Please hold...

It’s been a hot minute since I’ve posted a puzzle to the blog! Well, it’s been a heck of a year. I’ve been editing little puzzles for Lil AVC X and doing my other usual stuff and also be getting sick from and recovering from COVID a few times since last I posted. So. Fun!

Anyhoo. I constructed the latest Lil AVC X puzzle, so I thought I’d put out a companion here. They don’t really have much in common other than both being the same size and both being by me. Most notably, no one else has looked over this puzzle — so if you see a typo or other whoopsie, please let me know! Or if you stream it. Or if you just want to say hi.

Heart Specialists

The AVCX Expansion was successfully kickstarted! Lil AVC X — a.k.a. the midi puzzle division, edited by Brooke, Enrique, and me — announced our line-up of constructors! And now, our very first puzzle has dropped: A little heart-shaped puzzle that I wrote! You can try this one for free even if you haven’t subscribed yet, but I encourage you to get a subscription. First month’s free, so you can see if you’re into it. Which I hope you are, but either way, have a heart-shaped day! 💜

A cool Kickstarter

Perhaps you’ve heard the news? The AVCX, an online crossword service that has been putting out quality puzzles (and paying constructors quality fees!) for fifteen years is looking to expand. It’ll go from being a weekly 15x puzzle to becoming a daily feature with a wide variety of puzzles—themed and themeless puzzles, cryptics, some trivia, and some bite-sized “midi” puzzles (about the size of the puzzle below). And guess what? I’m going to be one of the editors of the midi feature! I’ll be working with Brooke Husic and Enrique Henestroza Anguiano to bring you a wide variety of voices, challenges, and fun experiences. So go check out our Kickstarter!

And while you’re there, you might see that it’s the start of what we’re calling Hype Week. We’re putting out a week of puzzles from all the new features to show you what it will be like when our funding goals are successful. And the first puzzle is a weird little grid by me! Amazing!

If that’s not enough, here’s a little bonus hype for Hype Week. This puzzle is just between you and me, OK? It hasn’t been edited, it isn’t meant to be “fair”, and it’s not as representative of the work we’re going to put out with AVCX. Hopefully it’s still fun. Because this is all supposed to be fun. Enjoy!

(Oh hey wait also I did a puzzle in cahoots with Norah Sharpe as part of her amazing NaCroWriMo! It’s just… peachy.)

Child’s play

Oh look, a smaller puzzle! This will be child’s play!

Thanks to Norah for giving this the ol’ look-see. Let me know if you find a whoopsie or plan to stream it!

A Flower

Rachel Fabi over at Just Gridding has been doing an amazing job raising funds for abortion access in the US. You might remember that I contributed a puzzle a while back as part of a puzzle pack for a fundraiser for the Baltimore Abortion Fund. Well, with everything that’s been going on in Texas (just the first of many attempts to claw back abortion rights in the US with the Supreme Court as it is…), a bunch of constructors have offered “stretch goal” puzzles to help encourage more contributions — and now, with 300 people giving, my stretch goal puzzle has finally been released. It’s the largest grid I’ve done to date, and I hope you all enjoy it.

There are still more exciting “stretch goal” puzzles left to unlock, and still a terrible need for fundraising, so if you haven’t yet (or maybe even if you have), please give today. (And let Rachel know!)