Hi everyone! I hope you’ve all been having a wonderfully spooky October so far. For those of you who actually get to celebrate Halloween properly, I’m beyond jealous. It’s basically non-existent here in the UK, or at best a very low-effort affair. I’m living vicariously through everyone’s pumpkin parties and over-the-top decorations while pretending my cup of tea counts as seasonal spirit.
This newsletter is all about romance, and mostly Kind of a Big Feeling. But before we dive into that, I just want to say a huge thank you to everyone who’s been with me since my very first book, and to all the new readers who’ve joined along the way. I can’t believe it’s been one whole year since Between Then and Now came out. What a year it’s been. Full of ups, downs, and a lot of lessons learned. If you’ve read Where Summer Left Us or been lucky enough to see an early version of Kind of a Big Feeling, you’ve probably noticed how much my writing has grown and shifted. It took me a few tries to find my voice and figure out what I love writing most. The Hallow’s End series has been my practice ground in many ways, and working on the last bonus chapters was such a bittersweet experience. It felt like saying goodbye to a group of friends I’ve lived with for years.
I’ll be honest, I definitely thought about reworking book one for a while, especially since I know I could do it better now. But I decided to leave it as it is and focus on new projects instead. That decision came with plenty of anxiety (classic me), but I’m glad to finally move on from the series with a sense of closure. It feels strange to say that since you guys haven’t even read the final book yet, but I’m already living three books ahead. I really hope you’ve enjoyed your time in Hallow’s End, and that Kind of a Big Feeling will be the perfect way to wrap up the series on a funny, cozy, and Christmasy note.
Which brings me to an announcement you may have already seen on my Instagram story: I’ve decided to step away from writing contemporary romance for a while. My heart just isn’t fully in it anymore, and lately it’s started to feel more like a chore than a joy. I still love romance (that will never change), but when I started working on a new series, something felt off. The spark wasn’t there. So for now, my main focus will be fantasy, paranormal romance, and anything that lets me escape into other realms. My biggest priority currently is finishing the When Blood Runs Red series.
This wasn’t an easy decision. It came after completely burning myself out from working non-stop for almost a year with no breaks or weekends (the ADHD hyperfixation struggle is real.) I want to slow down a little, find some balance, and actually touch grass again. There was a moment when I almost quit writing altogether, but I love it too much to ever walk away for good. I’ll probably be old and wrinkly and still typing until my fingers give up. I’m really excited for this new chapter, and I hope you’ll stick around, because no matter what genre I write, romance will always be the heartbeat of it all. I’ll be sharing my new logo and brand colours very soon, so stay tuned.
Now a bit more about Kind of a Big Feeling. Ivy and Caleb’s story is pure early 2000s rom-com energy—all the yearning, the laugh-out-loud moments, and that mix of chaos and heart that reminds you of those comfort movies we all grew up on. Think lessons learned, friendships tested, and the kind of love story that feels warm and familiar, like curling up with a blanket and watching How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days for the hundredth time. I won’t bore you by talking about it too much (I’ve done enough of that already), but ARC applications are officially open! And if you make it to the end of this newsletter, you’ll even get the chance to read chapter one early.
You might have also noticed that there’s still no cover reveal, and believe me, this has been one of the most stressful parts of the entire process. I’m really hoping it’ll be finished soon, and worst case scenario, I do have backup plans… though I’m crossing my fingers I won’t need them. Indie author life definitely comes with its fair share of chaos, and trying to juggle everything before release day has been more than a little overwhelming. That said, once the cover is ready, I’ll be putting pre-orders live on my website. Shipping will start after New Year’s, mostly because I don’t want anyone’s order getting lost in the holiday madness, and it gives me a bit of extra time to perfect those gorgeous sprayed edges.
What I can show you right now are the stunning sticker and postcard designs that will be included with orders. Ink & Velvet Designs (@inkandvelvetdesigns) absolutely nailed the vision. The stickers are little nods to specific scenes in the book, and they turned out so beautifully!
If you’re looking for a new romance to absolutely devour, this month’s author spotlights are for you.
Now for my October favourites. No surprise here, Taylor Swift’s new album Life of a Showgirl has been on repeat. It took me a few listens to accept that we’re not getting a sad girl autumn this year, but it’s such a catchy album and reminds me of her earlier eras. Definitely a no-skip for me. And yes, I’ve made my husband listen to it more times than I can count. The cardigan has also officially joined my collection, and I’m so glad I managed to get one before they sold out.
Twilight is obviously on the list too. My husband has been an absolute angel and has been taking me on cinema dates to rewatch the movies they’re showing again. And yes, I’ve been getting a pumpkin spice latte every single time. Can I get any more basic? Absolutely not. These movies will forever be my teenage years in cinematic form.
The Long Walk was another standout this month and might even be my favourite movie of the year. I bawled my eyes out, called it a cinematic masterpiece, and will be thinking about it for weeks. I also binged Wayward on Netflix in one day while my husband was away on a work trip. Yes, he would’ve loved it, and no, I didn’t wait for him. Sorry, not sorry. To make up for it, we’ve been slowly rewatching Supernatural, which is still one of my all-time favourite shows.
