A Year Post-Fire
Dec 01, 2025 6:01 pm
Hey Magic Maven!
This newsletter might be a bit heavy, so I’m going to put the goodies first in case you want to skip over the heavy stuff.
Enchanted snow, mischievous cats, and a stolen wish… A whimsical holiday mystery where love and community prove to be the season’s greatest gifts.
At Frosted Pines Tree Farm, Christmas is more than twinkling lights and cocoa by the fire—it’s enchantment woven into every snowflake.
Clara Snow, owner of Snowfall Enchantments, fills her shelves with hand-painted ornaments that whisper people’s deepest wishes. But when a box of these magical treasures vanishes just days before the Winter Wishes Festival, Quillhaven’s holiday spirit teeters on the brink.
With gruff but endearing tree farmer Nick Whitestone at her side—and a little help from Leo and Luna, the town’s mischievous Siamese cats—Clara follows glowing boot prints, tangled gossip, and spells gone awry through a snow-dusted trail of suspects.
From a sharp-tongued podcaster to a wandering peddler and a gossipy senior, everyone seems to be hiding something.
As the Wishing Tree shimmers with secrets, Clara must untangle the mystery before Christmas Eve. Because in Quillhaven, even the snow remembers magic—and sometimes the season’s greatest gifts are the ones we never expect.
A heartwarming blend of holiday mystery, small-town magic, and cozy romance—where talking cats chase clues, wishes shimmer beneath the snow, and Christmas spirit proves stronger than any thief.
In the forgotten magical city of Moonhaven, an ancient Wishing Tree is said to grant one heartfelt wish to any witch who places a special ornament on its branches on Christmas Eve. Liliana, an ambitious and driven witch, sets out to find the rarest and most powerful ornament rumored to hold the key to unlocking the tree's true magic.
She visits the Timeless Christmas shop, a small enchanting shop that only appears during the holiday season, only to bump into Thorian, her academic opponent. Can she set aside their past and make an unexpected alliance to overcome the challenges they face to learn the true meaning of wishes?
Read this YA Christmas Witch Fantasy today!
Okay, on to the heavier stuff.
We are officially one-year post fire. A year ago yesterday, we had a major house fire. Thankfully, we don’t live in LA where they had fire storms that literally swept away whole neighborhoods. And my heart goes out to those people.
Instead, we were at my sister in law’s holiday party and one neighbor called me and another texted me to come home our house was on fire. One of those neighbors, while we drove home advised us to park around the corner because the fire trucks were blocking our street. She sent us this.
The insurance company (Farmers) did right by us. Gave us money to replace all of our things because even though it wasn’t all burned to ash, it was all infused with toxic smoke. Our community and family stepped in as well and helped us furnish our rental, which we were able to find and move into in less than three weeks post-fire.
Here’s a couple pics of the house after they tore it down to the studs, the white paint is a seal that keeps the bad stuff out of our lungs.
But we had a lot of good this year as well. I did my first in person book events, my daughter started pre-school. My son moved up a grade in school and has new friends as well. Work — was work, but I learned a lot and acquired new skills. I am taking courses on the side to expand my skills and transition roles and hopefully have a career path better suited to me (outside of writing of course). We also had some major losses as my grandfather who raised me as if I were his own and is the only father I have ever known passed this year following a two month battle with sepsis.
This year wasn't all bad or all good. It was a wild ride with big ups and downs, and I am grateful to have had family and friends by my side throughout. A year after the fire and we’re still standing and still supporting each other. And that’s all any of us can ask for.
Wherever you are in your journey, I am sending you well wishes for this December.
Have a magic day!
🧁 April Browne
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