My publisher Choice of Games is having a sale until January 29 on several fun creature-related games, including my interactive novel Fox Spirit: A Two-Tailed Adventure! If you love foxes, dogs, cats, gryphons, and/or dinosaurs, you won’t want to miss it! Learn more here: https://www.choiceofgames.com/2026/01/our-animal-games-are-on-sale/ 🦊🐶🐱🦅🦁🦖
Happy New Year! How is 2026 treating you? If you’re like me, you started the year with lofty (but ill-defined) ambitions, then hit a brick wall and sank into despair after failing to reach those heights every day.
I have good news for you, though. My counselor gifted me a sentence yesterday that I feel called to share here with you:
“My worth does not rise or fall on anything I do or don’t do.”
I invite you to read that again. And again. To repeat it out loud to yourself. Maybe to write it out by hand and tape it somewhere you will often see it.
“My worth does not rise or fall on anything I do or don’t do.”
Your worth is not defined by your successes or failures. Your worth is not defined by how others perceive you. Your worth is not defined by your circumstances.
You are worthy and lovable, just as you are.
This year, I hope you treat yourself with patience and kindness, whether you achieve your initial resolutions or have to recalibrate…or whether you’ve made resolutions at all. Being yourself is more than enough. May you embrace this truth with your whole heart.
I am so glad we are sharing this planet. Thank you for being here, now…just as you are.
Today is the last day of 2025.
How was your year? What are your dreams for the next one?
In 2025, I accomplished a few simple goals I set for myself early on: to post on this blog at least once a month, to read at least one full-length book a month (I know, I know. I need to read lots more than that! I used to! Easing myself back into it…), and to get a new piece of writing published (the story in question won the story of the week award that week!).
I spent a few months as a camp counselor at SeaWorld San Diego, introducing kids to dolphins and other marine creatures and having a splash-tastic time. Afterwards, I started the zookeeping apprenticeship I’m currently doing in the Midwest, interacting with and learning about all kinds of special animals.
Next year, my second game from Choice of Games is coming out (Hero of Hoofbeat Hollow!). I’ll be on the hunt for a new wildlife-related job after my zoo apprenticeship ends. As usual, I have no idea where the road will take me. And that’s an exciting thought!
What are my goals for 2026? Here are some. I’m going to write more, because a new friend I met at the San Francisco International Airport and I pinkie promised each other that we both would (holding you to it, P.!). I’m also going to work on being kinder to myself.
My main aspiration, though, is to walk in the ways of this precious prayer:
As the motto of my birth state, Wisconsin, proclaims so proudly…FORWARD!
Have a happy New Year, everyone! 🎆
My short story “The Spectator” was published in 50-Word Stories today! Read it here.
Hi everyone!
The Steam Autumn Sale is here! Now through October 6, get discounts of up to 40% off on select Choice of Games (including Fox Spirit!), Heart’s Choice, and Hosted Games titles!
In this season of magic and change, now is the perfect time to start a new adventure!
In case no one has told you today, your presence makes a difference in this world. You deserve to be here. You are worthy of love. Your existence matters to others, including me.
A week from today, I am participating in an Out of the Darkness Community Walk to support the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. I hope to raise at least $150 for AFSP by that date (October 4). If you can contribute even a small amount through my participant page, I would deeply appreciate your support in raising money for this important cause.
If you are ever in crisis in the United States, you can always call, text, or message the 988 Lifeline, text HOME to the Crisis Text Line at 741741, or call 911. If you are in a different country, please see this list.
Thank you! 💖
Writing and wildlife updates await!
Hello, friends! With summer drawing to a close, I’ve embarked for a new adventure: a zookeeping apprenticeship at Scovill Zoo in Decatur, Illinois! I’m thrilled by this opportunity and eager to begin. My start date is September 1st, but I’ve already moved to town and am enjoying exploring the area.
My other major announcement is that my second interactive novel for Choice of Games, Hero of Hoofbeat Hollow, is now available to wishlist on Steam! Click the cover art below to find it:
The game is still in progress, so there’s no official release date yet, and the descriptions are subject to change. Nonetheless, I’m excited to share this preview page (and the gorgeous cover art!) with you. Please wishlist and follow the game’s page for more news!
Every summer, San Diego hosts the San Diego Comic Convention (Comic-Con International), a massive celebration of all things nerdy: comics, yes, but also other “popular arts,” including science fiction and fantasy movies, shows, games, and literature. Many attendees dress up as their favorite characters from such media (an activity known as “cosplay”). The convention hosts panels and events galore, a veritable feast for fans of superheroes, aliens, anime, and more.
This year, the event began on Thursday and ends today. I didn’t obtain a badge (I wasn’t aware that I would be in San Diego this summer when they went on sale in the fall!), but I went downtown for a while on Friday to check out the scene, snapping a quick photo of this sign at the San Diego Convention Center:
I also glimpsed this advertisement for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (the text on the left reads “Strange brought you here. Curiosity keeps you.”):
Witnessing Comic-Con (even from afar) has made me reflect upon stories I’ve loved over the years, of which I have called myself a “fan”: books like the Harry Potter series and The Lord of the Rings, shows like Star Trek and Doctor Who, games like Night in the Woods and Undertale, and multimedia franchises like Pokémon. What elements made me (and so many others) fall in love with these stories? What makes a story resonate and endure, even gaining a massive following?
Two big factors (for me) are characters and worlds: characters I care about, and worlds I want to explore…and maybe even live in for a little while. A third, less tangible factor that I also love to see is an element of hope: the idea that we can work together to make the world a better place. I am typically not a big consumer of horror or dystopian fiction (nor plots that resolve themselves purely through violence) for that reason; I prefer to imagine brighter futures and believe in the magic of possibility.
What about you? What are the stories (in any medium) for which you proudly identify as a “fan” (or have in the past)? What do they have in common? What are elements you wish you saw in stories more?
I look forward to reading your answers below!
Hi, friends! Have you visited any new places this summer? I had the great pleasure of going to the California Wolf Center in Julian for the first time today with a dear friend and her family. We took an enrichment tour and saw the wolves get some tasty treats!
Two female northwestern gray wolves at the California Wolf Center, Yana (front) and her daughter Poppy (back).
Another photo of Poppy.
Below are some action shots of Thor and Durango, two Mexican gray wolf brothers, investigating their environment.
The California Wolf Center is an active participant in Mexican gray wolf conservation and educating the public about wolves. Please support their important work if you can!
I grew up going to SeaWorld San Diego as a kid. It was one of the places that nurtured my passion for animals (particularly marine mammals!) and inspired me to pursue wildlife conservation as a career. I was lucky enough to participate in their Dolphin Interaction Program (DIP) and get in the water with bottlenose dolphins:
I also had the good fortune of attending their resident camp one summer, where I got my first kiss from a beluga whale named Ruby:
I’m excited to announce that I am returning to SeaWorld San Diego this summer, for the first time in my adult life! This time, I’ll be making a splash as a day camp counselor! I’m excited to teach kids about marine life and have lots of fun in the sun together!
What are your plans for the summer? I hope they are FIN-tastic! May all your childhood dreams come true! 🐬✨
The views expressed in this post are my own. I do not speak as a representative of SeaWorld San Diego in this post or any other on my blog. Thanks for reading! 🐳
Amy Clare Fontaine 