@TheresaVermont thanks for the encouragement. Leaving teaching really increased my income, so we’ll see if we can make up for the financial deficit the 27 years in public service gave me in the next 10.

My view and my breakfast companions today. I think I’ve hit that age where I’m so ready to be retired, but couldn’t possibly afford to do it and may never get to do it. I’ll just be glad I can afford a taste of it here and there.

Spent my Halloween passing out candy with a couple of Monster High dolls. So much fun! How was yours?

Very excited about my new release. Keep an eye out for this an anthology of mushroom themed horror from Crone Girls Press, a feminist horror press. This will be my fourth appearance in one of their anthologies and I continue to love everything they produce. #CoSoWriters #CoSoReaders

@lisaannlm welcome. I hope you find a much more positive experience here.

My current favorite Halloween joke.

Last night’s shenanigans. I judged a horror writing contest with these two guys and the culminating event where the prizes were awarded was last night. Horror writers are such goofballs. #CoSoWriters

Went to vote with my girl. Seems an especially good mother-daughter activity this year.

What do you think ghosts read? https://samanthadunawaybryant.blogspot.com/2024/10/what-do-ghosts-read-open-book-blog-hop.html #CoSoReaders

Just finished book number 58 of the year. I usually shoot for 52 books a year (one a week), so I'm officially an overachiever this year. How's your reading year going? #CoSoReaders

I recently had the ego flattering invitation to blurb another writer’s book! How fun! I don’t know if I’m famous enough to help Stella sell her how to write a romance book, but I do think it has some great advice and inspirational exercises. #CoSoWriters

@KarenSohne I’ve read a good dozen or so books by her, but I haven’t read the Thornhedge series yet. I’ve heard it’s lovely.

Just finished another T. Kingfisher. Lucky for me she’s prolific, because each of her books makes me want another. Anybody else read this one? #CoSoReaders

Just thought I’d share a few of the cool fungi growing in my yard. I’m neither in the mountains nor the coast of North Carolina so the recent hurricane mostly just dumped a lot of rain on us. And the fungus is thriving!

Now that it's October, I'm running headlong into my spooky season reading. I've already read one new horror novel and started a second. But my long time favorite is still Jane-Emily by Patricia Clapp. What's on your spooky reading list? It's #spookyseason and for #IWSG we're talking about favorite ghost stories. What's on your list? https://samanthadunawaybryant.blogspot.com/2024/10/ghost-story-time-iwsg-bloghop-post.html #CoSoReaders

What tipped you over from "thinking about writing" to actually doing it? For me, it was Douglas Adams, and a significant birthday. https://samanthadunawaybryant.blogspot.com/2024/09/seeing-my-stories-through-open-book.html #CoSoWriters

I did a book fair yesterday. 8 hours outside standing on pavement, on a hill and so much peopling. Plumb tuckered out today. What do you do to recover after a demanding day. #CoSoWriters

@amarand they are not. I literally was taking a walk looked over a log and all these guys.

Check out these awesome mushrooms I saw on my walk today. They look like they are made of clay!

@amarand yes! There’s a theater near me that plays old movies on the big screen. And we saw Roman Holiday there a few months ago. It holds up beautifully! I don’t think I’ve seen Charade though. It’s another with Audrey Hepburn, right?