I got an agent! (A very late announcement)

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I’ve neglected my blog for most of the year, so I’m way past due with the announcement that I finally have an agent! I had a few manuscripts that I queried off and on for YEARS, so I am honored and thrilled to announce I’m now represented by the wonderful Eric Smith at P.S. Literary.

Being such an introvert, I was both nervous and eager to live pitch my novel to Eric at the (virtual) San Diego Writing Workshop earlier this year. I absolutely loved his book Don’t Read the Comments, and I just felt like he was the right agent for my geeky brand. Eric was super nice, and pitching to him felt so easy. 

Also, I highly recommend the writing workshops and live pitching if able to do so. Prepping for live pitching was so helpful, and I felt much more comfortable with pitching and virtual social situations afterwards. Plus, the panels offer very informative insights into all things publishing.

Of course, it’s a relief to say that I don’t have to stress the querying trenches anymore. I got “the call” from Eric back in June, and I’m currently on submission with CONFESSIONS OF A WANNABE SUPERHERO, which is a middle grade contemporary fantasy. Eric is a literary rockstar, and I’m so excited and hopeful to make book stuff happen. 

Custom Funkos From The Locked Tomb Trilogy By Tamsyn Muir

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Here are my custom Funkos that I made to show my love for Tamsyn Muir’s Locked Tomb trilogy. Tamsyn Muir creates a beautifully haunting story of sci-fi necromancers and sneaky politics. Loved Gideon the Ninth so much, and I highly recommend this as an audio book. Gideon was just a fun character, so I had to create a Funko pop.

Then I read Harrow the Ninth, and O-M-G! Harrowhark’s story continues the theme of LGBTQ necromancers in space, but this was such an intriguing story of murder, magic, and mystery. This was one of the most well-crafted and beautifully written stories that I’ve read in a very long time. Tamsyn Muir is freakin’ brilliant. Highly recommend these books in audio book form, as narrator Moira Quirk brings the story to life in a completely haunting way. I read the hardcovers, but then listening to Moira read the audiobooks was another whole experience.

Both Gideon and Harrow’s Funkos were created by adding polymer clay details over existing Funko pop pieces. I did my best to simplify their looks from the covers for a Funko style. I gave them both cohesive tomb-inspired bases made of stone and bone. You can watch the time-lapse creation of Harrow’s Funko HERE, and subscribe to my YouTube channel for more custom book Funkos!

I can’t wait to see the Alecto the Ninth cover, and I’m so anxious for the story, obviously!

My Custom Book Funkos from L.L. McKinney’s Nightmare-verse Series

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Since I’m not really blogging about my own writing right now, I’ve decided to start sharing some book Funkos I created. Funko is totally sleeping on the book community, especially the YA community. Last year was a rough year for many of us, and I used art and books to help survive the stay at home orders. Actually, the world still isn’t right in 2021. And I’m still here listening to audiobooks and creating art. Occasionally, I like to combine my passions to create Funkos of book characters or scenes that helped me get lost for a bit.

The first book Funko I created was Alice from L.L. McKinney’s A Blade So Black, which is a must read YA fantasy that mixes elements of Buffy the Vampire Slayer with Alice in Wonderland. Huge Buffy fan and it delivers! This is a must read if you like to be teleported to magical worlds with strong characters and some girl power. The sequel, A Dream So Dark, is also available.

I mixed and matched Funko pieces to capture the style I wanted, and then used polymer clay to sculpt extra details and the bases. I created Alice on a heart shaped base to match the cover of A Blade So Black, but then later in 2020, I created the pair of Hatta and Alice with matching bases. Hatta’s look is inspired by his first meeting with Alice in book one, but Alice takes more inspiration from the cover of book two.

First Alice Funko
Hatta and Alice #2

L.L. McKinney is also the author of the DC’s Nubia: Real One. I hope you’ll consider grabbing a copy of A Blade So Black to support this wonderful author. Don’t forget to support your local bookstores, if you can. IndieBound is a great way to find your local shop.

This is my first Book Funko post, so feel free to let me know what you’d want to see from future posts. More of a book review style post? More behind the scenes of the creation? If you’re interested in more behind the scenes with the Nightmare-verse Funkos, my Geeky Acrylics YouTube channel has the full time-lapse and commentary of these custom Funkos.

