Writer of sci-fi, fantasy, horror, and fairytale retellings. Born and raised in France. Cat lady. Sapphic fiction enthusiast. Gamer. Can survive on cheese alone. Subscribe to learn more about my forthcoming books and other bookish news, and to grab TWO free short stories!
LAcon V, San Jose Book Festival, and Pictures from the Marquesas Islands
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Dear readers, I hope you're having a great summer and a better weekend than mine. At the time I'm writing these words, my cat Maui is hospitalized in the ICU of my local ER vet clinic. He's dealing with a sudden, very bad bout of feline pancreatitis and his prognosis is guarded; it's a day by day assessment. He's been stable and pushing through it so far, so fingers crossed he gets better with supportive care and time. But he's very sick, so my spouse and I are readying ourselves for the worst. If you have pets, you know how hard these moments are, so give your own cat or dog or bunny or birdie or any other animal you have an extra stroke today. I Will Be At LAcon VI will be attending LAcon V, this year's Worldcon in Anaheim, California, and I'll be on multiple panels and signing my books in the dealer's room too. Here's my full schedule and where you can find me there: • The Bi Standard: Respecting Bisexual Identity in Storytelling (panelist) • Signing at Shiraki Press's table in the dealer's room (~1-hour sessions) Next: San Jose Book FestivalI will be tabling at the very first San Jose Book Festival on Saturday, September 12, 2026. In addition to selling and signing books, I will also be on a panel about "Crossing Through the Portal: Why Fantasy Resonates at Every Age" at 12:00 pm PDT. Panels take place in the BookSmart store on the second floor of the Eastridge Center. Pictures From The Marquesas IslandsI spent a couple of weeks in French Polynesia with my family, first in Hiva Oa, and then in Nuku Hiva. I could speak about it for hours, but instead I'll just share pictures and tell you that the Marquesas Islands are remote, beautiful, and with a vibrant culture and language. It's quite the journey to get there, but it was worth it. Miscellaneous Writing News• My short sci-fi novel Nightbloom is still on submission. I got a few painful passes from publishers I would have loved to work with, but c'est la vie. It's still considered by several editors, and we have places left to submit, so it's not over yet for Rhea and Vrain (the two protagonists).
• I'm making slow but steady progress on my novel The Library of the Dead. I'm still hopeful that I can have the first draft done by the end of the year, though it won't be the end of the world if not. As I'm typing these words, I have written ~27,000 words. It's a high fantasy full of politics, a bit of weird tech, and worldbuilding I'm quite proud of. It has four POVs, which is a new challenge for me. While the story is linear, and each time we switch POV the story moves forward, I still feel like I have to catch up with each character when I start a new chapter. What have they been doing while we were with the others? How are they feeling since last time? It's quite the exercise! • I've already identified my next project, a sci-fi horror novel temporarily titled Autarky. This time we're back to a single POV as we'll follow our protagonist taking on the role of caretaker of the Autarky, an empty, arrived-to-its-destination generation ship. Born and raised on the planet now home to humanity, our protagonist is quite excited to explore the ship that brought her family. Of course, not everything is as it seems, and a lot of spookiness ensues. Expect body horror, an AI that knows more than it pretends, and secrets that really, really don't want to be uncovered. If you like that vibe, I advise you to read S.A. Barnes's sci-fi horror novels, in particular her most recent title Cold Eternity. These two projects are both full-length novels, which might surprise those of you used to my novellas and short novels, but that's the length these two projects need to be fully realized. I'm sure I will write novellas or short novels again in the future, but that won't be for quite a while. Unless, of course, a new idea hijacks my brain and decides it has to be written first. It wouldn't be the first time it happens... That's it for today. Thank you for reading and for supporting my writing. And please keep my cat Maui in your thoughts 💜 Now Available For Purchase |
Millie Abecassis | SFFH Author
Writer of sci-fi, fantasy, horror, and fairytale retellings. Born and raised in France. Cat lady. Sapphic fiction enthusiast. Gamer. Can survive on cheese alone. Subscribe to learn more about my forthcoming books and other bookish news, and to grab TWO free short stories!
Dear readers, The Color of Time came out two weeks ago and I'm astonished by how many people have been enjoying this weird tale of mine! Huge thanks to all the people who bought the book, left a review, came to live events... it means so much to me. You have no idea. Join Me at Books Inc. on June 9 If you live in the San Francisco Bay Area and missed my launch event last month, or just feel like seeing me again, I will be at Books Inc. Mountain View on June 9th from 7 to 8 pm to talk about...
Dear readers, Today is the day! My (short) novel The Color of Time is now available in paperback and ebook everywhere books are sold. Buy Now "An expansive original parable of sapphic yearning, mistakes and redemption, and—most importantly—the fight for freedom." — Florence Chien, author of The Revenant of Surolifia"A tour de force that pulses with political intrigue." — Jason Denzel, author of The Mystic Trilogy"A wholly unique and positively delightful read!" — T.A. Chan, author of The...
Dear readers, I'm excited to share with you a new Storygraph giveaway that I am running from today to May 15, 2026 for The Color of Time! Five paperback copies are available for residents of the U.S. and Canada, and twenty ebook copies are available worldwide (the full list of countries is available on the giveaway page). Don't wait and enter today! Enter the giveaway Reviews: Why They Matter and Links to Post Yours I'm using today's newsletter to cover a topic every author has on their mind...