#shyfblogging

[idiopathicsmile]

so, my sci-fi mystery novel, Stars, Hide Your Fires tells the story of a cynical thief who gets backed into investigating the emperor's murder, along with a mysterious, beautiful stranger—in space.

it has humor and intrigue and queer disaster characters and fun worldbuilding and sing-alongs and social commentary and—i have been told—the correct amount of spiders. it is a young adult novel with some cussing, suitable for anyone 13 and up.

it came out July 2023, but Quirk Books has decided go out on a limb for me and issue a paperback. the paperback comes out tomorrow (July 2)! you can preorder it right now!

why you might want to buy a copy of Stars, Hide Your Fires

it got great reviews, including a starred review from Publishers Weekly, as well as a nomination for a Foreword INDIES Young Adult award, and it got selected for the 2024 Hal Clement Notable Young Adult Books List!

Author Dahlia Adler says, “A delightfully mischievous adventure full of intrigue, betrayal, and a touch of romance. Get ready to join your new favorite rebel crew.”

you'd be supporting a struggling queer creative making queer content, if that interests you

experience laughter! thrills! sapphic romance! mystery! a running joke about how weird the octopus is, as a creature!

the gorgeous cover, illustrated by @christinaillos, is just as dazzling in paperback

now it can all be yours for under $11.

order or preorder here, or wherever books are sold!

[iriscasefiles]

I got a copy of Stars, Hide Your Fires as a gift and it's on my tbr, and then I was recommended to listen to TSCOSI (which I just started this weekend and love) and now I find out you wrote both! extra looking forward to SHYF now

so glad you're enjoying the show! and hope you enjoy the novel!

[idiopathicsmile]

psst! attention people interested in attempted space heists-turned-space murder investigations featuring a snarky pickpocket and a mysterious undercover operative who just miiiight kiss, about which #1 New York Times best-selling author Rachael Lippincott said, "With lush worldbuilding, high stakes, and a page-turning mystery, Stars Hide Your Fires is impossible to put down"—

the ebook of my YA sci-fi mystery Stars, Hide Your Fires is currently available, and I mean right now, for just 1.99 US dollars. you can get it at that price for the rest of this current week. it's normally like $12.99 so this is a very good deal!

one might, if one was a jewel thief, even go so far as to call it a "steal" ;)

[idiopathicsmile]

my mom: hey, you should give one of your advance copies of your novel to the neighborhood library so that you'll know they have at least one copy once the book's out

me: hang on, let me look it up just in case they already ordered one, wouldn't that be cool, haha

they, uh.

they preordered 21 copies.

granted, it's the entire library system for a large city area (ETA: and for towns kind of vaguely surrounding that), but still!

[idiopathicsmile]

so to celebrate the ~brand-new paperback edition~ of my award-nominated queer sci-fi YA mystery Stars Hide Your Fires (paperback out July 2, preorder here for less than $11!), i wrote a brand-new song. the genre is "getting roped into a frantic murder investigation at a sumptuous ball, along with an intriguing stranger...in space."

Lyrics (and chords, why not) under the cut!

Capo 3

[Em]There's no mistaking the [C] emperor's not waking there's [D]no way of faking the [Am] blood where he's found

and she is an unknown a sworn foe to the throne but our fates have been sewn together somehow

[C] So we follow [G] the clues in [Em] myriad [D] hues this [C] night has a [G] fuse and that fuse is [D] burning burning burning

and someone in this ball would have me take the fall I thought I knew gall but I'm quickly learning learning learning

and this station is light years away from the safe spheres with legions of guards near and us in disguise

she's so good and so smart a studious upstart shines bright as a new star —with morals as high

[C] So we follow [G] the clues not like [Em] we can[D] refuse til [C] they scream “j' [G] accuse!” there's no time for [D] yearning yearning yearning

All the empire's a stage when it's not a cage in love and in rage more than worlds are turning turning turning

[C] So we follow [G] the clues in [Em] myriad [D] hues this [C] night has a [G] fuse and that fuse is [D] burning burning burning...

[idiopathicsmile]

My sci-fi YA novel Stars, Hide Your Fires has been named as a finalist for the 2023 Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards! You can read about it in Locus. Many thanks to Foreword Reviews!

[idiopathicsmile]

The Queer Liberation Library just added Stars, Hide Your Fires! I hope it gets lots of exposure and introduces more folks to your awesome work!

What a cool thing to know, thanks so much for telling me! The Queer Liberation Library is such an excellent concept and I'm so glad it exists. Honored to have my book in its collection.

