It’s understandable when authors put out stories that coincide with Christmas or Valentines day, as people are genuinely in the mood for it, which likely means a good launch in terms of sales. I’ve never done this personally (yet) but lately have found I can’t seem to write off season. Meaning if there’s snow falling, I have trouble writing about a nice beach day in the hot summer sun, etc. If it’s in the middle of a hot sweaty summer, I can’t write about crackling fireplaces and snuggly sweaters.

Maybe it’s a crutch, or a tool, another way to make the process easier and help connect with the setting. Inspiration, motivation, sensory triggers, whatever. I suppose initially it was in some way for the readers, conscious of what season the release will drop in. But taking into consideration that I’ve lately had trouble NOT writing in the season we’re currently in suggests it’s more to my personal benefit than any attempt at timeliness for my release dates. All I know is the air is crisp outside right now, and carpets of colored leaves crunch beneath my feet when I walk down the path to get my mail. Pumpkins sit on front porches, caramel apples are being sold in the markets, and the lawns in my neighborhood are strewn with skeletons and ghosts and fake headstones. I can see, touch, and smell the autumn season. So yes, I’m setting my current book project in autumn.

I only hope this project is actually COMPLETE before all those front doors are strung with wreaths instead of ghosts, and the pumpkins are gone from the porches because they’re covered in three feet of snow. Because that, of course, is the setting for the next book.

Happy autumn, writers!