Transitioning from worry to fun and frolic, how else do we survive?

PLUS-- Visit Echo City Capers at Lehigh Valley Mall today (or stay home and listen to WDVR)

Let’s be real for a minute.

This week presented a roller coaster of emotions for me. I hadn’t slept well in a while (that’s changed recently, thank goodness) and I accepted four manuscripts for the 2026 production schedule (not all have responded to my offer, though one did graciously say no). My coffee hasn’t hit the spot recently. I’m trying to get several books out the door. And if I’m honest, financial worries have occupied too much space in my mind.

And I really have to weed the front garden. If you’ve been here a while, you know I am proud of my roses.

art from Pocono Liars CLub

But my mood has recently improved.

My neighbor’s Little Dog came home from the vet (and here’s hoping it was just heat causing the issues). I had some honest conversations with friends who reassured me. And I started celebrations for my daughter’s 21st birthday with a custom coloring book made by all of our artist friends.

Color Me 21 cover illustration by Joe Swarctz

And yesterday turned out to be a truly mood-boosting day, thanks to the Pocono Liars Club presenting their Author Expo. We heard and met a bunch of interesting authors that ran the gamut from Kayla Erin Woods explaining foster care to children (see her book here) to Gabrielle Ferrara counting dead squirrels (check that out here or find her, as you can Parisian Phoenix, at the Blue Flame Events Retail Store at the Palmer Park Mall in Easton, Pa.

I read a scene from Courting Apparitions, the second book in the Fashion and Fiends series (find them all here), and Joe Swarctz read from Bunnies, Cookies and a Robot! (That compilation of three full-length children’s books can be found at almost half price on Amazon right now. Click here.)

DID YOU KNOW…

For less than $2 an issue, you can support PARISIAN PHOENIX BOOKISH BABBLE as a paid subscriber. Benefits include: 1. Free chapters and excerpts of new books. 2. Curated lists and annotated reviews of podcasts, writing books, and bookstores. 3. Full, unlimited access to ALL of my slides from my writing workshops. PLUS unlimited access to the archives of all my posts.

Paid subscribers today will receive a copy of the reading I did yesterday at the Liars’ Club, scroll down to the end of this newsletter.

The grant arrived!

And then I came home to find the check for my grant from the Pennsylvania Creative Entrepreneurship Accelerator Program. I will not be keeping a single dime from this money as it is earmarked for advertising.

My grant proposal suggested using half for Amazon ads to provide more national exposure for our books and the other half will be used locally to strengthen our regional brand recognition. I have reached out to several small businesses about opportunities to promote Parisian Phoenix and will be reaching out to some of those businesses to finalize details this week.

So, a huge thank you to Rising Tide, a local outreach program of the Community Action Committee of the Lehigh Valley, for recommending me to the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation who handles the funds here in the Lehigh Valley for this state fund. More on the fund here.

Also thank you to everyone who reached out to me privately with feedback from the last newsletter— apparently Judy Blume is still popular these days and my recording at WDVR was enjoyed by quite a few people and I heard from a bunch of you that you listened last night.

Celebrating from the last Century

If you want to hear yesterday’s broadcast of music from the 1920s and 1930s celebrating Steve’s Café in Phillipsburg, N.J., hosted by me (Angel Ackerman) click here for the WDVR fm archives and search for “Take the Mic” “June 21.”

I’ve never hosted a radio program before so forgive a few filler words and a little bit of verbal stumbling, but I sure had a great time in the studio and I thought I sounded pretty good.

Steve’s Café, Phillipsburg N.J.

This week, I’m reading Everyone in the Group Chat Dies by L. M. Chilton. (I received an advance copy via NetGalley) and so far, I’m not impressed, but I’m not giving up hope. It’s one of those books that, so far, makes young people look like empty-headed idiots and as mother to an as-of-tomorrow 21-year-old I know that’s not the case.

I hope to have Motorhome Gypsies through its final proof stages and to the printer before the end of the week so we can have it available for pre-order by July 1.

As always

— Angel

Angel and Joe

UPCOMING EVENTS (MOST ARE FREE)

• TODAY: Echo City Capers at Barnes and Noble Lehigh Valley Mall

• Dianna Sinovic will be discussing the uses of Canva for authors at the Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group on June 28. Her free talk will be at 11 a.m. and her afternoon, hands-on workshop begins at 1:30 p.m. GLVWG meets at the Palmer branch of the Easton Area Public Library but is also available on Zoom. The workshop is free for members, $15 for non-members. Click here for more information.

• On June 28, noon to 6 p.m., local historian and author of Phorgotten No More, Wayne Sherrer will be a part of “Authors Alley” at the Warren County Bicentennial Celebration at Warren County Community College, on New Jersey Route 57 in Washington Township. His book contains his original research into the African-American history of Phillipsburg, N.J.

• July 4, the official release of Benjamin Goluboff’s and Mark Luebbers’ poetry chapbook, Group Portrait, a unique interpretation of a photographic portrait in the World War II era from Peggy Guggenheim’s art salon. We have seen the advance review copies and we are really excited about this little book!

• At the Whitehall (Pa.) Library, 6 p.m., on July 9, Larry Sceurman will present a family story time.

• July 12, E.H. Jacobs will be at The Bookery in Manchester, N.H., signing his debut novel, Splintered River, from 1 to 3 p.m. Jacobs has a sophomore novel on deck for 2026. For more information about The Bookery, click here. (This book is also available on Kindle Unlimited.)

• July 14, the official release of Motorhome Gypsies, our RV Living book that is part memoir and part practical advice, by Rachel Thompson and Lisa Cross. We may have a cover reveal soon!

• At 11 a.m. on July 16, Larry Sceurman will visit the Cops N Kids Reading Room on the southside of Bethlehem, Pa. For more information on Cops N Kids Lehigh Valley, click here.

• Barnes and Noble in the Southmont Shopping Center in Bethlehem Township, Pa., will host a benefit for the children’s hospital on August 16. Larry Sceurman will present a children’s story time (and he hopes to have his second children’s book ready before that event). Details to come. See Larry’s books here.

• Also August 16, I will be hosting a memoir workshop from 1 to 4 p.m. at Blank Space Community Center, 85 Makefield Road Unit 7, Yardley, Pa., 19067. Tickets will be $40 and will include print materials.

• Also in August, the release of Any Landing You Walk Away from is a Good Landing, historical fiction about the airline industry in the throes of 1980’s deregulation. The author of that book is retired flight attendant Dawn O’Harra.

Paid subscribers can scroll down to read the excerpt from yesterday’s event.

Slightly extended from yesterday. From chapter 17.