[idiopathicsmile]

hey friends, this is me ever-so-casually sidling up to you to say that if you've got anyone on your holiday shopping list who enjoys:

young adult literature

genre crossovers (specifically sci-fi and murder mystery, plus some heist vibes at the beginning)

queer characters in space

stories in which imperialism is framed as a problem

reading about a snarky would-be jewel thief

reading about snarky would-be jewel thief who is forced to team up with an idealistic revolutionary to avoid being framed for murder

reading about snarky would-be jewel thief who is forced to team up with an idealistic revolutionary to avoid being framed for murder and maybe they start to have feelings for each other

then perhaps you could consider buying them a copy of my book, Stars Hide Your Fires?

Publishers Weekly gave it a starred review and said, "Rich with inviting detail, this genre-blending adventure smorgasbord features socially conscious commentary regarding financial disparity and an intricate plot that's equal parts sci-fi, murder mystery, and fast-paced thriller. A sweet, gently played romance and a widely utilized, intersectionally diverse cast add nuance to Best's tantalizing debut."

and really, who doesn't love a smorgasbord?

[idiopathicsmile]

The first thing I read from you was World Ain't Ready probably a billion years ago and now I work at a library and we have your book! Excited to read it and also excited for you!!

ahhh thank you so much for sticking with me all this time! thank you also for working at a library and thus helping to enable all the good things the public library system does for society! thank you for leaving me this very kind message, hope you enjoy the book!

[idiopathicsmile]

the foreword INDIES award for young adult fiction comes out next month, so this is your reminder that my book, Stars, Hide Your Fires, was nominated (!!)

if funds are low and you've been waiting for the paperback—look, we've all been there. also, the paperback edition is out july 2nd and you can preorder it now!

[idiopathicsmile]

Attention folks in the US who are 18 and older, and interested in my upcoming queer YA sci-fi novel where a would-be jewel thief must team up with an enigmatic revolutionary in order to solve a murder mystery in space (you can read chapter 1 here):

If you provide proof you've preordered the book or requested your libary order a copy, you can also receive special bonuses like a signed book plate, free cellphone backgrounds, and a VERY cool enamel pin. The physical items are all limited supply, so if you want that pin, I'd say move fast.

More info here.

[idiopathicsmile]

Hey folks, just FYI if you haven't bought a copy of my queer YA sci-fi mystery in space Stars Hide Your Fires yet: for today only (the 5th of November 2023) there's a sale where the ebook is just 2.99.

[idiopathicsmile]

If you live in Chicago and have a car OR just a willingness to take the Metra, quick reminder that my final book event (queer sci-fi YA mystery) is at Anderson's Bookshop in Naperville this upcoming Thursday, (July 27 2023) at 7 pm CST. I'll play some songs inspired by the book, I'll do a reading, and also we'll have an audience Q&A. Register here ahead of time for tickets!

[idiopathicsmile]

my condolences to everyone who follows me for reasons unrelated to my upcoming queer YA mystery in space, but uh. the official finalized hardcover version arrived at my house today and just—

it’s so beautiful!

Inside book jacket!

Secret knives!

Tiny Cass approves!

In closing, many thanks to @christinaillos for the gorgeous cover art and to Elissa Flannigan for the equally gorgeous cover design. If you would like to pre-order your own copy (and this increase the likelihood of me writing more books in this series, a thing I very much want to do!) you can do so here or at your favorite bookseller!

[idiopathicsmile]

it's here! my queer sci-fi YA mystery in space STARS, HIDE YOUR FIRES is available for purchase right now, in a bookstore near you or online. many thanks to my friend Erica for this gorgeous picture.

many thanks to the two lovely humans who came out to my first official book event; i am so so grateful you were both there, and so so touched at how long you'd been reading my stuff. <3

looking forward to my next event, tomorrow (July 12, 2023) at 6 pm EST at Prologue Books in Columbus, Ohio. (RSVP here!)

[idiopathicsmile]

Hey musically-inclined folks, exciting news! To help promote my upcoming queer YA sci-fi mystery STARS, HIDE YOUR FIRES, we're holding a song cover contest! What's the song? I've got you covered ;)

Interested? Visit this page for lyrics, chords (don't let the lush orchestrations by @iriscasefiles's resident music genius Chiron Star fool you; it's a pretty easy song), and instructions on entering. The deadline is June 30th.

(Fine print: you need a continental US address to enter, and you must be 18 or older. Sorry, folks!)

If you're on the fence, please give it a shot! I feel like I have laid out a bunch of party snacks and now I'm just hoping people show.