Hey There... It's Been a While

Sometime last month, I realized I hadn’t sent out a newsletter since last July. Whoops!

I’ve been more active on my blog, offering updates on various projects, travel plans, and other things. Rather than rewrite all of that, I’m going to point you to a few key blog posts from the last seven months. Don’t worry, though. I’ll provide you some context as we go.

Grab a cup of something warm (or cold—you do you) and join me.

July 2025

As you know, I published two books in July: Convergence of Connection and Mission Aboard the Longfin. That was… a lot. Much of the month (and half of June) was preparing for the launch of these books, so I spent less time writing than I would like. But so far, both books have been met with positive reviews, and my nephew was pleased to receive “his book” for his birthday. Can’t get much better than that.

August 2025

After the chaos of releasing two books in one month, I realized I was able to focus on just one project for the first time in almost nine months. It was incredibly refreshing, and I made the most of it.

Writing picked up, but so did my inner thoughts. This past August was the five-year “anniversary” of my writing journey. As I walked along the beach one afternoon, I spent some time reflecting on what this journey has meant to me, and how far I’ve come. In a blog post, I dove into the various stages of that journey, as well as what being a full-time writer entails. Spoiler: it’s a lot.

September 2025

I don’t know if this happens to others, but I seem to get my best creative ideas when my mind has space to wander. This is why I go for nature walks (when we don’t have weather that rivals the Arctic Circle), or listen to instrumental music while cleaning the house, or drive in silence.

Quiet moments like this are a writer’s dream. Our minds naturally drift through our stories, identifying plot holes, envisioning that one scene that just won’t come to us while at the keyboard, or overhearing a conversation between characters that makes us laugh so hard we whip our our phones to make a note so we don’t forget.

Sometimes, there’s inspiration from other sources as well, such as a book we might be reading. This is what happened to me one late-summer day last year. A whole new story formed in a matter of hours, and it was so vivid I had to jot it down. I’ve added it to my list of books to write, and will get to it someday.

November 2025

I didn’t publish a blog post in October, because I was furiously writing in order to finish the first draft of The Way of the Wielder, Book Four before our planned vacation in November. I did finish, writing over 51,000 words in October alone. To say I needed a vacation after that is an understatement!

We left on October 30, and spent two weeks in Japan for my husband’s 40th birthday. It was the trip of a lifetime, if not a little overwhelming. The food was delicious, the culture was rich and vast, and the landscapes… they were often breathtaking.

After we got back, I wrote a blog post about the previous couple of months. In it, I went into detail about what comes next. There are many steps to getting a book out into the world. If you’re curious, check out that blog post.

December 2025

On Christmas Eve, I published a blog post that reflected on the year. I kept my own achievements brief, and instead focused on what I had read in 2025.

I read 40 books last year, and many of them were by indie authors. They varied from high fantasy to paranormal romance, memoirs to thrillers, mafia romance to YA adventure. If you’re hoping to add some self-published authors to your reading list in 2026, please check out that blog post for some great books!

January 2026

A few days after the new year, I revealed the title of Book Four. I published a blog post about how it came to be, which is kind of funny and (admittedly) a little round-about. Anyway, if you don’t want to read that blog post, that’s alright. I’ll cut to the chase: the title is After the Awakening.

February 2026

Earlier this month, I released the blurb for After the Awakening. It took some time to get it right, mostly because I needed it to fit on the back of the cover. My process for writing blurbs is to overwrite, and cut what I can until it gets to less than 175 words. I managed to get it to 178. Close enough.

In addition to releasing the blurb, that blog post also offered updates on what else I’m working on. Specifically, a standalone cozy fantasy story that has been in the back of my mind for some time. Check out that blog post for more (general updates are at the bottom). Bonus: there’s a picture of an adorable red fox.

Today

I realize we’re still in February, but this is important enough to give its own section.

We are exactly one month from the release of After the Awakening! I can hear your gasps of joy now. And you should be excited! Believe me, it’ll be a great finale to the series.

But that’s not why I’ve given today its own section. Today is the day I’m revealing the cover.

I will warn you: If you’ve not finished Convergence of Connection, you may be subjecting yourself to spoilers just by seeing the cover. Given the nature of my covers, that’s inevitable. However, I promise that those spoilers don’t take away from the beauty of the story or the cover. In fact, its might be one of my favorite covers so far… for reasons you’ll see below.

Are you ready?

Did you swoon? Because I definitely swooned. In fact, I’m still swooning.

There is so much happening in this beautiful cover. Jack’s clearly the focus character, which means that Jaslan’s in the vignette. But what about his clothing (or his abilities), and why is she hovering over a city? I go into all of that and more in today’s blog post. Check that out now—you won’t want to miss it.

Or you can stay here and ogle. I won’t judge.

Anyway, that covers everything that’s happened over the last seven months. I hope you’re all doing well, and enjoying the last throes of winter. Personally, I can’t wait for spring, although I don’t expect to see my tulips until May.

As always, stay tuned to my blog for more frequent updates. But I’ll send another newsletter out on March 24, so you can get your copy of After the Awakening ASAP.

Until next time, be well, and stay creative.

~Sarah