Sheri's Fall Update
Writing update + a favorite recipe
Hello friends,
October is here!
We harvested our two pretty pumpkins and put them on the front step.
This October is not what I expected it to be earlier in the year. We had someone approach us about selling our house. We were planning to sell it and move next summer, but the price was good and we started looking for a house in Dover, Ohio, closer to our church family and school. We found a beautiful heritage home right beside the library and made an offer. Unfortunately, our original buyer backed out, so we had a few days to prep our house and get it listed to keep our contract on the Dover house. What a whirlwind. We cleaned and scrubbed and shampooed and got it listed in time.
In the midst of showings and whiplash real estate news (IYKYK), I’m striving to slow down the moments and enjoy October. The leaves are falling, cooler weather is whispering around the windows, my pink Indian mum is blooming. Slippers and sweaters and a fire in the fireplace.
I hope you can slow down and enjoy October too.
In this newsletter you’ll find:
Homemaking + A favorite baking recipe!
Writing update
Author Spotlight—Meet Carrie Anne Noble!
Homemaking
Keeping a home looks different now that we’re planning to sell it and move soon. We listed it last week and have had people coming to look at it. It’s kind of exhausting, but also satisfying to keep it clean and neat and ready to be seen.
My baking has gone down considerably, but I still bake something every now and then to satisfy my little scholars and as a creative outlet. The rest of my energy goes to cleaning windows and cabinets and mopping neglected corners of the basement.
Have you been baking as the weather gets cooler? Reply to this email with your favorite recipes!
These little pumpkin muffins are a favorite in our house. They mix up quickly in one bowl and are the perfect way to fill a pumpkin craving. I love the toothsome texture the whole wheat flour gives them, but white is fine if you prefer it. Adapted from kathleenashmore.com.
PUMPKIN GINGER MINI MUFFINS
½ cup almond flour
1 ½ cup whole wheat flour (or regular flour)
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup coconut sugar
15 oz. pumpkin puree
¼ cup neutral oil
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (optional)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Spray the cups of two mini muffin tins with non-stick baking spray.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, or using a large bowl and whisk, briefly whisk together all dry ingredients.
Add to the bowl the pumpkin, oil, and coconut sugar and mix to combine so there are no flour streaks visible.
Add the eggs and whisk to combine. Fold in chocolate chips if using. (Or push a chocolate chunk into each muffin before baking)
Transfer the batter evenly into the muffin cups. I like to use a cookie dough scoop for this.
Bake for 13-15 minutes more until a cake tester comes out just clean. They’re small and bake quickly, so be sure to check them at 13 minutes.
Cool for 10 minutes in the pan before transferring to a rack to cool completely.
They taste best within three days, but you can store them in the fridge for up to a week. My kids usually gobble down too many the first few days and then declare they don’t like them anymore and I have to finish them up. Not that I’m complaining. :) I heat them up and have them with tea or coffee.
Baking tool tip: Using a cookie dough scoop to fill the tins has really upped my muffin game! So much easier than spooning. I use it for regular sized muffin tins as well; I simply do three or so scoops per cup.
Writing Update
THE SELLER OF SECRETS is out on its third round of submissions to publishers. I have hope that it will find a home soon—but in the meantime, I’m digging deeper into the world of Project Spiraldown. Our moving plans and busy time of life have made it difficult to make as much progress as I would like. I’m learning to be gentle with myself, though. I want to use this time without deadlines and contracts to write the story of my heart.
At the moment, that looks like rewriting most of the setting for the beginning. The world Birdie, my main character comes from, has been such a struggle for me to envision. It started out as a flying research station, but I could never get it to make sense in the world. (And making sense is very important to me). I had an epiphany of sorts while on a brainstorming walk, and I think the Spiraldown will now be built on top of a floating island. Part of the magic system is kiidk crystals, natural formations that allow chunks of land to rise and float. I’m so excited (and nervous) to rewrite the beginning with this new setting! I LOVE floating islands, and I’m not sure why it’s taken me this long to write about one.
I have a feeling that once I get the beginning nailed down, the rest will follow.
Author Spotlight
Carrie Anne Noble writes fantasy fiction infused with fairytales and folklore, including The Mermaid’s Sister, winner of the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award for YA Fiction, and the Realm Award for Book of the Year. She resides in the Pennsylvania woods with her frolicsome half-Corgi but can be lured out with chocolate or a nice cup of tea. Follow Carrie on Instagram or Facebook for more whimsical book updates.
Here’s what she says about her writing:
// I always hope to share with my readers a sense of wonder and whimsy, to give them a brief escape from their troubles or to add a little joy to their days. My stories tend to center on growing through challenges and holding onto hope until the happy ending. The world needs all the happy endings we can throw at it, don't you think? //
I preordered Carrie’s newest upcoming book, THE SPRINGBORN, and thought I would have to wait until October 22, when it comes out. Then she sent me an early copy in exchange for a review, and I was pleased as punch. :D Here is my review:
In THE SPRINGBORN, Carrie Anne Noble takes you by the hand and leads you deep into an enchanted forest teeming with splendid characters, buoyant friendships, and a stirring romance.
Sabella is cast out of her coal town home because of the antlers that sprout from her head. She flees with Calder, a boy with moth wings, and the rest of the Springborn—those who have been touched by a magical spring.
Sabella’s journey with the Springborn is fraught with fears and growth and so many enchanted moments you’ll expect to see fairy lights hanging from the tree branches just around the corner. The impact she has on Calder, and the reverse, is a startling reminder of how we learn from each other. How accepting another who is different can be the catalyst that makes them whole.
If you’re looking for a whimsical fairy tale with found family, sweet romance, and lovely friendships, preorder your copy of THE SPRINGBORN here!
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\\ Happy Fall, my friends! //
~ Sheri
