Autumn is here and October has been the busiest month for us yet! We couldn't pass up the opportunity to book as many events as we could during our favorite month.

Not only is our aesthetic a perfect fit for spooky season, but The Chimera Snare itself is a spell. And our universe has its very own magic system- much of which gets touched on in 'Fragments'. Here are a couple of our favorite events this month.

Witches Day Out

Capping off our October events was Witches Day Out, curated by Inanna MBS, LLC. This was a day full of magic among a group of talented vendors. There were cocktails, a scavenger hunt and even witchy dancing amidst a wonderful crowd of supportive patrons! Needless to say, we had a blast.

  

Oddities and Dark Art Markets

Soundgrowler Brewing hosted the Oddities and Dark Arts Market on 10-5. Curated by John Streetz—Streezt Artz Alliance, this event had over 44 vendors featuring extraordinary range of products—from live spiders and insect taxidermy to macabre artwork and curious décor. We had so much fun connecting with fellow readers, some of whom approached us and expressed their interest from the FB event vendor shout outs. We even had a mention on Patch.com for the event under Clay Urn Publishing.

We also got to meet Award-winning Horror Writer & Director, CJ Vecciho at the Haunted Halloween Flea Market! CJ is curating Wisconsin's first and only Horror convention coming up next year in March in Milwaukee. We're happy to announce that we've been accepted as a participating vendor and are greatly looking forward to this event.

CJ also captured this awesome candid shot of us. Thank you so much!

Books & Booch

Our Books and Booch event at Living Full Kombucha was much more than just another stop on the Fragments book tour. This was an occasion celebrating the convergence of creativity and community. Lydia and Shawn are some of the brightest souls we’ve ever met, and we are honored and grateful to have them as friends. Our respective journeys in pursuit of something greater than ourselves have crossed in a way that fills us with fiery drive and a healthy outlook on the future yet to come.

  

  

Giveaway Winners

Congratulations to Femi and Jackie who won our very first art print giveaway! We're going to be announcing another giveaway soon, so stay tuned. Be sure to follow us on our socials so you don't miss any updates.

Holiday Shopping

The holidays are right around the corner. Don't forget, we have the exclusive Premium print run of The Chimera Snare: Fragments available on our shop. You can only purchase this version from select retailers where we are shelved, in person, or on our online shop. We also have all the fantastic swag and immersive accompaniments, like our Delavine Crystal Scented Candle, Triad's Crown Custom Soap Bar, and Last Request Custom Incense, up on our shop as well.

Limited Edition Krampus Bookmarks

Our limited-edition foiled Krampus holiday bookmarks are hot off the press! We'll be giving these out at our upcoming markets in November and December. Online orders placed during that time will also receive one. Available while supplies last!

Making Meaningful Connections

We connected with both Jennifer and Amanda with Forget Me Not Animal Rescue at the Haunted Halloween Flea Market in Wheaton. When we told them about the art prints and out passion for animal welfare, it was an instant connection. We're thrilled to announce that Forget Me Not Animal Rescue is now part of our Giving Back Program and will be sponsored this December.

Giving Back Program

Our art prints can be purchased on Clay Urn Publishing’s webstore. All art print sales, including online, support the charity of the month. For more info, check out our Giving Back page.

Have a great November, everyone! We know we will. Check out the following events we'll be attending this month:

 

 

From officially being shelved to vending in the rain, we’ve had quite the full month!

And speaking of the beauty within darkness, check out this awesome shot from one of our besties. She gravitated to a declaration made by one of the main characters that rings true to us on a personal level.

Now, let’s check out some more fun highlights from September.

Shows, Shows, Shows!

We really hit the ground running. In September, we had six events: DuPage MightyCon, Milwaukee MightyCon, Author Spotlight at Zion Benton Public Library, Chapter 6 of Studio MoonFall’s Kenosha Book Fest, Meet The Authors at Studio MoonFall, and our first event with Streetz Artz Alliance for Oak-tober Fest at Imperial Oak Brewing.

We got to play around with different booth sizing and had an absolute blast. Oddly enough, our rainy day Chapter 6 Kenosha Book Festival was the best day! we know books and rain go together well, but usually, that’s with a hot bev and some cozy blankets indoors. We’re so thankful for everyone who came and showed their support!

  

  

  

We Are Officially Shelved!

