher due to contract breaches.
And I think that was not only wise but also fortuitous.
As of today, my essay, “Neil Gaiman: The Wolf in the Walls,” has over 33,000 reads — far more eyes on the story than if I’d published that bulky memoir. (I’ve since reworked and reframed the memoir itself.) I followed up this essay with companion pieces detailing the profound, mystical experiences I faced 30 years ago in 1995:
“The Halloween that Still Haunts Me 30 Years Later“
“The Christmas Dream About Morpheus“
I also saw publication of my first creative nonfiction piece. Wordgathering published my essay about my bouts with disability and how I used technology to overcome them. “The Girl with the Silver Hands weaves my personal experience with the Grimm’s fairytale “The Handless Maiden,” and Clive Barker’s “The Body Politic.”
On a less personal front, Nightmare Magazine published my essay, “Free Spirits: How Spiritualism Sparked American Feminism” in their column “The H Word.” I’d given a talk at Sunday Assembly Los Angeles on the topic that was well received. I think the subject matter is fascinating, taking something that’s been vilified and seeing it in the context of history and women’s rights.
As for fiction, Brimstone & Blades came out, which is my pride and joy. I got to share one of my greatest loves — Julie d’Aubigny — with the world, not to mention swords and blades of various kinds, but especially the European smallsword. The book went on to win three 1st place awards at The BookFest® this fall in YA Fiction, YA Fantasy, and LGBTQ+ Fiction. My TikTok channel features the sword stuff, as well as books and cats (of course).
And yesterday I came very close to finishing the 3rd draft of The Ascension, my supernatural thriller featuring Liyah Logan, who might be my most badass female lead to this day. I can’t wait to share her and her friends with you all.
Have a happy new year filled with victories great and small!
xoxo
Maria
