Fan Spotlight: Sage

One of the reasons I desperately needed a website like this was to act as a hub for all things pertaining to me. Whenever I wanted to share something cool, I had to do this weird balancing act of finding out where to stick it. Tumblr? Twitter? Both the sites? None of them?

While I've used my Tumblr for posting/re-blogging fan-made stuff, I am now happy that from here on out, I can share with you all the cool things that people have made of the work that I've done. I'd like to start with Sage, who I met at MiniCon recently. While I actually knew more people in Minnesota fandom than many other cities, I was still a bit nervous about being a Guest of Honor at a convention I'd never attended. I had made a few friends at CONvergence last summer, but otherwise, I was aware that I was a bit out of my element in this community. That's okay! I love getting to make new friends! 

I did not expect anyone to show up to my signing on Saturday afternoon because I was such a new face at the con, and because it's hard to have things to sign when all your work is online and your first book isn't even published yet. However, Sage showed up and gifted me with one of the most spectacular drawings I'd ever seen, and I'd like to share it with you:

Image drawn by Sage/Samantha Somers

Not gonna lie: I started crying after I got this. Not only was this likeness stunning, but as Sage started telling me about finding my YouTube readings and deciding to draw a particularly upsetting moment from one of those readings, I felt an immense wave wash over me. I get lost in the act of writing and recording a lot, and I really don't think about the impact I might have on someone else. And here was this incredible person who not only paid to attend a con I was a guest at, but used their remarkable artistic talent to draw me. IT IS SUCH A FLATTERING THING TO EXPERIENCE. Thank you, Sage, for this wonderful gift.

You can find Sage's work on DeviantArt, or you can follow along with the webcomic they draw for, Runner. Runner Comics also has a Patreon you should check out, too!

Mark Does Stuff Review Round-Up: Week of April 14, 2017

Hello again, readers and watchers! This week has provided you with my continued journey through Star Trek: Voyager, The Fifth Elephant, and Wizards at War. In cased you missed it, here's what I reviewed this week: 

Mark Reads

Wizards at War, Chapter 1: In which I learn just how real this book gets in one chapter.
The Fifth Elephant, Part 7: In which I am shocked by an appearance and some violence.
Wizards at War, Chapter 2: In which the stakes are raised and everything escalates.
The Fifth Elephant, Part 8: In which I am truly unready for the final scene. 
Wizards at War, Chapter 3, Part I: In which a character I forgot about provides a solution.

Mark Watches

Voyager 6x08: In which heartbreak looms.
Voyager 6x09: In which I get emotional about conspiracy theories.
Voyager 6x10: In which a Next Generation character re-appears and I cry. Again.
Galaxy Quest: In which I watch the greatest Star Trek movie of all time.
Voyager 6x11: In which I don't actually like this all that much.

That's all for this week! Stay tuned next week for THE RETURN OF MARK WATCHES GARGOYLES!

San Francisco, come watch me celebrate RIVER OF TEETH

I'm very pleased to finally be able to share with you a secret plan I made with my friend Sarah Gailey: I will be making a special appearance at the launch party for her novella, River of Teeth, which will take place at 6pm on May 19th at Borderlands Books in San Francisco! You can find more info about the party and RSVP on the Facebook event page. This is NOT a Mark Does Stuff event; however, I am going to be doing an unspoiled live-reading from River of Teeth. Sarah has forbade me from reading anything of the chapter I'm reading at the event, so you can watch me be unprepared for the hippo-stravaganza that is River of Teeth. This will likely be my only appearance of any sort in the Bay Area this year, so come say hello and support my friend Sarah!

Mark Does Stuff Review Round-up: Week of April 7, 2017

Hello, readers and watchers! One of the reasons I wanted to have this site was to collect information in a central location, both for newcomers and for those of you who bounce in and out of the community. One of the most fascinating things about my fandom is how it fluctuates in waves based on what I'm reviewing. There's certainly a whole lot of you who read and post every day, but I also love the lurkers and the folks who come in for one series and then go about their lives for a while, only to return again. 

Thus, each Friday, I'll put up a post that just links to what reviews were posted this week so you can keep up with what I'm writing! Not a fancy post, but it serves a great purpose. THUS, HERE WE GO.

Mark Reads

The Fifth Elephant, Part 4: In which one of my favorite Discworld characters returns.
Wizard's Holiday, Epilogue: In which I am royally screwed up by a last-minute surprise.
The Fifth Elephant, Part 5: In which Colon is the worst.
Wizards at War Predictions: In which I am not ready.
The Fifth Elephant, Part 6: In which I try to figure out the mystery.

Mark Watches

Voyager 6x03: In which I discuss B'Elanna and biracial narratives.
Voyager 6x04: In which I discuss perspective, the Doctor, and uncriticized misogyny.
Voyager 6x05: In which Voyager tries to do something neat with Tom, but...
Voyager 6x06: In which I marvel at Tim Russ, but desire more.
Voyager 6x07: In which I am bewildered by the many things in this episode.

Patreon

April Commissions: There are 14 videos this month, from the end of Every Heart a Doorway, to the season 2 finale of Killjoys, to the worst cliffhanger in Patreon history thanks to Broadchurch. 

I'll be Guest of Honor at HELIOsphere in 2018!

Since the news is out, I'm happy to share that I am a guest of honor at HELIOsphere in Tarrytown, NY next year! The convention takes place from March 9 - 11, 2018, and is a mere 37-minute train ride from Grand Central Station. Thus, if you're NYC-based, you should come hang out with us! I'm thrilled and honored that HELIOsphere has invited me and done so alongside Kameron Hurley and Cecilia Tan. (Seriously, I'm geeking out.) Hope to see you next year!

Welcome to my new site!

Hello, readers, watchers, and everyone in between! I've been working on this for a while in order to transition to having a more central location to announce things and collect the entire Mark Does Stuff universe. With the teaser announcement of my YA book now live and out in the world, it was time to debut my next secret! Please have a look around and check out the changes. I'll be doing a very light text redesign of Mark Reads and Mark Watches to link back to this site instead of having announcements spread about multiple sites and in different mediums.

From here on out, all announcements will be posted here first. You can also join my newsletter to get notifications straight to your inbox! Trust me, you'll want to join because I have SO MANY incredible things to tell you about my future as a YA author. 

All photos were taken by my good friend Rakeem Cunningham; please reach out to him if you're in Southern California and need some professional photography done. Everything else was assembled by yours truly, which is a goddamn miracle because I AM NEVER GOOD AT THESE THINGS.

Onwards into an exciting future!