November 2025 Newsletter
On the move to Substack, writing the second book in a series, and drool-worthy Thanksgiving food
Hi everyone!
After six months of blogging on a different platform, I’ve decided to move over to Substack. The idea was to shift to a monthly, standard newsletter format instead of weekly blog posts; plus I really like the ease of this platform. I’m not exactly the most technical of folks and I need to keep things as simple as possible. My last website platform was a simple drag and drop setup, but it was soooo sloooow. If you have experience building websites outside of WordPress, you probably can guess which one I’m talking about. I’m excited about this move!
And yes, I know Substack is technically a social media platform (it likes to pretend it’s not, but it is) but never fear! I’m sticking with newsletters. I don’t see myself using Notes very often, if ever. I know myself and the desire to scroll is so difficult to resist. If keeping my engagement low reduces my ability to be discovered on here, so be it. I need to spend my time writing actual books, not monitoring likes and comments.
Writing Practice: Writing a series
As I make progress on my current project, I’ve discovered the joy of the series. Some of my favorite series (Harry Potter, the Shopaholic books, The Chronicles of Narnia) have books that I reread again and again. Sometimes in order, sometimes not. I love the sense of depth and continuity that comes with a series. I love meeting new characters or seeing old favorites from new perspectives. When the last Harry Potter book came out I was 19 years old, and when I finished that book I weirdly felt like my childhood was truly over, since I’d essentially grown up alongside Harry as those books came out. I also love the anticipation of the next story. Even if I’m reading it again for the tenth time, I get excited knowing there’s another installment waiting as soon as I reach the last page.
So, I’m pleased to say I’m working on a companion for one of my books! I don’t call it a sequel because the protagonists are different, but it’s a continuation of the first volume. It’s been a lot of fun and a great challenge for me. It’s a very different story structure from its predecessor, which I think adds great variety and helps distinguish the two books. I also don’t like feeling locked in to a certain format or protagonist, so the freedom to go in a slightly different direction while also continuing a story I love (with cameos from some familiar faces!) is lots of fun. Taking on new perspectives is a blast for me.
Off Topic: Thanksgiving Cooking
Thanksgiving is just around the corner! I’m not going to get into the debate over whether it’s okay to put up Christmas decorations or listen to Christmas music pre-Thanksgiving (my take: I’ll occasionally listen to the music and even start unpacking the decorations pre-Thanksgiving, but decorations don’t go up until afterwards). I do think, however, that Thanksgiving food has no problem holding its own. For the past few years I’ve made a turkey using a Martha Stewart recipe and it is amazing! I do cut out the fresh fennel (mostly because I can never find it at the grocery store) and reduce the fennel seeds in the rub by half. Since you break it down into pieces before roasting, it’s a great recipe for anyone intimidated by the idea of roasting a whole turkey. I also appreciate that most of the work can be done in advance. You can break down the bird, make the stock, and leave it all in the fridge overnight. This also greatly reduces the chance of accidentally roasting a turkey that isn’t entirely thawed. I love this recipe and intend to use it for many, many years.
Dressing is my absolute favorite Thanksgiving food. Last year I made the Cook’s Country Louisiana style dressing and was blown away by how delicious it was. It’s also handy if you want to make it ahead of time, since it can be frozen for up to a month before baking (yes, mine is already in the freezer waiting for the big day).
Some of my favorite side dishes to cook are green bean casserole, macaroni, cauliflower gratin, and sweet potato casserole. Yes, that last one is basically a dessert, but who cares.
Then it’s on to dessert. There’s usually a pretty big spread at our gatherings, and there are lots of November birthdays in my family so you can count on at least one cake present. Last year I found this pumpkin cheesecake recipe in a Southern Living magazine I had on hand, and when I say it’ll knock you off your feet, I am not kidding. Everything about it was perfect: the creamy, not too sweet filling; the ring of candied pecans sparkling like jewels around the edge; and the praline-style topping that I wanted to pry off and nibble in the corner of the living room until it sent me into a sugar-coma. 10/10 recommend!
I hope you enjoy a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family and friends! I am so blessed to have all of you in my life.
