Madame Askew and The Grand Arbiter

The Grand Arbiter and I have made a mission out of creating spaces filled with whimsy, laughter, and kindness. As much as we are not serious about most things, we are very serious about making opportunities and events that help all of us refill our hearts with laughter and joy. Times, however, are indeed harrowing right now, and we can all find it difficult to embrace laughter when kindness feels so often absent in the greater world.

I certainly don’t have any easy or quick answers in the face of the ongoing brutality in Minneapolis and the other cities targeted by ICE, but I do know that taking action can help me feel a little less overwhelmed with dread. And if there is one thing we are good at in the Temporal Entourage and the Steampunk CommuniTea, it is taking action for whimsy, kindness, and adding more love into the world. 

If you are looking for a way to support Minneapolis and our friends there, may I suggest supporting some of the authors and bookstores we love? These authors, through their stories, remind us that we can find a way through the hardest of times, and as they are navigating these dreadful experiences in their hometown, I know supporting them through reading and recommending their books helps them directly.

Naturally, that means I have a few recommendations to share with you today.

First,our dear friend Catherine Lundoff, the mastermind and editor behind Queen of Swords Press, makes her home in Minneapolis. Everything I’ve read from Queen of Swords has been absolutely marvelous. Indeed, we have frequently featured books from their catalogue as our monthly pick for our Temporal Textual Talks book chat.

If you would like something cosy, I recommend The Voyages of Cinrak the Dapper by A.J. Fitzwater

If you are looking for some dashing steampunk adventure, then check out Murder on the Titania and Other Steam-Powered Adventures by Alex Acks

Interested in some incredible fantasy fiction? Then definitely add The Complete Astreiant by Melissa Scott and Lisa A Barnett to your reading list.

Maybe you are hoping for a little contemporary urban fantasy with a big side of menopausal werewolves? If so, then please pick up Silver Moon by Catherine Lundoff (Really, I want everyone to read this!)

Perhaps you enjoy a little low-key horror mixed with some weird west vibes? Then Terror at Tierra  de Cobra by Michael Merriam is a perfect pick!

For those of you who are hungry for more magic infused historical fantasy that is delightfully steampunk adjacent, then give Little Nothing by Dee Holloway a read!

If you like to indulge in a little Queer romance infused mystery with a dash of gaslamp magic, well, get ready to fall in love with Death by Silver by Melissa Scott and Amy Griswold.

Do you love fairytale retellings? Then The Language of Roses by Heather Rose Jones  is a wonderful addition to your TBR.

All of these books are available directly from Queen of Swords Press, and I have it on good authority that buying direct from their website is the best way to support the authors and the press. But if you are looking to pick up some other authors or support additional local book stores, may I recommend setting up your favourite indy book store as the recipient of your Bookshop.org purchases? This is a great way to share a little love with local book sellers who may be a bit overwhelmed right now but could still use the support!

Speaking of other authors and local book sellers in Minneapolis, I have some more recommendations to share!

Do you love Beth Cato’s steampunk fiction? Did you know she has some absolutely stunning, cosy mysteries now available and she lives outside of Minneapolis? I’m particularly a fan of Cheddar Luck Next Time, but A House Between Sea and Sky may just be the best thing she’s ever written.

Lara and Lisa Neel from Twins N Needles, my dear friends who host sewing workshops, videos, and other sewing educational content, are also authors and have a new book out Representing the Fashion of Our Nineteenth Century Cherokee Ancestor: Culture Not Costume. Lara is a long time Minneapolis resident and also has a book for knitters, Sock Architecture

Check out Dreamhaven Books and Comics! Add them as your Bookshop.org indy bookstore or shop directly from their website.

Or pick up some good sci-fi and fantasy from Uncle Hugos and Uncle Edgar’s, the oldest,indy science fiction store in the U.S.

This is, of course, just a small list of the authors, artists, and bookshops you could be supporting. If you know other folks we could support in the area, please do share them in the comments with a link to their book, their website, or a local shop.