Hey there Word Lovers,

I hope this October finds you well. There's been a lot of sickness around our house this month, but I think we're finally in the clear. I realize some of you have not heard from me in a very long time, and while that's partly because I took ages to send my last newsletter, it's also because there's a function on this account that I was unaware of, so it only went to about seven people. Since this month I'm sending you all a copy of my free short story, I'm hoping I've set things up properly this time around.

Due to all the illness, I have very little to report in the photos and travel category. I have, however, done a lot of editing. In addition to my short story, I've also spent time doing a rewrite of my first NaNoWriMo book from 2015. I decided to change my main character's perspective from first person past to first person present, which I hope will bring readers even closer to her personality. I've also given the book a fresh cover, thanks to the design talents of fellow indie author, Valerie Howard. Part of the beauty of being self-published is the ability to breathe fresh life into a book, and I'm so excited to be able to re-release this story. I'm sharing the new cover with all of you here first, and if anyone is interested in an Advanced Reader Copy, please reply to this email.

The first photo is me with the original cover, followed by the lovely updated cover. For those interested, the story is about a teen girl who has spent the past several years estranged from her mother and living with her aunt. When she gets a phone call from her mother that she can't ignore, she's forced to face her past and learn how to accept the person who has hurt her the most. In a true teenage attempt to avoid all her feelings, she throws herself into befriending a homeless man while trying to work through her issues. It's a quick story and one that has already inspired many people to rethink the way they see the people around them.

I plan to re-release this book on my birthday next month, so please let me know if you're interested in an advanced copy or in assisting me in spreading the word when it releases on November 17th.

And now for the moment you've all been waiting for...

https://storyoriginapp.com/directdownloads/c1ee15f0-b1af-4957-903f-d84ee514852e

Just follow this link to get your free short story.

That's all for now. I'm hoping to keep these coming more frequently, and I'll definitely be sharing more information on the book release, so expect me to show up in your inbox again next month.

Thanks for being here,

Sarah