learning my lesson

namely, that I should send these emails more often (feat. so many events, an auction, a butter sculpture, and who knows what else)

Hi friends!

When I said you could sign up to receive “periodic author life updates,” clearly I meant that I would:

1. Not send a promo email for multiple months

2. Get overwhelmed

3. Write an unmanageably large quarterly email that gives me a minor panic attack due to the number of events it contains and the dawning realization I have to do all of them

4. Lie down

5. Contemplate hiring a personal assistant

6. Remember I do not have Personal Assistant money

7. Schedule the email to send in the morning and then fall asleep on the couch

Anyhow, here’s a peek at all the things I have going on in the next six-ish weeks, as well as some other nonsense I tossed into this barely-edited email before slamming my laptop shut to hide from my own calendar.

Auction!

No, this headline is not a sign I’m about to recite the Auctioneer’s opening monologue from The Phantom of the Opera.¹ Even better: I’m participating in a multi-author historical fiction swag bag auction that kicks off this evening (10/8), with all proceeds to benefit the Friends of the Ashland Public Library in Ashland, MA!

Support libraries, babes! Both your local libraries and cool other libraries giving you the chance to obtain dope shit from your histfic heroes and also me!

The auction runs through next week on 10/15, and there’s heaps of incredible stuff for historical fiction readers to bid on. In addition to a signed book bundle from me, prizes include a 30-minute Zoom call with Lauren Groff (!!!), which you’d better hurry up and bid on before I get it for myself.

All details here, and happy bidding!

Fall Events!

I’m very happy and grateful to be part of the Jewish Book Council’s author tour this year, which led to many of the events coming up on the immediate horizon in celebration of Jewish Book Month. I hope you’ll swing by and see me at some of them if you’re in any of these neighborhoods!

[deep breath]

First, I’m hosting a book club night as part of the Detroit Jewish Book Fair on Monday, 10/27 at 7pm ET in Farmington Hills, MI. This is the first event I’ve ever headlined that comes with charcuterie, so if you’re even remotely near Metro Detroit, please do come for the snacks if nothing else. Pre-registration is required and closes on 10/23, so sign up here.

Then, I’m hosting a book talk and Q&A in Highland Park, IL at Temple Beth-El on Tuesday, 10/28 at 7pm CT. Details and location are available here, and I’m very much looking forward to chatting with folks in my own (relative) backyard. Come say hi, north suburbs friends!

Then! I’m leading a virtual author talk hosted by the Streicker Cultural Center in New York on Tuesday, 11/4 at 11:30am ET. This is free and open to the public, so regardless of where you are, join me for an in-depth discussion of Victorian London and all of my Fagin feelings, of which I have many. Details and registration are here.

BUT WAIT! THERE’S MORE!

(“Why don’t you send this newsletter more often, Allison?” you ask. “Then the emails wouldn’t be so long.”

Listen, at this point in the email I am beginning to think that as well, don’t you worry.)

On Monday, 11/10, I’ll be in person at the Katz Festival of Art, Books, and Culture in Cherry Hill, NJ, to participate in a panel about Jewish voices in classic literature alongside the wonderful Alison Bass, author of Rebecca of Ivanhoe. If you enjoy people named Al(l)ison yelling about problematic Jewish characters in classic English literature written between 1830 and 1850, this is an absolute can’t-miss event for you personally. The whole festival looks amazing, so buy tickets here.

On Wednesday, 11/12, I’m virtually visiting the book club at the Port Jewish Center in Port Washington, NY at 8pm ET. Registration is open here, and I genuinely adore book club visits, so I’m looking forward to this very much.

And then! On Thursday, 11/13, I’m hosting an in-person book event in Ann Arbor, MI as part of the Ann Arbor Jewish Book Series at 5:30pm ET. Event details and location are here, and if any of my Ann Arbor friends want to come and say hello I promise to be the *most excited* to see you.

AND THEN! On Wednesday, 11/19, I’ll be in-person at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Buffalo in Buffalo, NY at 7pm ET as part of the Cover to Cover Book Festival. The hosts of this event are the absolute nicest people, so if it doesn’t drop six feet of snow on Buffalo in mid-November please come and say hi to them, and incidentally also me. Registration here!

And then! There’s more stuff happening in December but we SIMPLY CANNOT GET INTO IT RIGHT NOW AS I HAVE ALREADY EXCEEDED MY PER-EMAIL “AND THEN” QUOTA.

(I did make this “all my JBC events between now and May” graphic several weeks ago, it’s not the full schedule of everything I’m doing but I spent time on it so here you go in case you’re in East Hills, NY and making plans for March.)

A Fun Book Thing!

Fagin the Thief has been selected as one of six adult novels to be featured in the 2026 Illinois Reads program!

That’s me! Hanging out in a list next to Nnedi Okorafor!

Local events are in the works hosted by the Illinois Reading Council, including possibly a visit to the State Fair, a place I have never been but have heard many legends about, so watch this space.²

Are You Working on the New Book Yet, Allison?

Hush.

Two Non-Book Fun Things

One, the best part of my summer was when I saw My Chemical Romance as part of the Long Live the Black Parade stadium tour and I’ve since gone absolutely feral for the lore. If any of you have also gotten deep into Wheat Facts in recent weeks, please join me in the comments and share your ideas about who tf Sylvia is, I’ve thought about almost nothing else for a month and my sister is tired of hearing my theories.

Two, I bought this sweater of a cat wearing a sweater at a sidewalk sale this weekend when it was 86 degrees out and I’ve never been happier with a purchase, so I feel compelled to show you. Please behold my son:

Have you ever encountered a more perfect piece of clothing? I posit you have not.

OK, I’m reasonably confident that’s everything I was supposed to tell you. If I forgot anything, you’ll hear about it in November, because I hereby solemnly swear to start sending these on time lest they get out of hand again.

See you on the road, maybe?

-Allison

1. I could, though. Obviously. Your number, sir? Thank you.

2. If I get to take a picture of me and my book in front of a life-size sculpture of a cow made of butter, you bet your sweet butts I’m updating my author photo.