And lastly, I have to mention Stellaire Apothecary (@stellaireapothecary) because I’ve been completely obsessed with the Fae oil perfume. Honestly, all their oils are beautiful, but that one might be my favourite. If you love supporting small businesses, you definitely need to check them out.
To wrap things up, I’m doing a Christmas giveaway! One of my newsletter subscribers will get the chance to win a sprayed-edge edition of their choice. And yes, that includes When Blood Runs Red if you’re happy to wait until release day. You don’t have to do anything except be subscribed, but it would mean a lot if you helped spread the word or invited a few friends to join in too. I’ll be picking the winner in my final December newsletter, so keep an eye on your inbox.
You can read chapter one of Kind of a Big Feeling right here.
"I still can't believe you didn't fuck the artist."
Amelia sprawls across my battered leather armchair, the smell of hair dye still clinging to her even after our impromptu salon session an hour ago. Her freshly-black hair—goodbye purple, hello power-bitch energy—falls in tousled waves over one shoulder. The jade face mask she insisted on wearing is starting to crack around her mouth. "He had that whole tortured-soul thing going. Probably would've painted you like one of his French girls."
I'm cross-legged on my vintage rug, my gauzy dress pooling around my curves as I watch Salem systematically destroy the crystal grid I spent twenty minutes arranging. The warm glow from my salt lamp catches the silhouettes of the rose quartz and amethyst pieces as he bats them across the wooden floor.
"There weren't any sparks." I tuck a strand of blue hair behind my ear.
"Sparks." Amelia snorts, not looking up from her phone. "Hold on . . ." Her fingers fly across the screen. "Sorry, telling Brad from the gym that no, I don't want to meet his parents next weekend."
"Maybe he really likes you."
"Maybe he needs to read my PairUp bio again. The part where it states, 'Not looking for anything serious,' isn't a challenge." She finally looks up. "Don't change the subject. We're talking about how you haven't been on a date since Vinnie's artist friend, and that was a month ago."
"I've been busy! The Valentine's pop-up event at The Enchanted Quill today needed—"
"Planning. Just like the Christmas market needed planning. And the Halloween festival. And helping Vinnie settle in." She counts on her manicured fingers. "You know what doesn't need planning? Getting laid."
I cinch my cardigan closer around my full frame, breathing in its familiar scent of sage and old books. "Not everyone treats dating like a drive-through menu."
"No, some people treat it like a job they're avoiding by taking on every volunteer position in Hallow's End." Her voice softens. "When was the last time you did something just for you? Not for the shop, not for the town, not for everyone else's love life?"
"I do things for myself! I did that salsa class—"
"With Margie. Because she was nervous about going alone." Amelia sits up, reaching for the wine bottle. "Face it, babe. You're everyone's fairy godmother except your own."
I groan, flopping back onto the rug. The fairy lights strung across my cottage ceiling twinkle mockingly. "I can't help it if I'm good at seeing what other people need."
"While being conveniently blind to your own needs." She points her finger at me, her collection of silver rings catching the light.
"You know what's sad?" I take another sip of wine, letting the warmth spread through my chest. "While we're here getting drunk and talking about my non-existent love life, Vinnie's probably having the best sex of her life with Ethan right now."
"Good for her." Amelia stretches out her long legs, crossing them at the ankles. "An English teacher with a cowboy playlist. Truly, love is blind."
"They're cute together."
"They're disgustingly in love." She rolls her eyes, but there's fondness there. "Did you see his Valentine's post? 'To the girl who colors my world.' I almost threw up in my mouth."
"At least she had someone special to spend tonight with."
"Hey, you're here avoiding the speed dating event you helped plan. I said we could go."
"The Sunflower Bistro has it handled." I sit up, trying not to dwell on the text from Emily earlier asking where I was. "Besides, someone needs to hold space for all that romantic energy being stirred up."
"Ugh, you're literally using spiritual bypassing to justify being alone on Valentine's Day."
"That's not—"
"That's exactly what you're doing." She tosses her phone aside. "You can read everyone else's signs and signals, but the moment it's about you? Suddenly you need to hold space or check the moon phase or whatever excuse keeps you safely on the sidelines."
I snort, reaching for the bottle. "I feel like I should be offended."
"Speaking of avoiding perfectly good men . . ." Amelia's tone shifts into something dangerously casual. "Whatever happened with Brian after New Year's? You know, my cousin? The one you said was, and I quote, 'literally modern-day Mr. Darcy'"
I suddenly become very interested in straightening the label on the wine bottle. "It wasn't the right timing."
"Right timing?" She arches an eyebrow. "He's a lawyer who reads poetry and calls his mom. He was about to kiss you at midnight, and then, out of nowhere, you had food poisoning?" Her lips twist. "The same food poisoning that miraculously cleared up after Caleb drove you home."
