My Year-End Summary and 2023 Publications

Last year, I wrote in my 2022 year-end review that: “Reflecting on 2021, this year was a time to start shedding everything that wasn’t working for me.” If 2022 was a year of shedding, 2023 was a time of restoration in many, many ways.

This year has been a time to heal, laugh, dance, and revel in my peace while reconnecting with old friends and peers. I am extraordinarily grateful for a wonderful year filled with the kinds of memories that last a lifetime.

Career-wise, my future is still a question mark and yet that beautiful whiteboard of art I want to make regardless is still full. So, I grab my scythe and cut a new path while producing evergreen content and revisiting my hobbies. (I’ve been experimenting more with watercolors, knitting, gardening, and vegetarian cooking. And, I definitely want to return to beadweaving in 2024 pending a restructure/reorganization of supplies.)

2023 didn’t incorporate a ton of publications—and that’s okay! I’m happy to share that I’ve already received word of new publications next year for both fiction and games. Onwards. Woooo!

In this spirit, I’d like to share my releases with you. They are affiliate-linked to pages where you can purchase or find out more information about them. Yep, affiliate links. Because I am an artist and I enjoy food. Hah!

Published Books in 2023

I’ve had a ton of wonderful experiences with my debut poetry collection. Thanks to the indomitable Lao poet, Bryan Thao Worra, I had a great experience reading from this collection at a poetry reading. And, the collection has been discussed by a few poetry groups as well. Was the time and effort to create this collection worth it? Yes, absolutely.

into shadow: a poetic exploration of personal fears, 2023, BookOfM

Published Games in 2023

The 2022 Level 1 Volume Three Anthology from 9th Level Games I contributed to last year was nominated for the Best Free Game/Product in the 2023 ENnie Awards. Huzzah! And, I returned to GameHole Con 2023 to celebrate the 10th year anniversary as a special guest. I had a fabulous time.

LEGIONS OF CARCOSA, The Yellow King, 2023, Pelgrane Press

NOBLES: THE GOLDEN MANDATE, Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn, 2023, Crafty Games



December 14, 2023
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My Debut Poetry Collection is Now on Kindle!

into shadow | a poetic exploration of personal fears

Written by Monica Valentinelli, into shadow: a poetic exploration of personal fears is the author’s debut collection of twenty-one poems. The collection’s theme is broken into three books inspired by parts of the shadow: the umbra, penumbra, and antumbra. The fears presented run the gamut between surface-deep and existential. As such, some readers may be uncomfortable with light swearing and unsettling imagery.

In book one: umbra, twenty-one original poems expose the author’s shadow. Notes and references for each poem follows in book two: penumbra, naming her fears and how she tackled them. Lastly, in book three: antumbra, the original drafts of each poem—including improper punctuation and sloppy word choices—are reprinted in their entirety, extending well beyond the umbra.

into shadow: a poetic exploration of personal fears is now available for your Amazon Kindle!



July 8, 2023
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New Release! into shadow: a poetic exploration of personal fears

Written by Monica Valentinelli, into shadow: a poetic exploration of personal fears is the author’s debut collection of twenty-one poems.

The collection’s theme is broken into three books inspired by parts of the shadow: the umbra, penumbra, and antumbra. The fears presented run the gamut between surface-deep and existential. As such, some readers may be uncomfortable with light swearing and unsettling imagery. In book one: umbra, twenty-one original poems expose the author’s shadow. Notes and references for each poem follows in book two: penumbra, naming her fears and how she tackled them. Lastly, in book three: antumbra, the original drafts of each poem—including improper punctuation and sloppy word choices—are reprinted in their entirety, extending well beyond the umbra.

into shadow: a poetic exploration of personal fears is currently available in multiple digital formats.

Smashwords: (epub, mobi, pdf, lrf, pdb, txt, html)

Amazon’s Kindle

DriveThruFiction: (epub, pdf)

If you’re new to DriveThruFiction, please note that purchasing a copy from that eTailer automatically grants you access to all additional formats and corrections uploaded for that title’s listing.

You can also find this collection at additional online booksellers, including the iStore, pending approvals required for broader distribution. Additional announcements may be forthcoming collating these new venues.