We couldn’t be happier to be shelved at Studio Moonfall and This Old Book. Both venues show incredible support to local authors and have been a trove of kindness as we’ve navigated our release- not to mention some of the most fun to chat with. Check out some shots of TCS sitting pretty on their shelves! And if you’re in the area, do say hi and show them some love.

 

 

Giving Back Program

We had a blast chatting with folks about our Giving Back program.

In September, we sponsored Kindred Kitties, Kenosha's all-volunteer, non-profit, no-kill rescue organization aimed at proactively addressing the plight of homeless cats. Most of the folks we chatted with were familiar with the organization and expressed their kind words, which was amazing to be a part of. We sold a total of 7 art prints and are working to get the donation over to Kindred Kitties this week.

In October, we are sponsoring Gatos de la Noche. Their mission is to actively facilitate and support the humane treatment of feral cat colonies. This includes participating in Trap Neuter and Return (TNR) of feral cats, seeking medical attention for cats that are ill or hurt, setting up feeding stations for anyone willing to feed a colony on a daily basis, trapping kittens, and finding foster homes to socialize them and training others to do the same. Gatos de la Noche believes education and support are the keys to ending the cycle of unwanted kittens and cats.

Can’t make it to the events, but still want to support?

Our art prints can be purchased on Clay Urn Publishing’s webstore. All art print sales, including online, support the charity of the month. For more info, check out our Giving Back page.

Have an amazing October, everyone! We know we will. Check out the following events we'll be attending this month:

 

 

 

 

 

The Chimera Snare: Fragments has been out for a little over 2 weeks and it's been go, go, go ever since. Check out some of the highlights:

Double Clutch Book Launch

We were thrilled to have our close friends be a part of our book launch party. We had some small bites, brews then a presentation towards the end that dove into some finer details about the book such as the life of the project, our collaboration and creative process as a team, and the important symbolism found in the art. We also realized that we need to be more diligent taking photos and video during the events. Thankfully we had some good friends of ours snap a couple!

  

Studio Moonfall Kenosha Book Fest

Our very first vending event! Donovan, owner of Studio Moonfall, is the curator behind Kenosha's Book Festival. This year it has six chapters. We attended Chapter 5 in August and had an awesome time chatting with a variety of folks- from fellow authors and enthusiastic readers, to curious patrons and aspiring authors. If you don't know Donovan, he's one awesome dude—a trove of information and kindness with the passion to help support fellow local authors. We're looking forward to Chapter six this month on the 22nd, the final Kenosha Book Fest event of the year! Oh yeah, and also our Meet the Author event at Studio Moonfall that following Friday.

 

 

 

Giving Back Program

We kicked off our Giving Back program with Save-A-Pet, one of the nation's oldest no-kill animal shelters. At our release party, 100% of the proceeds went to Save-A-Pet. Double Clutch generously joined in and donated $1 from each Helles Lager purchased that day.

For September, we are sponsoring Kindred Kitties, Kenosha's all-volunteer, non-profit, no-kill rescue organization aimed at proactively addressing the plight of homeless cats. They are dedicated to finding loving, permanent homes for cats and kittens, promoting responsible pet ownership, and participating in community events to advocate for cats and educate the general public.

Don't forget, our art prints can be purchased on Clay Urn Publishing!

Have an amazing September, everyone! We know we will. Check out the following events we'll be attending this month:

  

  

It's The Chimera Snare: Fragments release day! To mark the occasion, we wanted to share the history of how The Chimera Snare came to be and the journey made to get to where were are today.

The earliest fundamental development of what The Chimera Snare has become today started when Shannon was around 11. She had always loved writing short stories and was particularly fascinated with dreams: how vivid and cinematic hers were, and the interesting parallels that sometimes occurred between her and her friends.

The base of the TCS universe was something that Shannon toyed with during her senior year in high school, but it was left behind during all the chaos of graduation and work until a dream reignited it a couple of years later. During an early morning, sleep-deprived trip into San Francisco on CalTrain for work, Shannon was listening to Agalloch's The Mantle and had an epic, vivid dream to the first 2 tracks, "A Celebration For the Death of Man" and "In the Shadow of Our Pale Companion." The experience created the first-ever depth for the two characters, Von and Navaryn, portraying their love for one another and the lengths they went through in order to be together despite their forbidden relationship.

The daydream left a permanent imprint. Intent on creating an animation based on what she experienced, Shannon storyboarded the length of both songs. However, the more she reflected on the characters Von and Navaryn, the more she felt like there was a deeper story to tell. Therefore, she decided to bring them to life through a full-fledged novel. Fragments incorporates that very plight among other elements of the main plotline.

