I will be returning to The Learned Owl in Hudson, Ohio on Saturday, May 27, 2023 for another book signing! The last event was great fun, and my sister and brother-in-law brought along their pup, Billings, who is now the official mascot for Kellandale Wood! If you’re in the area, pop by to check out a really sweet bookshop and come say hi!

Billings, our official Pup Mascot!

In the meantime, I have finally (finally) at the encouragement of my social media guru daughter, opened up an author account on TikTok. It’s slim at the moment and I’m just beginning to dip my toes in that realm, but am having fun exploring as I do. One of my first posts involved pulling a copy of The Way of the River out of what appears to be a steaming soup pot (yay for fun with camera tricks!) but the book does have a little warping due to the stunt. I thought I might run a Boiled Book Giveaway on TikTok and give away the actual copy used for the TikTok video so stay tuned for info on that by following along there @shanlspy and if you are looking for an unboiled version of the book, those can be found in the Author Shop or elsewhere online!

Did you read The Way of the River? If so, and if you haven’t left a review yet in one of the many places you are able and you would like to, I have made it super easy by creating a dedicated Leave A Review form!

Note: Reviews and feedback left via the form will only appear here on this website.

If you wish to share a review elsewhere, you must share it yourself in one of the many places available—and did you know that includes Amazon even if you didn’t purchase there? You can leave a rating as long as you also include a review, even if it’s only a short few words to go along with it. Any and all reviews, ratings, and feedback are greatly appreciated!

I love hearing from young readers about The Way of the River—it makes everything I’m doing worthwhile when I hear what they have to say including what they liked, didn’t like, what they enjoyed most, what they would like to see happen in the next book, how the book may have inspired them, who their favorite characters are, and if they like to write or draw, too! Please feel free to use the Review form if you have a young reader who has read the book who wishes to share their thoughts. (For privacy concerns, a parent or guardian must acknowledge their consent for usage of the form. You may also opt your young reader in or out for any usage of content submitted or you can simply use it to pass on their feedback to me! Aliases and first names only are also allowed!).

So, if you wish to leave feedback or a review, or if you have a kiddo that would like share their review or thoughts, simply follow the link below and follow the instructions!

And finally, an update on Book Two! Not all chapters are equal in terms of the difficulty experienced while writing. I have been posting via Instagram and Facebook about the progress of the second book since I started writing it, and from the outside it may look like I am having an easy time getting through them. But the reality is that the energy, motivation, and even the drive to create is never a steady stream.

There’s real life in the mix, and even when those three ingredients exist, there are also outside forces, responsibilities, worries, and stressors that consume. I’m really proud of the way this chapter finally shaped up, and I struggled a lot with where to start it and how the chapter closes.

When you’re almost half way through a tale, there is a lot to navigate, and the pressure to hold interest, build tension, and stay true to the characters begins to press down. To me it sometimes feels like the more chapters that have been completed, the heavier the load you’re carrying along into the next. But, hopefully, that eventually becomes strength that is being built up to cross the finish line with an engaging and fulfilling story at the end.

I still have a ways to go, but it’s coming along, and to echo the words of a dear author friend and exemplary creative @susan.quilty (check her out if you’re looking for exciting and inventive YA novels with a sci-fi or fantasy twist), it’s these difficult chapters that are the most rewarding in the end. This one has been no exception (thank you for your words of encouragement and support, Susan, they are always so appreciated!). But I continue on, and am now entering Chapter 20, the half way point of the next installment of the Kellandale Wood series! And though it is the first draft, earlier chapters have been worked over multiple times (sometimes providing momentum when I get writers block when entering new chapters), so for some it is the second, third, and some even the fourth draft, so things are definitely moving along.

That’s the word for the day, and if you’ve made it this far, thank you for reading! More to come as time allows, but for real-time updates, follow me on any of the social media outlets below!