September – Magic, Mayhem, and Mystery

While August and early September often bring heat waves in more temperate parts of the country, here in the North late summer is slipping rapidly into fall – gold patches in the trees, the last of the ripe berries, a crisp dead-leaf smell in the air.

Found some skunk currants, a.k.a. swamp gooseberry, growing along the creek.

Rogue Myths and Echo City are cranking quietly along. I’m donating half the proceeds from the first two months of Rogue Myths, which comes out to about $210, to a couple of charities.

A mushroom’s eye view of the bridge across the creek, from back in mid-August. There’s a lot more yellow in the trees now, and more dead leaves everywhere.

I got the edits back on Hollow Souls from my beta readers, so that’s easily on track for its Sept. 29 release.

Fallen flowers from a hanging basket in the ornamental rocks by the front door.

I’m really looking forward to fall and Halloween this year. I love autumn, and all that goes along with it: the colors and crispness, the smells of woodsmoke and dry leaves, the return to sweaters and hot drinks and comfort food. In these Plague Times, when there’s no travel, no visitors, and my husband and I are both working from home, we need those little things to break up the routine and make each part of the year fresh and unique.

I hope that you and yours are safe and healthy, as this most difficult of years heads into Northern Hemisphere fall.