Hello Lovelies! It’s Halloween, and I wanted to send a special letter to celebrate you, my premium subscribers, today. Your support helps me make a living as a writer---and the magic of that is never lost on me, or on the little kid I once was who dreamed of growing up to be an artist. Thank you for the sorcery of your generosity, friends. One of my big wishes with all I create is to help unhaunt the houses that haunt us. To speak directly with the monsters beneath our beds. To shimmy across the floor on my belly, and say, “Hello, Monsters. It’s Halloween. How would you feel about being something else today (or forever)? Angels? Mermaids? Baby Chipmunks? Knitted Everything Bagels?

My favorite thing about Halloween is its season. I grew up in Maine where autumns were absolute show-offs, but Colorado is similarly stunning this time of year. Outside my window every leaf on every Aspen tree has turned into a tiny yellow light, begging me to slow down. To stop my mind’s racing. To embrace change--even when it’s a change that scares me. Halloween is a day we welcome fear. Seek it out even, hoping to find our own courage beneath it. Years ago I wrote, “Brave is a hand-me-down-suit from terrified as hell” and my friend Sarah created this illustration for my book ‘Take Me With You’ to pair with the quote: