Alanna Peterson's Blog, page 3

Within Every Flame Launch Events

My third novel, Within Every Flame, is coming out in just a couple weeks now, and for the first time ever, I’ll be having some events in conjunction with the launch!

My first two books were both released in 2020, in the midst of particularly difficult times of pandemic awfulness and social unrest, so I was not exactly in the mood to celebrate, and very tired of virtual meetings, and… [insert long list of additional excuses here]. 

But now we’re nearing the close of 2021, and I really wante...

Within Every Flame Cover Reveal

I’m excited to announce that Within Every Flame, the third book in the Call of the Crow Quartet, will be released on December 1, 2021!

The title for this book took me FOREVER to come up with. I hemmed and hawed over it for months. At one point, I even wrote down a bunch of words that related to the book on scraps of paper. I shuffled them around and around, searching in vain for the perfect combination. I wrote lists of possibilities in the Notes app on my phone, jotting down anything that I ...

Talking to My Self

In my recent blog post on dealing with depression, I mentioned a therapy modality that I have found to be quite useful in my own healing journey: Internal Family Systems therapy, or IFS. If you haven’t heard of it before, read on! But even if you have, I’ll be sharing some specific examples from my own experience that you may find useful.

What is IFS?

Basically, IFS sees the inner psyche as being composed of the core self, as well as various parts that interact within an internal “family.”...

Garden Project: Mushrooms

It’s funny how the smallest thing can make your day sometimes. Recently, I was having a rather blah morning and decided to go outside to water the plants. When I got to the shady corner in the back, I was greeted by a most welcome sight!

Two small brown mushrooms rising from the earth

But these beauties didn’t just pop up out of nowhere. In fact, their story began early last spring.

Seduced by Seed Catalogs

I usually try not to open the seed catalogs I get in the mail every winter. A...

Dealing with Depression: 4 Things I’ve Learned

I’ve been wanting to write this post for quite some time, but keep putting it off. The topic is hard enough to talk about with those I’m closest to, so I don’t necessarily want to spill it all on the internet! But at the same time, I always appreciate when others share what they’ve learned from their mental health struggles, because it helps me gain a lot of insight into my own situation. This post is my attempt to do the same.

A red bridge surrounded by purple and magenta rhododendrons

In...

Recipes for a New Normal: A Digital Food Justice Zine

At the beginning of the year, I joined the organizing collective for a food justice digital zine, and have spent lots of time helping to gather submissions and create the website. It is now live, and I’m so excited to share it with you all! It features artwork by dozens of contributors in the form of essays, reflections, photos, poetry, song, and visual art. And, of course, recipes! 

Even better, nearly all pieces are accompanied by an audio recording of the artist reading their words. Yo...

Date Tahini Energy Bites

Way back in June 2017, I decided to attend a meeting at CAGJ, a local food justice organization. I wanted to get more involved because I really respected their work (which also happened to dovetail nicely with the themes of my books). But, being an introvert who tends to avoid unnecessary social situations, it took me a while to work up the courage to RSVP to the meeting. The welcoming, enthusiastic email I received in response convinced me to show up, and wow am I glad I did! I’ve learned SO mu...

Garden Project: Herb Spiral

I’ve been gardening for a while now, and find myself gravitating more and more towards perennials and plants that don’t need extra watering. Partially because I’m not very good at keeping things watered and I feel very sad whenever I lose a plant due to my own neglect… but also because our summers up here in the Pacific Northwest just keep getting hotter and drier, so it’s more sustainable in the long term.

Front garden beds filled with an abundance of perennial plants

This spring both of ...

Fan Art Gallery

Over the past few months, I’ve been collecting fan art inspired by my books. The resulting collection was so beautiful that I created a virtual gallery to display it all! Shall we step inside?

First up, we have the book covers! These beauties were designed by Jacob Covey. Even though I see these quite often around my house, I never get tired of looking at their eye-catching designs and vibrant colors.

I’ve already featured the following pieces on my blog, but they definitely deserv...

Crow Art Ideas

I’m having such a wonderful time collecting fan art that I want to keep the fun going! A common theme among everyone who has submitted is how much they enjoyed the process of creating their piece. So I wanted to introduce another way to get your creative juices flowing, even if you haven’t read my novels, and even if you generally think of yourself as not being an artistic person.

Here is your offi...