"That's not . . ." Heat floods my neck. "The universe was clearly sending me signs." But it's easier to blame the planets than admit why I bolted when Brian leaned in—or why my stomach only settled once I was in Caleb's truck, listening to him butcher Fleetwood Mac songs. "And don't remind me about that night. I still feel bad about ditching you with Caleb's date."
"Oh, you mean the walking red flag who puked on my vintage throw pillow? Yeah, that's another thing he owes me for." Amelia studies me over her wine glass. "Funny how Caleb just happened to notice you were missing right when Brian was looking for you."
"Can we do some bay leaf burning?" I push myself up, nearly knocking over my salt lamp in my rush to change the subject. "I have a new blend of manifestation herbs—"
"Fine." Amelia's tone says she's letting me off the hook, but her eyes say we're not done. "But we're not doing any of that divine masculine energy bullshit. I want concrete manifestations. Like, 'I manifest men who know where the clit is.'"
"That's not how bay leaf burning works."
"It is tonight." She unfolds herself from the chair with feline grace. "Where's your cauldron, witch bitch?"
I head to the kitchen, hips swaying as I move through the familiar space, grateful for a moment alone to pull myself together. Behind me, Amelia mutters something about stubborn Pisces energy and emotional avoidance, but I ignore her.
An hour later, the bay leaves crackle in my cauldron okay—it's a soup pot, but it feels magical—our manifestations turning to ash as Amelia scrolls through her phone, cackling.
"Have you seen Danny's latest post?" She flips her screen toward me. "Turns out the 'vegetable bandit' terrorizing his garden wasn't a government conspiracy. Just a gang of extremely committed raccoons."
"Remember when he thought the town's Christmas lights were alien signals?" I curl deeper into my cardigan, grinning. "Twenty bucks says his next theory involves Bigfoot running for town council."
"Please, that's amateur hour. Fifty says he connects the raccoons to a cult." Amelia pauses, something softening in her expression. "Daphne would love this. Remember how she used to bring Danny soup whenever he got too worked up about anything wrong in town?"
"Yeah." I fiddle with a stray crystal. "She's doing what she needs to though, in Cresden. Making a difference in pediatrics."
Amelia scrunches her nose. "Right. Because that's totally what I'm getting from her two-word text responses and those weird voicemails at three a.m." She finishes off her wine. "She's miserable and hates it. She's just too stubborn to admit it."
"Daphne will figure it out when she's ready." I trace the rim of my glass. "Sometimes we need to take the wrong path to understand which one's right. Those detours teach us what doesn't work."
"God." Amelia throws a pillow at me. "If only you could take your own advice, oh wise one."
"What do you mean?"
She stares at me for a moment, something knowing in her eyes, before grabbing her phone again. "Let's order pizza. I'm starving, and your spiritual wisdom is making me need carbs."
Twenty-five minutes later, there's a knock at the door. I jump up a little too quickly, smoothing my hair before catching myself. It's just pizza. Just a delivery. Just—
Not Caleb.
My pulse stutters anyway, that same stupid flicker of hope I never admit to anymore. But it's just a teenager, with unfortunate acne, shifting awkwardly on my welcome mat. "Uh, large pepperoni for Ivy?"
"Thanks." I take the box, trying to ignore the slight deflation in my chest. It's fine. Obviously he's not working tonight. It's Valentine's Day.
"That'll be twenty-four fifty."
I hand over cash, definitely not thinking about how Caleb never lets me pay full price, always showing up with extra garlic knots that somehow never make it onto the bill.
"No offense to Pizza Boy Wonder back there," Amelia says as I return to the living room, "but that was depressing. He didn't even bring us our extra sauces we never need to ask for."
"It's no big deal." I sink back onto the floor, crossing my legs under me.
"Mhmm." She reaches for a slice, studying me over the box. "Remember when Caleb brought us those heart-shaped cookies last Valentine's Day? Said the kitchen messed up a batch and they were gonna throw them out?"
Heat creeps up my neck. "He was being nice."
"He was being something." She wipes her fingers on a napkin. "Speaking of our pizza boy, where is he tonight? He's usually the one enabling our drunk carb loading."
"Probably out with whatever skinny blond caught his eye this week." Not that I care. The universe obviously knows what it's doing, keeping us firmly in the friend zone.
Amelia's eyebrows shoot up. "Interesting tone there, babe."
"What tone? There's no tone." I reach for another slice. "I just think it's gross hearing about my friend's hookups."
"Funny." She tilts her head. "You didn't seem grossed out when I told you about my hookup last weekend. And I made sure to include all the dirty details."
"That's different."
"How?"
"It just is." I stuff half a slice in my mouth to avoid elaborating.
"Right." She draws the word out, but mercifully changes the subject. "So . . . horror movie? Or do you want to keep pretending you're not obsessing over where Caleb is tonight?"
I throw a balled-up napkin at her head. "Horror movie. Definitely horror movie."
Because I am not obsessing over Caleb Miller's Valentine's plans. Or the way he always remembers I like extra cheese on my pizza. Or how he leaves doodles on the pizza box to make me smile.
I'm not thinking about any of it.
Want to find out what happens next? Sign up for an ARC here!
All my love (and plot twists),
