A Heroic Heron
So I went on an amazing trip to Nova Scotia and back and when I got home, Mom was here! And still is! So I’ve been bopping around with her and taking photos of this and that. I got an American redstart and a rose-breasted grosbeak! And maybe a greater yellowlegs—I have to check my SD card and zoom in and stuff. But best of all was this heron that I’ve decided to name Hercule, a heroic fellow who spread his wings to dry them, but then sort of rested them and opened his beak in such a way that it looked like he was saying, “Come at me, bro!”
So while I was driving through the Maritimes, I got to hang out with spiffy dude Steve Waycott, who is a much better nature photographer than I am, and you should follow him on Instagram or Bluesky or wherever he is online, and buy a calendar from him to prettify your wall. I love his work and his calendars are awesome.
But it got me thinking: Canva will let you design your own calendar and I have a cousin in Arizona who loves my photos, so making a calendar of them is bizarrely a cost-effective way to send her twelve prints. I decided to do one with a wee twist: It has US holidays in blue, Canadian holidays in red, and Druidic/Pagan holidays in green. So I’m gonna print myself one, plus one for Mom and another for my cousin, Katy, and bonuses for a few friends. I guess what I’m wondering is: Anyone else want one? They’re gonna look like the screenshot below, except bound and without that annoying stuff that says ADD PAGE TITLE: The photo location will be on the photo, and a caption identifying the bird will be to the left of the month name. You’ll see holidays in blue, red, and green, and also some goofing around in gray so you can write over it if need be. If I buy fifty of them, the unit cost goes down by like five bucks, which saves me some dough on my gifts, but would also save you some dough, eh? Call it $25—that would allow me to buy mailers for them and a pack of gum, and I’ll have to figure out shipping. But yeah—would anyone besides Katy and my mom seriously want one? Just email my assistant, Kimberly, at treats@kevinhearne.com if so. If there’s around fifty of you I’ll set up something next month and you’ll be able to buy it through Horned Lark Press as a preorder kind of thing, and then I’ll ship them all out well in advance of the holidays so you can have them on hand for you or someone on your gift list.
Also: If you want some signed Meaty Mysteries from me, the special is happening: four for $44. Or you can add Oberon’s Bathtime Stories and get The Five Oberons.
It's been awesome hanging out with Mom and the kid is here too, so I have a full house at the moment. I got Mom into watching Wednesday and reading the Finlay Donovan mystery books by Elle Cosimano. And the kid and I went to see that horror movie Weapons and had the best time breaking it down and discussing its themes afterward—that’s a thing we like to do, go see horror for the MESSAGING—I know, wild, right?
Books I’m looking forward to: HOUSE OF IDYLL, out next month on the 9th! And I just got done reading an early copy of GOD’S JUNK DRAWER by Peter Clines, which was tremendous fun and will be out in November. Do yourself a favor and preorder!
Okay, here’s what I’m reading now:
Ronnie doesn't know it yet, but her fate rests in the hands of the dead.
Silent film star Venita Rost's malevolent spirit lurks spider-like in her cliffside mansion, a once-beautiful home that's claimed countless unlucky souls. And she's not alone. Snared in her terrible web, Inspector Bartholomew Sloan--her eternal nemesis--watches her wreak havoc in helpless horror, shackled by his own guilt and Venita's unrelenting wrath.
Now the house has yet another new owner. This time it's Ronnie Mitchell, a grieving woman who buys the run-down place sight unseen. She arrives armed with an unexpected inheritance, a strong background in renovation, and a blissful ignorance regarding the house's blood-soaked history. But her arrival has stirred up more than just dust and decay. In the shadows, unseen eyes watch. Then, a man comes knocking. He brings wild stories and a thinly veiled jealousy, as well as a secret connection to the house that can only lead to violence.
Venita's fury awakens, and a deadly game unfolds.
Caught between a vengeful ghost and a ruthless living threat, Ronnie's skepticism crumbles. The line between living and dead isn't as sharp as it seems, and she realizes too late that in Venita's house, survival might be just an illusion.
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