Unboxing Snow Struck, More Fortune Cookies for Writers, Magic the Gathering, Music Recs, and more!
Nick Courage
This has been a busy month over here at Courage HQ!
Snow Struck‘s new pub date is February 15th and it’s finally starting to make its way out into the world (I almost lost it when I saw it featured with Gary Paulsen’s last book on PW’s New & Noteworthy list). I actually got my author copies today and made an unboxing video…
But before I get into all of that, I heard that a bunch of people weren’t seeing my newsletters after I switched services. I think I fixed the problem with my email address - so if you’re seeing this email for the first time in a while, check out my archives!
The CliffsNotes™️ version of my last few emails: I’ve been posting a bunch of Cooking with Courage videos, obsessing about the Russian version of Mary Poppins, and getting excited about Rachel’s new book deal and the audiobook version of Snow Struck!
Also: I pet a wolf!
Snow Struck Unboxing Video
I don’t know why I never made an unboxing video before - I think for Storm Blown and The Loudness I just couldn’t wait to set up a camera… but today when I saw the stack of boxes on our front porch, I figured the time had come. So if you wanna see me unboxing and staring at Snow Struck for the first time, you can do that here!
In case you missed it: Fortune Cookies for Writers!
I’ve been scheduling more school visits on Zoom and mailing out tons of bookmarks and letters to classrooms, which is my favorite thing EVER - if you’d like a letter for your classroom, you can just respond to this email and let me know your mailing address!
For my educator and librarian friends on this list who might not have been seeing my emails: I have tons of free resources and other stuff over on my website and on TPT (the Storm Blown Novel Study has been downloaded, like, 65 times since I posted it a few months ago and I just want to thank everyone who’s bringing these books into their lesson plans and classrooms!)
The other day I went to the library and checked out a couple of graphic novels from the teen room. When I got home, I found a Magic: The Gathering card in one of them - which made me so happy! How cool to be a kid in Pittsburgh, playing Magic and reading a bunch of graphic novels.
Anyway, I tweeted about that, forgot about it, and then (a few days later) got about a hundred notifications on my phone. I couldn’t stop smiling when I checked them… if you’re a Magic: The Gathering fan, you’ll get a kick out of this:
Celebrating the first big snow of the year with my Snow Struck mug!
Rachel recently surprised me with this Snow Struck mug from my TeePublic store to celebrate the first big snow of the year. I love seeing pictures of people repping these designs and doodles (and sharing their free Storm Blown and Snow Struck coloring pages!), so thank you to everyone who’s texted and tagged me in pictures!
Remembering Murray The Cat
Some sad news: Murray the Cat has made lots of cameos on my social feeds and in my baking videos and I know he has a lot of friends and admirers. To everyone who knew and loved Murray, I feel like I should let you know that we had to say goodbye to him last week. If you’re interested in taking a little walk down memory lane with me, I posted a tribute to Murray on Instagram.
I’m planning on sending these emails a little less frequently (maybe monthly?) after Snow Struck publishes… but for now: thank you so much for reading this far and for sharing this email with your kid lit loving friends. I really do like writing these little updates, and it makes me so happy to know that there are people out there who like getting them!
Your friend,
P.S. For everyone who liked my Writing/Editing Playlist and has been asking for recs - I’ve been listening to two bands a lot lately: a Scottish indie-pop band called Kid Canaveral and an instrumental math-rock band called The Standards!
Now That You Are a Dancer, by Kid Canaveral
Kid Canaveral Kid Canaveral are an Independent, Alternative Pop Group based in Edinburgh and signed to Lost Map Records.
Friends by standards, released 08 March 2019
July
Hammerhead Shark
Pineapple
Boba Date
Tangerine
guitar tablature available at https://www.marcosmena.shop