Abundance

Happy Autumnal Equinox (Mabon) - night will soon outpace daylight, but I love this crisp, thrilling time of year where the air is alive and summer's carefree frolicking gives way to the steady rhythms of harvest.

Today I passed 5,000 followers on Twitter. That's still rather mind-bending to me and I'm so excited that so many friends here and on Twitter have joined me on this writing journey. To celebrate I'm holding a 5K follower contest and giving away 5 prize packs! 5 is a special number to me at this moment - not only do I have 5,000 Twitter followers but tomorrow I celebrate 5 years of marriage to my wonderful husband! So much to be thankful for!

In addition to a signed paperback of Nightshade, the prize packs include items that inspired Nightshade: Watership Down by Richard Adams (Calla's favorite book), Sandman by Neil Gaiman (Shay's favorite graphic novel), Zum Bar Sandalwood Citrus soap (From the first time I smelled this soap I instantly knew it was reminiscent of Ren's scent), and a blank notebook so you can begin, or continue, your own writing journey.

To enter: Tell me in the comments (or in a tweet) something that inspires you, if you're leaving your entry in the blog comments be sure to include an email where I can contact you. Winners will be randomly selected on Monday, September 26 so you have through the weekend to enter.

Thank you so much for being a part of my writing life - it means so much to have you here!

A Quality of Light

I anticipate this time of the year like no other, and it's not just because we're now within a month of Nightshade's release date. It feels not unlike fate that my debut novel will be published at the heart of autumn, my favorite season and the one in which I feel the most myself.

I couldn't imagine living in a part of the world where the seasons didn't change. There's an energy to the shift that never fails to fill me with wonder. One of my favorite characteristics of autumn is the way light changes.

Spring's light sparkles, like dew on newly sprouted leaves. It's full of promise and makes me giddy. Summer's light is pure power - it warms you up and exhausts you at the same time. But autumn's light is subtle. It slides through leaves, rolling over them, seeming to almost paint them with the waning sun's very shades of gold and rust. It gleams and lingers. Walking in my neighborhood, surrounded by autumn's glow I experience profound contentment. I hardly know how to describe it, only that it makes me feel a rightness with the world unlike any other.

Today is Mabon, the autumnal equinox. The light will slip slowly into darkness from now until the Winter Solstice, reminding us of life's mysteries and the hidden workings of the spirit world. May the magic of this season bring you wisdom and joy.