I have been informed that my comfort zone, my safety blanket, my beloved hidey-hole, my publisher Booktrope, is closing up shop as of May 31st, 2016. From here on in, I’m on my own.

Juuuuuust kidding. OF COURSE I CAN. See, not everyone is thrilled about the effect this will have on their careers. Myself, I’m choosing to see it as an opportunity; an opportunity to drink my body weight in gin, an opportunity to return to my self-publishing roots, an opportunity to wallow in self-pity for a while (seriously, who doesn’t like a good wallow?), maybe even an opportunity to try my hand at being a high-powered publishing magnate. You know, with a suit and tie and a crocodile briefcase and a private jet and Italian hand-crafted shoes and a combat butler named Jeeves, and even though his name was Mike, I renamed him Jeeves, because JEEVES, obviously. And Mike-Jeeves makes tea on the quarter-of, delivered without comment but with one of those dry biscuits that no one ever actually eats. That’s what kind of publishing magnate I’m going to be. (What? You don’t know! There are stranger ideas. Like a llama on a trampoline. Ever seen that? That’s way weirder.)

Well, whatever happens, briefcase or no briefcase, Mike-Jeeves butler or no Mike-Jeeves butler, I’m sure I’ll be there, weirding it up just as happy as a greased pig. I don’t know where I got the idea that a greased pig must be happy. Sorry! Sorry!

I was rather overwhelmed by the sudden influx of messages on Twitter and Facebook (and texts to my phone, which is super-stalkery, you guys, stop it) from people offering condolences and help. It’s very sweet, but I think I should remind you. I’m really only good at one thing: being goofy on paper and getting paid for it. All that business and tech stuff? I will find someone to do that part for me. Marnie and the gang will live on. Well, most of them. Sorry. Too soon? Heh heh. WHAT? *ducks and runs*

Much love!

AJ XOXO

ps. Serious writers be serious, yo.

Helloooo, people!

First of all, I’d like to celebrate. Book 5 of the Marnie Baranuik Files is sitting at 58k words and I’ve got the rest of the book vaguely plotted out just enough to know where I’m going, though it’s cloudy enough to keep me interested in getting up at 4 AM to find out what happens next. I’ve never been an outliner. I’ve always been a pantser. If I know how a story is going to end, a lot of the pleasure flies out the window for me, and I lose interest in writing it. I’m also 1/3 of the way into a murder mystery which still has no title. GAK! I hate writing without a title. Murder is my first love. (Whoa, that doesn’t sound right. Let me try again. Murder is my… nope, that’s just the truth. I love murder; the details, the forensics. Always have.) I’ve toyed with writing a stand alone mystery for more than a decade.

I can now announce that while the mystery WILL stand alone and apart from the Marnie Baranuik universe, the detective will be familiar to readers of the MBF; his name is Constable Patrick Schenk, whom you might recognize as the Canadian cop barely tolerating Marnie’s antics in Last Impressions. The murder mystery will not contain any supernatural elements; it is pure suspense. Marnie will not make an appearance. In this tale, Schenk stands alone.  Will future mysteries feature a crossover? I don’t know. I haven’t considered that yet. Right now, my plan is to finish Marnie’s 5th book and the mystery, and see where I go from there.

Secondly, I’m excited to announce I’ll be signing copies of all four novels in the Marnie Baranuik Files. Locals in the Niagara Region of Ontario are welcome to pop by and see me between 12-4 pm at Chapters in the Fairview Mall.   See you there!