Megan here and boy…there are some events that leave you tired by the end of the day, and then there are the ones that leave you full in the best possible way. Sunday at Plus Ultra Coffee in the Bradley Square Mall was very much both.

Thank you to everyone who came out, browsed the tables, picked up books, asked questions, shared stories, and stayed awhile to chat with us. One of my favorite parts of these events is getting to sit down with people who are just as eager to geek out over history, mythology, folklore, dragons, and strange old tales as we are. We always crave those connections and conversations!

And truly, that is always welcomed by all three of us — me, Megan, D.B. Hopson, and Roy, who somehow manages to turn imagination into something tangible with every drink and project he touches.

One of the most rewarding things to witness throughout the day was seeing people light up when they found their thing. Sometimes it was one of the dragons D.B. designed and Roy printed. Sometimes it was finally spotting the book they’d been searching for and realizing they could actually take it home with them that day. There’s a kind of quiet magic in that moment — when a story, an image, or even an idea suddenly clicks into place for someone. That is what makes all of this worthwhile.

The Wings of Wisdom series continues to grow, with one more slated to come out within the next year or so. But there are other children’s stories already in the works. Some are whimsical and some lean deeper into folklore and myth. All of them are being built with the same hope: that stories can still spark wonder, teach values, and bring families closer together.

Meanwhile, somewhere in the far back corner of my very eclectic mind, a handful of historical fiction and science fiction projects are continuing to percolate. Slowly. The hope is to have at least one of those finished before the end of the year slips away from me.

And for those who enjoy poetry, I’m also preparing to load my recent chapbook, Appalachian Roots, onto KDP and IngramSpark so it will be more widely available for readers interested in that corner of my work as well.

Thank you again to Plus Ultra Coffee for hosting us, and thank you to every person who stopped by the table. Independent storytelling survives because people still care enough to seek it out, talk about it, and carry it home with them.

We noticed. And we’re grateful.