#PimpMyBio Pitch Wars 2017

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#Pimp My Bio

It’s Pitch Wars time! Third time’s the charm, right?

Tennant Who giphy

My Manuscript is HEROES meets THE DRESDEN FILES

FATE OF ALL WORLDS is an #ownvoices YA Contemporary Fantasy

As a powerful meta-human who can regenerate and teleport, seventeen-year-old Kat Reese is a soldier tasked with preventing a supernatural war, but the job becomes complicated when her forbidden girlfriend gets caught in the uprising.

FATE OF ALL WORLDS has superpowers inspired by my love of X-Men, Heroes, and Marvel’s Runaways mixed with the massive supernatural worlds found in Supernatural, The Dresden Files, The Vampire Diaries, and Teen Wolf.

FATE novel asthetics

 

ON DIVERSITY

This features f/f romance (not HEA) and other LGBTQ characters, and the cast reflects the diversity found in my own life.

MENTOR-MENTEE RELATIONSHIP

I’m dedicated and ready to work! I take constructive criticism really well, and I’m pretty much down for whatever communication methods you want to use. Skype, text, email, phone, raven, or owl.*

We can be all business or bombard each other with GIFs of shared fandoms.

*I don’t have any messenger birds, but you’re welcome to use your own.

TEAM PEETA OR GAIL?

Johanna!!

ME

My name is Summer, and I’m a freelance writer. I write about Call of Duty and Ghost Recon: Wildlands for Kotaku, and I create eSports content for Gfinity. You can find me on Twitter, where I’m usually fangirling about books or games.

If I’m not writing, I’m usually painting fantasy landscapes, gaming, or reading. Or perhaps Netflix binging. What is sleep?

“Erupt” fantasy landscape 16×20

 

I love video games with open worlds and loveable characters. Zombies are a bonus. I love Mass Effect, Dragon Age, Fallout, Skyrim, Borderlands, Life is Strange, and I play way too much Call of Duty.

I rep too many fandoms to name them all. Some top picks include: Buffy, Firefly, Supernatural, The 100, BSG, Teen Wolf, The Walking Dead, GoT, and I love X-men. I love comics. I am Groot.

I try so hard to be sorted into Gryffindor, but online quizzes and Pottermore really want me to be Hufflepuff.

Huge thanks to Brenda Drake and the entire Pitch Wars team for all their hard work. Love this community. ❤

You can find more awesome mentee bios here.

baby groot wave giphy.gif

Custom Kidrobot Fallout 4 Figure

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I’ve decided to try some new art projects and go outside my comfort zone. I’ve been experimenting with polymer clay to make some really cool creations. Art provides great meditation for me, and I like to work on a project each day before my writing sessions. Sketching or playing with clay is relaxing, allowing me to clear my mind for a brainstorming or writing session.

I’m working on a YouTube series documenting my adventures with Super Sculpey polymer clay. I’m also attempting to sculpt some cool custom figures. I only have one video uploaded so far, but I have another in the editing stages. I need to record some new audio, and I’ll get it uploaded later this week. You can watch my video on polymer clay custom PlayStation button coasters HERE.

Here are progress pictures of my custom Fallout 4 power armor sculpt. This is using the Super Sculpey clay over a Kidrobot Munny vinyl figure, which is basically a blank vinyl toy for customization. I tried to simplify the Brotherhood of Steel power armor to make a cute custom vinyl because I’m a huge fan of Bethesda’s Fallout video game series.

I began with the helmet, spending about six hours sculpting. The little details take forever, but I was really pleased with my finished sculpt. I sculpted the body piece and arms to match. Total estimated hours spent sculpting is around 18+.

After smoothing out any fingerprints and refining, I baked the sculpture in the oven. I let the pieces cool and then sanded, primed, sanded some more. I used acrylic paints and a Polycrylic gloss finish.

I broke the helmet before I could apply varnish. I’m waiting for the opportunity to patch the helmet and reattached the hoses, so my sculpture isn’t put together yet. Regardless, I’m really happy with my first polymer clay project.

I’m determined to repair this figure, but my next project will be a custom TMNT Raphael Funko pop figure.