Happy almost-summer, everyone! Summer feels like it's here already, and with it a lot of events and excitement. Plus some unexpected news! So let's dive in.

Audiobooks are coming!

Yes, the contract is signed, so now I can share that there will be audiobooks of the Gifted of Brennex trilogy, produced by Tantor Media. This is super exciting on several levels: I've always wanted audiobooks made because so many people prefer to read that way, but it's an area where I have little experience, so Tantor will be a terrific partner to have on this.

I don't know what the timeline will be, but I'll share updates here when I have them.

Also, Nerds of a Feather has an excellent and thoughtful review of Warped State. It gets a lot of what I was trying to do with the book, including the queernorm world and the exploitative relationship between corporations and their people. (To his point about Grist's "lack of breadth of character," I can only laugh and say, wait until you read Dissonant State.)

I'm at Balticon this weekend

I'm going to be on several panels, plus doing a reading and a signing, at Balticon in Baltimore. If you're going to be there, hit reply and let me know, or come say hi over the weekend! Here's my schedule:

Fri 7:00 PM - Hopepunk: Is it really a subgenre?               
Sat 10:00 AM - Autographs with Joan Wendland and Jo Miles       
Sat 1:00 PM - Modern Space Opera                               
Sat 2:30 PM - Author Reading: Sherri Cook Woosley and Jo Miles 
Sat 4:00 PM - Designing a Government    

What I'm reading, watching, and playing

Reading: Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky. I love books that play with viewpoints that are very, very different from ours, and it's done brilliantly here. This book asks: what if far-future scientists were trying to uplift animals and accidentally did spiders? And those spiders developed a beautiful and rich civilization totally unlike ours? And then what happens if one day humans come back and want the planet? Spanning thousands of years, the worldbuilding kept me fascinated the whole way through, and there was enough plot and character development to make a compelling story.

Watching: Leverage: Redemption (Season 1 and 2). My partner and I have been watching this super slowly so as to savor it, and we just finished season 2. If you're not familiar, Leverage is about a group of modern-day Robin Hood type thieves, stealing from those rich and powerful people who deeply deserve it and using the proceeds to help their victims. It's fun, quirky, full of ridiculous heists, and the good guys always win. It was definitely an inspiration (if subconscious at first) for my Brennex trilogy.

If anything, I like the "Redemption" reboot even better than the original, for the addition of Noah Wyle (who I've always adored) and Aleyse Shannon, who have great chemistry with the returning cast. Plus, the "jobs" they take on feel extremely relevant today. If you haven't seen the original, it's worth watching too, but you can jump in with the reboot without losing much. The internet claims that a season 3 is coming later this year!

Last but not least...

It's open window season, one of the... two?... weeks of the year when it's neither too cold or too humid to keep the windows open. Charlie has been taking full advantage! 

Until next time,

Jo Miles