The first iteration of Fragments was self-published by Shannon in 2015. Shortly after, her husband, Edward, joined in on the writing adventure, and together as a team, they created book two, titled Reflections. Reflections was set to release in the summer of 2020, yet the pandemic forced the author duo to reschedule their plans. The extra time was a blessing as they assessed Fragments would need a complete overhaul to match the universe expansion they created in Reflections. Not only that, but they wanted to connect with a professional artist who matched their overall vibe and would elevate the presentation of their series.

They connected with Adrian Baxter, a talented artist in the UK known for his intricate line art and deliciously dark, macabre designs. He also crafts album artwork for notable musicians- some of which the author duo pays their respects to in their book credits. Adrian created the book's visual identity and incorporated important meanings to the artistic elements which will be later explained in an upcoming blog post.

Now, after four years of work and nearly 10 years since the original version of Fragments released, the remastered version, penned together by both Shannon and Edward, is officially ready for the world.

 

Fun Facts:

• The release date of August 17th is the couple's Wedding Anniversary.
• There are still plans to one day create the animation to the two tracks from Agalloch with an updated storyboard that matches the expanded universe the couple has created together.

Animal Welfare is important to S & E Black, the authors of the Dark Fantasy Series THE CHIMERA SNARE & Founders of Clay Urn Publishing. Together, they have 11 cats, 7 of which are rescues, and have rescued and rehomed an additional 7*.

The Great Kitten Rescue

Most of the action happened in the summer of 2019, in what the author duo refers to as "The Great Kitten (and Cat) Rescue," where Shannon stepped in to rescue the kittens from a cat colony by her work. She contacted Feral Change for help, and while they were at capacity to help with the kittens, they were able to help assist TNR the colony, which Shannon's employer, Associated Services, helped sponsor. The experience helped Shannon and Edward reaffirm the importance of supporting local animal rescues.

The Idea

Shannon's goal is to combine her love for art with the desire to help support independent animal rescue groups. The idea of handmade art prints came about, and after brainstorming the pieces to offer and assessing their replicability, she had a plan:  To donate 50% of the sales from her handmade art prints to a featured charity for the month.

 

The Materials

• Big Stamping Large Print stamps: The Sigil of The Chimera Snare, the sword trio, and individual swords were sourced from Big Stamping in Spain.
• Premium Watercolor Paper
• Lindy’s Gang Sprays
• Acrylic UV Sealant

 

The Process

After layering black ink, the paper gets shimmer-spritzed with a selection of Lindy’s Stamp Gang Stardust and Glitz sprays.  Once dry, the paper is sealed with three coats of UV fixative. After the curing time, the paper is then stamped and left to dry for 4-5 days—necessary because of the UV sealant. Once dry, there are two final coats of UV sealant, and each unique piece is ready. Creating a single art print takes about one week. It’s worth the time because each print is beautifully unique.

"Helping save the lives of cats is the good that my husband and I are putting back into the world. I want to continue to help the like-minded efforts of ethical animal rescue organizations that share the same passion for saving lives and giving animals a second chance," says Shannon.

Shannon's handmade art prints will be available to purchase online at Clay Urn Publishing's webstore and during in-person events. At in-person events, patrons can name their price over asking, and 100% of the overage will be donated to the currently featured animal rescue. More details to come soon as the first few rounds of art prints are being prepped for their release party, where a special 100% of all art print sales will be donated to Save-A-Pet, one of the nation's oldest, true no-kill animal shelters.

Afternotes:

*Of the kittens that were rescued in 2019, one, named Usagi, sadly developed FIP before life-saving drugs were available to treat the condition. She crossed the rainbow bridge but was loved and cared for every step of the way.

Both Edward and Shannon have her paw prints as tattoos- different designs created by the talented Matteo Sisti of Eluveitie. At that time, Matteo was working in tattoo sessions throughout the tour. The tattoos were done before the show in Oakland, CA, in 2019.

Supporting local animal rescues is crucial for several reasons. These organizations provide essential care and rehabilitation for abandoned, abused, or neglected animals, giving them a second chance at life. They also help control the pet population through spaying and neutering programs, reducing the number of homeless animals. Local animal rescues often work to educate the community about responsible pet ownership, fostering a compassionate attitude toward animals. By supporting ethical animal rescues, individuals contribute to the well-being of their community and the overall improvement of animal welfare.