November Came in Soft
Happy November to my favorite book monsters! Get a very sneaky peak at what I'm writing. Take a look at these incredible clouds. Then tell me what you're reading this month.
Hello there, beautiful monsters!
This past week ended the yearly reign of “spooky month”. After what felt like a fair bit of chaos, November wafted in on measured steps, with easy elegance wrapped in a chill breeze. So far, it has brought back to the lair the familiar, cozy feels of deep autumn—perfect for reading a good book, enjoying a warm drink, and maybe exploring some cookbooks for ideas on culinary delights… like pie.
All this sounds so gentle and calm. Imagine my surprise when I walked outside this morning to find one of the most amazing and intense skyscapes I’ve ever seen! Of course, my first thought was that I had to share the scene with my favorite readers. Have a look at the sight that greeted me this crisp November morning.
Crazy pretty, right? It’s moments like these that make me so glad I write fantasy. A sky like that stirs the imagination toward building story worlds of the “far away” variety. All that to say, nature is awesome!
Writing News
There have been a slew of demands on my time, it seems, these past couple of weeks. So I’m not as far along as I’d like, but I have made a little progress on my current work in progress. This is the vampire cyber romance that I shared the opening of with you a couple newsletters back. Every time I dip into this story world, I have so much fun. And right now we’re (Lucien, Marissa and I, that is. Just in case you thought I was going crazy.) inside the video game, in a pretty exciting scene. Here’s a sneak peek in the form of a quick shot of my computer screen as I was running out the door to pick up kids. So as to be prepared if I had the chance to write in my notebook in the car. While parked, of course!
It’s blurry and probably full of typos, but here you go, Monsters:
What Are You Reading?
Getting back to thinking about cooler weather and the books to be enjoyed indoors, I’m trying to decide what I’ll be reading in the coming days. I enjoyed the first two books in Nancy Campbell Allen’s Steampunk Proper Romance series, which are all fairy tale retellings. I can highly recommend both Beauty and the Clockwork Beast and Kiss of the Spindle—very good! I think I’ll take a break from that world before going on, though. As the ultimate mood reader, I find myself hovering over the digital bookcase that is my kindle, trying to decide where the wind will take me on the book choice front. As we get into December, I’ll most likely read at least one holiday-ish type book, but November is tricky. Hmm, what will you be reading this month?
If you take a look through the archives of past posts here in the lair, you’ll find at least a couple flash fiction pieces that have an autumn feel to them. I may even revisit one or two of those worlds at a later date. Feel free to look back through them, if you are looking for something quick and are reading on the Substack app. There’s even a saucy little short from my Tides of Atlantis storyworld, featuring one of my favorite Tides couples—Kay and Xieran. If you’re in the mood for a little Thanksgiving themed steam, you’ll love Better than Pie. And there’s even a fun cocktail recipe to go with! Here’s the link:
Finally, welcome to new subscribers! There are some fledgling lair dwellers that have joined our ranks just recently. We’re so glad you’re here to talk stories, books and fantasy worlds with us. In case you missed it in my welcome email, here is a link to the free Tides of Atlantis novella, Pearl of the Moon. If you’d like to start the series, you’ll find all the books currently out for purchase on Amazon here.
That’s all I have for us today, my beauties. We’ll see what kind of trouble we can get into next week. Till then…
Have a magical rest of your week!
Amanda V Shane