Updates on teaching and the upcoming Springs Book Bash
Plus a few hints about my latest novel-in-progress
Dear readers,
I have three short updates this month, which I’ll dive into deeper below:
There’s an awesome book festival (“Springs Book Bash”) coming up in Colorado Springs with over 70 Colorado authors participating, including yours truly—reserve your tickets here! (April 26-27)
I’m LOVING substitute teaching so far.
I’m leaning harder into the romance arc for my latest novel after being inspired at the recent COSine sci-fi/fantasy convention in Colorado Springs. <3
April 26-27: The “Springs Book Bash” in Colorado Springs
The “Springs Book Bash” (April 26-27, 2025) is an event where you can meet Colorado authors, buy books and merch (and get them signed!), and receive free swag. Here’s a list of this year’s 70+ participating authors.
I’m stoked to be sharing a table at Book Bash with the amazing Lauren C. Teffeau, author of Implanted (a cyberpunk thriller) and A Hunger With No Name (an environmental fantasy novella that just came out last year). Lauren has some of the coolest giveaways—when I bought her novella in November, it came with a packet of shadscale seeds: an evergreen shrub native to the western United States and northern Mexico.
Mark your calendars for April 26-27 and don’t forget to reserve your spot! Entry to the event is free on both evenings, but you still need to reserve tickets. Paid tickets allow admission in the mornings and early afternoons.
I hope to see some of you there!
Unexpectedly, math has become my favorite subject to teach
I recently started substitute teaching high school 1-2 days per week, for reasons I shared in a recent post. So far I’ve gotten to teach biology, chemistry, physics, English, AP calculus, and other math courses. My ADHD brain has had a blast brushing up on these diverse subjects—all of which I spent many years of my life learning—and helping kids process the material.
The math classes (AP calc, precalc, and algebra II) have turned out to be my favorite subjects to teach, because they allow for the most interaction with the students—there’s always another question to answer. I’ve also greatly enjoyed English classes where I’ve gotten to help the kids brainstorm essay topics and analyze poetry.
One of the reasons I chose to work with high schoolers again is because that’s the age group of the protagonists I tend to write, and I want to stay connected with the fraught emotions and pressures of this intense life stage. So far, I think it’s working; I’ve felt more soundly grounded in the mind of the angsty, 17-year-old fish-girl I’m currently writing—even though none of my students are mermaids. ;P
Something I’m still struggling to navigate with this mermaid novel is the slang. My story is set about 300 years in the future, so it feels a bit anachronistic to use words the kids are using today. On the other hand, I cringe at the idea of inventing my own futuristic lingo. I’d love to hear if any of you can recommend a book set at least a hundred years from now (in the real world) that uses slang in a satisfying way!
Giving in to love at the 2025 COSine SFF convention <3
Last month I participated in the Colorado Springs Science Fiction Convention (COSine), which happens every year in late January. One of the highlights for me was the romance panel I spoke on (“You got romance in my sci-fi!”), because the conversation we had inspired me to lean further into the love story for my book-in-progress, the aforementioned mermaid sci-fi novel. I’ve always wanted to write a true romance novel because the books I loved best as a teen were sci-fi/fantasy romances—now I’m finally doing it! For the moment, all I will say is that it’s got a love triangle with both enemies-to-lovers and lovers-to-enemies arcs, but I can’t wait to share more.
Till next month, and thanks for reading!
Love,
Rachael