April 16, 2026

New York Times Bestseller

The Verdant Cage is an instant New York Times bestseller! I'm overwhelmed. If you've seen my TEDx Talk, you know that writing has both sustained and saved me. It's my church, my office, my shelter, and I've been immeasurably grateful to make a living off of it since 2021. But little girl Jessie still fantasized about hitting this milestone. Growing up in rural Minnesota, living miles from the nearest town on the end of a dirt road, part of her writing dream was seeing her name on the list. And now it's happened!

Thank you to Madison Pelletier, who did a magnificent job editing this book, Liz Wayant for the gorgeous cover, Jill Marsal for making the deal, independent bookstores and libraries for spreading the word, and especially readers who gave this book a chance. I am forever grateful. ❤️

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March 2, 2026

Beyond Our Wildest Dreams

Kristi Belcamino and I organized last Saturday's Authors for Minnesota Day with two goals: celebrate Minnesota's incredible independent bookstores and raise funds to protect our most vulnerable neighbors.

The response blew us away.

Twenty-six bookstores across the state saw record turnout, with readers hopping between locations, discovering new favorites, and meeting nearly 60 generous authors who donated their time and books to support the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota and the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota. We’re still awaiting the final numbers, but the twenty stores that have so far reported in raised a total of $46,596 (in only four hours!!).

I was in tears several times throughout the day seeing how many people in our community showed up to support small businesses and immigrant rights. You spend any time on social media, and you start to forget that most people are kind-hearted and justice-oriented. Thank you to all the bookstores and authors who participated, and to everyone who took part—we got to see the best of Minnesota.

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February 10, 2026

Authors for Minnesota Day

On February 28, 2026, from noon to 4 pm, more than 50 authors across Minnesota — including nationally recognized crime, literary, children’s, and nonfiction writers — will simultaneously appear at 24 independent bookstores statewide, not for promotion, but as a coordinated act of civic support. We'd love to have you be a part of it! The day raises money for immigrant-justice organizations while publicly backing bookstores that have taken visible stands for their communities.

As many of you know, I live in Minneapolis. I came up with the idea for this event after I saw everything Comma, a Bookshop, was doing to protect the most vulnerable (and because after all my research for The Verdant Cage, my Minnesota-set YA dystopian thriller releasing April 7, I know how this ends if we don’t speak out). The more independent Twin Cities bookstore owners I spoke with, the more I heard a similar story: many of them are struggling because customers are afraid to come into the city.

Meanwhile, they’re either further risking business by speaking out for civil rights or quietly volunteering to help their communities at night after a full day of work. It’s still very, very bad in Minnesota, which is why it feels especially vital to support independent bookstores, which are the linchpins of community and democracy here.

I’ve gotten tremendous organizing help from fellow author and certified queen Kristi Belcamino, and together, we’ve created something wide-ranging and positive that we’re calling Authors for Minnesota Day, and we'd love to have your help spreading the word. The Authors for Minnesota Facebook Event Page is the best place to find out all the information, including which authors will be where. :)

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