Hello peeps!
Hope this email finds you well. I’m all in on writing book six, Divine King. The plot and characters keep growing far beyond my original outline, and I’m loving every second. I’m currently sitting at around 48,000 words and still in Act 2, so it’s shaping up to be a chunky one. On top of that, I’m also working on the translation of book one! I’m currently on chapter 20 of Peón Oscuro. Is it a lot? Yes. Am I loving it? You bet.
🐲 Fantasy Promo
We officially hit 1,000 engaged subscribers! I’m so thankful to have you here with me on this journey. Life can be a lot sometimes, and I hope my emails and stories give you a bit of escape and comfort. To celebrate, I’m taking part in a big promo filled with free Fantasy books for you to enjoy. You can find the link below and let me know what you think.
If you’re new, here’s how it works: two links based on your birthday.
📺 TV Show – Haunting of Hill House
This is peak storytelling for me. Hands down one of the best shows I’ve ever watched. I’ve been wanting to re-watch it for a while, but the horror element always made my wife hesitant. We finally gave it a go, and it did not disappoint. She loved every minute, and we finished it in a weekend.
What I love about the director, Mike Flanagan, is how he uses horror to complement the complex and layered relationships between the characters. There isn’t a single scare just for the sake of being scary. Everything serves the story and moves the plot forward.
I’m not one to re-watch things unless they’re truly special. This is one of those rare shows that feels new every time you see it. From the ghosts hidden in the background to the clever dialogue that subtly foreshadows the twists, it’s a masterpiece. Which is why it gets the first 10 out of 10 I’ve ever given in this newsletter.
🎤 Reflection – Writing in times of change
I’m not great with change. It’s taken me a while to really understand this, but it’s true. I’ve struggled with anxiety my whole life, and when something disrupts my routine, my brain kicks into overdrive. The past couple of weeks have been a challenge. After nine years in the Bay Area, living in both Berkeley and San Francisco, we’re officially moving to Miami. There are plenty of reasons why, and they all make sense logically. But emotions and logic are like partners: most of the time they work together, but sometimes they clash.
That’s why I’ve found so much comfort in writing. Between pushing to finish the final Leah Ackerman novel and working on the translation of the first book, I’ve had a creative outlet that keeps my anxiety in check. It hasn’t been easy with everything else going on, but there’s a certain calm that comes from sticking with something familiar during big changes. Even if I’m not as efficient as usual, the creative ideas are flowing. Writing helps redirect all that restless energy into something positive, and for that, I’m grateful.
🐶 Tired puppy!
That’s all for today. If you’ve seen Haunting of Hill House, I’d love to hear your thoughts. And if you’ve been through a big move, how did you deal with the stress?
Stay weird and keep those pages turning,
A.B. Cohen
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