Stevie,
I wasn’t planning on breaking down this week.
The kids were fed. The evening was calm. I’d just packed up some left over food I had made for dinner. It was homemade, hot, and of course I made too much of it and figured I’d drop it off to Darren and Raj as a surprise. They’ve always done more for me than I can repay. So a warm dinner felt like something I could give back.
That’s when the first light came on.
Check Engine. Just like that. Out of nowhere. I got it looked at, and the spark plugs and ignition coils were the problem. Not a surprise as it is a 15 year old car. But I paid to fix it, I even smiled on the way home because for the first time in awhile I handled it in a swift manner.
But of course a week later, the ABS brake light flared up, then the traction light, then the engine again! And this time, it rattled so hard I thought the whole thing was going to come apart on the road. All of it happened while I was on the way to drop food off to my friends. Same kindness, with the same intention but a different ending.
Now the car’s dead. And I’m stranded.
The kids are trying not to panic. Noriko keeps insisting he can fix it with duct tape and hard work. Rika’s stressed out reading a survival roadtrip book. Fumiko’s quietly eating snacks on his luggage throne. And Minato, bless him, is keeping himself busy playing his games.
We were supposed to be getting ready for Rose City Comic Con. I promised we’d be there in September. It’s where the next leg of our story begins, one of the many places we share our world with others. Where we get to tell people face-to-face that magic still matters.
But magic doesn’t run on fairy dust. It runs on gas, parts, repairs... or if we’re being honest maybe a new (used) car altogether.
Of course I’m not asking for charity as I run a business. This world, the one I’ve built with my kids, with Angela’s memory, with the help of people like you, it matters to us. And if we can sell enough products, we will be able to fuel the story forward.
That’s why we’re launching the Fuel the Story Campaign. Every purchase you make adds “gas” to our tank.
We’ve made a fuel meter to track the journey here on this page. Each week, I’ll update it because every sticker sheet, print, and book preorder pushes us one mile closer to fixing the car or replacing it entirely, so we can show up in September and keep our story alive.
You can shop our latest products here.
But there’s more. (This is just a rough cover idea)
This also marks the pre-order launch of our novel, The Onion Effect. Which you can buy here!
It is a cozy story about grief, healing, and the magic of second chances told through the lens of our family’s beginnings, Me and my precious Angela.
📚 All Pre-orders come signed.
📦 Shipping starts October/November just in time for a cozy spooky season.
If you want to help us and get something truly special in return, you can add on the exclusive “Roadside Realizations” sticker bundle to your preorder for just $10 instead of the usual $20.
Because you’re not just helping us fix a car. You’re helping my little family of onions (and the artist behind them) keep telling stories that matter and help everyone grow.
Thank you for every single mile you give us. We may be stranded right now... but we’re not stuck. Not with people like you on the road with us.
Stevie
(and the whole Parris family)
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