A Message From The Author:
Hello, everyone!
Somehow, October has already come and gone, and now my favorite day of the year is here. I'm so thrilled to see the beautiful fall colors and carved Jack-O-Lanterns, to feel the blustery wind, and smell the apple cider in the air. Plus, I'm looking forward to getting dressed up tonight with my little ones and wandering the neighborhood. The costumes are always awesome, and of course, there are treats. Then, we'll end the evening with our viewing of The Nightmare Before Christmas. All that is to finally be able to say, "Happy Halloween!"
What's Been Happening At Home?
October has been a wonderful month in our household. In fact, it's been one of tremendous changes. We brought in some new furniture and once again did some rearranging. We've also been working diligently to clean out our basement and make it an enjoyable space since we've had to spend so much time down there this year. It's a work in progress, but it's a WHOLE lot better than it was when we started. Hopefully, the next time the tornado sirens go off in our little town, our kids will feel much safer. :)
As far as adventures go, we've been busy on that front, too! We made our way over to the pumpkin patch, went to Trunk-Or-Treat at my daughter's school, and are gearing up for Trick-Or-Treating this evening.
It wouldn't be a seasonal change without allergies rearing their heads. So, I've been fighting mine off for the better part of a week. They're exhausting, but hopefully I'll be adjusted soon. Overall, I've been so much healthier this year than last, and for that I'm grateful.
How's Writing Going?
Writing actually went remarkably well this month despite a few interruptions. I challenged myself to draft 1,000 words a day in some project or another for most weekdays. Though I wasn't able to work every day, I'd say I was successful in my ventures. :)
After a lot of finagling, my efforts have brought Legacy of Lies up to 39,314 words! Going by my loose word count goal of 75,000, we're officially over halfway! This is the farthest I've ever gotten with this book. If you've been here a while, you know I've struggled with it. With that said, I don't write to hit a certain number of words but rather to complete the story, so we'll have to see how long this book actually is when it's finished. I have a solid plan for what I want to do next, and now it just has to be written. I promise, this book will get done eventually. I've made it a top priority for a 2025 release. Fingers crossed I can make it happen.
In true Samantha Moran fashion, I'm taking a short break from Legacy of Lies at the moment to complete a secret side project. (I know, blame Brian Scala for this distraction. LOL) This secret project is now up to 6,128 words, too. The expected length is roughly 7,500, which means it's nearly finished! So, what is it? Well, I wanted to try my hand at a "Christmas" story (more like Christmas adjacent), which is very out of character for me, what with happily ever afters being overrated. That said, I'm putting my spin on things and adding another short story to the Apothecary of Curiosities collection. The title and cover will be revealed to my Patreon soon, followed by my reader group, the Coven of Chaos. I hope to have this work out in December, though I don't think I'll do pre-orders. I'm working on a tight timeline.
The good news is that if I finish my "Christmas" tale, I will have enough short stories to publish the first Apothecary of Curiosities collection in early 2025. That means I'll have another book available!
Where Have I Been?
When I started this author journey, I told myself I wouldn't let it take over my life. Oh, how wrong I was. (Laughs in author ignorance.) Anyway, October took me on several adventures.
First, I had some new author photos taken with Heavan of Heavan Sent Photography. The session was spooky themed, and I can't wait to see the shots! Hopefully, I'll have some to share soon. The one's I previewed were pretty awesome. :)
Then, I found myself at The Modern Day Witch in Sturgis, MI. I met the owner back in 2023 at the Mystical Magical Market in Berrien Springs, and she invited me to set up in her shop with my books for the day. I signed alongside author ML White, who was lovely, and we had a blast meeting readers. I can't wait to sign with her again!
Following that, I was interviewed by author Beth Hildenbrand for her show, All Booked Up. That one was on Facebook live, so if you check out her page, I'm sure you can see the video. We spent a half hour together talking books and writing. What a neat experience.
Finally, my husband (J. Silverton) and I traveled to Bardstown, KY for the Books and Bourbon Spooky Soiree. I have to say, we had too much fun to put into words. We were able to meet up with several of our author friends (Caytlyn Brooke, Kirsha Fox, Kennedy Sutton, and Brian Scala to name a few), take a ghost tour, enjoy delicious food, and party the night away at the soiree! What an unforgettable trip. Plus, we met lots of new and returning readers at the signing, which is always amazing!
Signing Off
That's all I have for now. Don't worry: November will be just as busy! I'll have an update for you next month, too.
Thanks for reading this post! (I figured I'd share the longer message here instead of in my newsletter to make things simpler for everyone.)
As always, happy hauntings and happy reading! I hope you all have a wonderful and safe Halloween. Enjoy the delicious candy and frights of the evening! I can't wait to write for you again.
Regards,
I'm truly happy you're forging ahead both personally and professionally. Also, I'm sorry for distracting you.