First, there is an auction I want to mention because today is the last day to bid. Romancing the Runoff is raising funds for voting organizations in Georgia and was created by the romance author and reader community in honor of Stacey Abrams—politician, voting activist, and romance author. (It's true!) The auction ends at 9 PM eastern time, so you have just a short time to check it out! There is some amazing stuff up for bid, including a special leather-bound edition of Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman with a personal note and illustration to be added by the author. That one's up to about $4,700 at last check! I have an autographed set of the first two books in The Faery Rehistory series also up for bid (and as I write this, they're still under $100). There are lots of signed books (some available to buy without bidding), gift items, and services like script and manuscript consults.

The Raven Lady has flown!

Last month's release of The Raven Lady was so exciting! It always feels like a miracle getting a new book out into the world. So much work goes into each one, by so many different people, and this year presented its own unique challenges. One thing that happened is a bunch of other books that had gotten postponed from early 2020 due to the pandemic came out around the same time, which meant there were lots of us vying for readers' attention. So I'm doing a big review push to help with discoverability, and I'm running a little holiday giveaway to sweeten the pot!

Hygge Holiday GIVEAWAY!

Aren't these the sweetest things? I picked them for the giveaway because they look frilly and Victorian, but the creator (RedBarnProducts89 on Etsy) called them "dragon scale gloves," which is also awesome. Can't you just picture yourself wearing these over the winter, curled up on the couch with a mug of cocoa and a cozy read? It's going to be soooo hard for me not to keep them! :D  Along with these wonderful gloves, I will be sending the winner a signed copy of their choice of the following: The Absinthe Earl, The Raven Lady, Ghost Planet, or The Ophelia Prophecy. If you've already read all of these, I'll send an Amazon gift certificate instead! 

All you have to do is write a review (at least 100 words) of the The Raven Lady on Amazon, Goodreads, or Bookbub. If you post the review on more than one site, you'll get an entry for each! You have one month—until Dec. 24—so if you are unable to purchase the book to read and review, you can hopefully get it from the library. Once your review (or reviews) is posted, simply reply to this newsletter with the link(s). Then I'll draw a winner. Fine print; Shipping is a bit of a mess right now so I have to keep this to US newsletter subscribers only. Apologies to my international folks! 

Cozy reading rec

Ask Baba Yaga: Otherworldly advice for everyday troubles

I think I've mentioned that I'm planning for my next series to be WITCHY! So I've been doing lots of witchy research. I've even tried a few spells! I find the whole thing wonderfully fun as well as being positive, empowering, and a great way to get me outside even on dreary days. I picked up Ask Baba Yaga after Maia Toll, another great witchy writer, recommended the author on Instagram. This is a strange little read! A collection of earthy crone wisdom for the modern woman. Each page is an advice column question about love, life, career, or just trying to be comfortable in your own skin. The answers aren't straightforward, but from what I've read of it so far, they are always colorful and interesting with a kernel of grandmotherly wisdom (sometimes charmingly dark-ish). It's a cozy book with delightful illustrations and weirdly wonderful language.

Cozy viewing rec

Netflix: Rebecca

In a previous newsletter I recommended the novel Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier. I love a good mystery, and this one has a romance and gorgeous writing to boot. Now Netflix has made a movie staring Lily James. I enjoyed it a lot—beautifully shot, suspenseful, creepy, and sexy. The Netflix version goes a tiny bit further with the character development of the heroine in a moment at the end of the film, which I quite enjoyed. Maxim (her husband) is a brooding type and at times goes full-on jerk—I found him a bit more likable in the novel. But it is a dated story and I didn't feel it detracted much. Kristin Scott Thomas as the creepy awful housekeeper was chilling and brilliant. 

That's it for November! I wish you and your family a safe, warm, healthy, and delicious holiday. I hope you get lots of blanket-fort and reading time. When I'm not in the kitchen, I'll be frolicking in the woods looking for fairies or strange little mushrooms under piles of leaves. Because that's how I roll these days. 

Happy autumn, and if you celebrate, happy Thanksgiving!