Last week, the temps dropped, the tree outside my house started to turn into an orange hue and it just felt like… well… fall.
I almost cried. Not full-on cried, but definitely got misty enough to consider putting on a chunky sweater, lighting a candle, and starting to list out a sort of autumn bucket list of apple picking and cold morning walks with a cup of coffee in my head.
Ah, how nice does all that sound?
It's September, and my soul has officially re-entered my body.
Somehow I always forget how much I LOVE fall? Mainly because I think I get worried that we’ll still get another wave of second summer this month, but for now, I genuinely feel more myself when the temperature dips below 70 and the days start getting shorter.
Everything feels a little more romantic, a little more mine. I start baking again with spices and pumpkin. I watch football (or read while Mystery Man watches football while I sometimes provide the snacks). I reread and rewatch Practical Magic and–
And okay, let’s talk about Practical Magic for a second.
In case you haven’t heard, there is going to be a Practical Magic sequel. Yes, a sequel. For better or for worse.
I don’t even care if it’s good. Or I do. I don’t want it to ruin the perfect vibes the first one held, but still, I just want more loose iconic robes, midnight margaritas, and magic. I want Sally Owens and her now likely very grown, magical daughters crying into her coffee while Stevie Nicks plays in the background.
That movie and the whole witchy cottage-core emotional ecosystem of New England it built is definitely one of many reasons I wrote my new novel, Bewitched by You.
I love a good modern witch.
And fall.
And romance.
There’s something about the season that makes me want a little magic in everything! The cozy kind. The kind that smells like apples and smoke and maybe heartbreak, but only the good kind.
The kind that leads somewhere better.
Bewitched by You is a contemporary romance, yes, but the Barnett Witches is also about rediscovering your magic after life has knocked it out of you a few too many times.
It’s about small towns and second chances and women who finally let themselves want more, even if it means casting a few spells along the way.
I wrote this one for all of you.
And that’s what I’m continuing to do this season now. I'm writing more. Reading slower. Saying yes to things that feel good. Watching “bad” reality TV and sipping pumpkin creamer in my coffee like it’s a sacred experience.
There’s also more to look forward to like…
The first bite of cold apple pie with ice cream on top. All the apple things.
Turning on my candle warmer. Maybe with a spicy pumpkin baked good scent.
Football Saturdays. With great dips and snacks.
Getting messages from readers saying “This book made me feel seen” (those wreck me in the best way) especially this season when they are finding Bewitched by You for the first time. Seriously, you should read it. Can you tell I’m shamelessly promoting it yet?
Slow, quiet mornings with a cup of coffee and jotting down my Writing Diaries.
If you’re someone who’s been waiting for the perfect fall book to read on a rainy day (or a crisp afternoon in a cozy corner of your favorite coffee shop), I hope you’ll check out Bewitched by You!
It’s got witches, yes, of course. It also has a lot of cozy warmth and college relatability as you try to figure out where you fit in the world and in your own life. Lu has a lot of growing up and changing to do before she can fully feel at peace with herself and where she’s at in her life.
It’s about the kind of love that feels like home.
And the home you create with people you choose.
Maybe it’ll give you that little spark you didn’t know you needed this season.
Tell me what you’re most excited about this fall!
Or what you’re planning to read.
I loved Bewitched By You the first time I read it (planning to do a reread this season) it’s just the perfect book for fall! I’ve also got some spookier fantasy books on my TBR and I can’t wait to get to them. And yes, give me all the apple things!