It’s been almost two weeks since my last update, and I actually have a pretty big one.

The first draft of Werewolf Summer is DONE! I rewarded myself with my first iced PSL with a pumpkin snowcap from Woods Coffee. No more Starbucks for me for over a year now because they're just horrible.

It is absolutely a word-vomit draft right now, but I don’t even care. There is no better high than the feeling I get after finishing a book, even when it’s only the first draft.

It has bones now.

Next I get to go back in and fill in the blood and guts.

I’m really proud of myself for getting this one finished, especially because writing is never a neat, consistent process for me. I can go days without touching a draft and then suddenly write thousands of words when something clicks. This one clicked, and now I have an entire book to work with. All I'll say for now the story went in a different direction and has more witchy, nostalgia, cozy horror vibes than I thought it would with some gruesome kills! I'm not following the rules. Cozy vibes of cozy fantasy and mysteries blended with the gruesomeness of horror.

Outside of writing, I’ve continued filling my little lair with pieces of the late ’90s and early ’00s.

I’ve been finding old magazines I actually read back then, which has been such a weird little time capsule. Not reproductions or things made to look nostalgic. The actual issues I remember seeing on shelves when I was younger.

And I found a CRT TV at Goodwill.

It was a STEAL.

So now I have this whole setup where I can watch old DVDs and VHS tapes the way I remember watching them, flip through old magazines, and generally escape into a time before everything lived on the same little screen in our hands.

I’ve been sharing more of it online too because I know I’m not the only person craving that feeling lately. If I can give someone else a few minutes of the same nostalgic joy I’ve been getting from all of this, I want to.

That’s also part of why I made my September and October watchlist.

I put it together one night this week when I was having a rough time, and working on it genuinely helped. I wanted something fun to look forward to and something that might give other people the same thing.

It has movies and TV episodes for fall in September and Halloween in October, with some things placed on specific dates for a reason.

It’s up on my Instagram if you want to watch along with me.

And finally, my I Wish I Was a Vampire book release event is in 13 days!

I’m getting really excited about this one. They also ordered a few copies of Twisted Tales to Tell in the Night, so now it’s starting to feel like I’m getting my own tiny spooky book fair, which is basically perfect.

So that’s where I’m at right now.

One first draft finished. One spooky book event getting very close. A house slowly filling with old magazines, VHS tapes, DVDs, and CRT televisions.

September is off to a pretty good start.

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Join me this October for the Never Whistle at Night Readathon taking place in our community Discord!

Starting 10-1, we will be reading one story from the Part II Back For Blood Anthology!

Each story will have its own channel, so if you fell behind, don’t worry, you’ll still be able to participate!

Perhaps there will be some giveaways or special guests?

Let’s Get Spooky! (Indigenously!)

We’re reading Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff in September! I was so excited counting the votes—I feel like this book perfectly kick off fall reading. I hope it’s more of a hit than last month’s book was 😅 ALSO, this is the first book in a completed trilogy, which bodes well if anyone loves it and wants to continue on with the series!

Per usual, don’t forget to check the Discord for this month’s giveaway winner. I hope you all are having a wonderful start to September 🍁