Funded on Patreon (@BooksOfM), into shadow: a poetic exploration of personal fears would not be possible without the support of Monica’s patrons and supporters.

Interviews and review copies are available upon request from the author.

February 7, 2023
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Announcing a Patreon Exclusive! Into Shadow Coming Feb 2021

Into Shadow | An Exploration of Personal Fears | Poetry

In my newsletter recently, I described how my nightmares and anxiety caused by the violence in our nation’s capital affected my ability to write last week. I announced in that update I’m channeling these emotions to explore my fears in February. I’ll be writing a poem a day for a #28DaysofPoetry challenge.

This month-long project will be offered to my patreons through Patreon for $2. Yep, that’s right. $2 for 28 poems about my personal fears.

Why charge so little? Since launching my Patreon, I don’t feel I’ve done a very good job helping patrons feel vested in my work. Last year, my patrons helped fund a new web cam–something I desperately needed during the pandemic and am hugely grateful for. I’m hoping that the $2 price will help reassure patrons that their financial support is greatly valued.

In terms of “What am I going to do with this?” The answer is: “I don’t know.” This idea is new, raw, and will be a journey. It’s been a long, long time since I’ve written or studied poetry, and I’m not sure if any publishers would be interested in this type of collection. What’s more, now that I’ve been practicing mini-art pieces for #makedontbreak, my creative mind might shift to illustrating these too. I just don’t know.

I hope you’ll consider joining this project. If you are already a patron, please accept my enduring gratitude. I look forward to sharing my fears with you.

January 12, 2021
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Announcing the Final List of Contributors and Tropes for Upside Down

Less than 48 hours to go, and I couldn’t be happier with the way the Upside Down: Inverted Tropes in Storytelling Kickstarter has gone. We have over 1,000 backers, and today I am happy to announce the final list of contributors. I’ve contacted everyone on the short list that I had contact info for, so if you do not have a response please let me know and I’ll be happy to follow up. Jaym and I are concerned about ensuring all of our authors are treated well; the caliber and quality of stories we received was nothing short of fantastic, and our decisions were very difficult to make.

Short Story & Poetry Contributors

Kat Richardson, Maurice Broaddus, Michael Underwood, Anton Strout, Shanna Germain, Ferrett Steinmetz, Haralambi Markov, Valya Dudycz Lupescu, Alyssa Wong, Nisi Shawl, Sunil Patel, Rahul Kanakia, Sara Harvey, John Hornor Jacobs, Delilah Dawson, Adam-Troy Castro, Alethea Kontis, Katy Harrad & Greg Stolze, Alisa Schreibman, Alex Shvartsman, Rati Mehrotra, Elsa S. Henry, Michelle Lyons-McFarland, Michael Choi, Michelle Muenzler, and Michael Matheson

Tropes Examined

Asian Scientist, Blind People are Magic, Chainmaille Bikini, Chosen One, Damsels in Distress, Epic Fantasy, First Period Panic, Gendericide, Girlfriend in the Refrigerator, Guys Smash, Girls Shoot, Heroine Loves a Bad Man, Jewish Magic, Love at First Sight, Manic Pixie Dream Girl, Prostitute with a Heart of Gold, Retired Pro’s “Last” Job, The Black Man Dies First, The City Planet, The Magical Negro, The Power of Names, The Singularity will Cause the Apocalypse, The Super Soldier, The Villain Had a Crappy Childhood, World Ends/Sets/Reboots, and Yellow Peril

Essayists

Patrick Hester, Lucy Snyder, A.C. Wise, Victor Raymond, and Keffy Kehrli

Essay Topics

Are Tropes Bad?, an examination of Detta/Odetta from The Dark Tower series and how it relates to the gothic trope Jekyll and Hyde, the differences between the hero’s journey and the heroine’s journey using Labyrinth as an example, tropes from a queer (LGBTQA+) perspective, and the intersection of race and culture with respect to tropes and cliches.

March 24, 2016
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Looking for Monica’s books and games that are still in print? Visit Monica Valentinelli on Amazon’s Author Central or a bookstore near you.

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