Fall Is Upon Us!

When I started this writing journey 18 years ago now (gosh that sounds like a lifetime ago), little did I know then what a whirlwind it would be once I released my first book in January of this year. For all the years prior, I had plenty of story ideas either living in my brain, jotted down, or resting on my computer waiting for their appointed time to be told. Back in the day, self-publishing was barely a thing. The concept was new and somewhat a taboo thing. Writers who decided to self-publish were considered vanity authors/publishers at best. Their works were rarely taken seriously. Little did anyone realize at the time, that the amount of money Indie authors were spending to get their stories out into the world was unimaginable.

Fast forward to 2026, and the Indie publishing world is on fire! Authors who once only dreamed about getting their works published now are seeing their dreams come true. You'll hear more about my own personal writing journey from 2008 to now as we go along.

So...let's talk about everyone's favorite season (or nearly everyone). If you're a summer lover, you may be sad to see summer come to an end as the fall season has already come on scene and not so politely told summer, "Move the heck over. It's MY time." As of this writing, it is not even September, but Starbucks has already released their fall drink menu and suddenly most are in PSL mode. Houses are being decorated in all the traditional colors of fall and pumpkins galore (I may or may not be guilty of this).

Anyone that knows me knows that fall is my favorite season of the year. I've often said that if the year could just be on repeat from September 1 until January 1st, I would be the happiest person alive ...(well, that might be an exaggeration, but you get the point). Fall this year looks a little different than any other year prior. The difference is that never before could I call myself a published author. I'm really excited what this particular fall and coming holiday season has in store for me as both a writer and an author.

So, on to the news I've been waiting to share!

My 4th book, The Hauntings of Sarah Caine, releases on September 1, (or will have already released by the time you are reading this). This story took me by complete surprise. It was not one that I had dreamed up over the past 18 years. But one day I was out running errands and the title popped in my head. That was it. I had nothing else to go on. (BTW...the creative brain works this way. One day you're working on your next novel, and midway through, an idea from left field enters without warning.). When I got this idea, I planned to table it for a later time (more like next year because I already have my future novels mapped and planned). The creative brain said, "Um, ma'am, no that's not how this is going to work. YOU need to write this now." I ignored the inner pleadings of my brain and kept working on my next novel (which I'll share more about in a moment). But the title kept gnawing at me, until one night as I got in bed and was trying to fall asleep, the story started forming in my mind. What do I do? I get up and start typing and capturing every single thought I had about the story. By 1am, I had the characters, the plot, and 1st 2 chapters completed. From there I knew that this story was well on its way to being written. Mind you, I had NO plans....zilch, zero, nada...to release a book for Fall 2026. I'm a planner by nature and this thing took on a life of its own that completely derailed my best efforts. And here we are.

What is The Hauntings of Sarah Caine about you ask? The story follows paranormal investigator, Sarah Caine, as she returns to her hometown of Brier Glen, North Carolina, to investigate the death of Emmaline Price who died by drowning in 1984. Emmaline's family never believed her death was accidental. As Sarah begins to investigate along with her partner, Landon Pruitt, she soon realizes Emmaline's death is connected to Mercy Hill Asylum, where Sarah's grandmother, Evelyn Caine, died some fifty years prior. The story is filled with twists and turns and LOTS of mystery. It will keep you guessing right up until the very end. And did I mention it's a page-turner?? The Hauntings of Sarah Caine will be Book One in The Caine Hauntings series. (And yes, I already have started working on the next book in the series. It will be out next year!)

Recall that I mentioned that as the title for The Hauntings of Sarah Caine came out of the blue, I was already at work on what I thought would be my next release? Well, I didn't abandon that to write The Hauntings of Sarah Caine. I kept writing. For those who have read The Dream That Didn't Die and Saving Grace, (Books One & Two in The Oakmont Series), I have been hard at work on Book Three, Finding Grace. The excitement and enthusiasm of those who have read the books have also begged the question, When is the next book in the series going to be out?

I am excited to share that Finding Grace is coming 10.13.26!! If you've read the first two books, then you'll really like where I'm taking Brad and Carrie's next chapter! This might be my favorite book of the series thus far. (As the author, am I allowed to have favorites???) Every book I write is a favorite, but this series and these characters just keeps getting better and better (if I do say so myself)!

You're looking at a 'sneak peek' of the cover of Finding Grace! I'm very close to being finished with this story. Then the editing begins before it's off to publishing. This story is such a labor of love. It started back in 2007 as The Dream, finished in 2008, published as The Dream That Didn't Die in January 2026, and the rest they say is history. The fun part about this series is that as I've written each book, the story for the next book in the series continues to write itself. Years ago when I wrote The Dream That Didn't Die, I really had no idea where the story would take me. I often joke that it wrote itself. I've never been the type of author that outlines every single aspect of a story down to each chapter. That's the way I've written my entire life. Funny note...before The Dream That Didn't Die was ever written, I'm getting ready for work one morning and the name 'Carrie' popped in my head. I only knew one Carrie and we all know she went on to win American Idol and become one of the biggest names in Country music. Then 'the dream' came to me. For awhile I ignored both things (much like I did with The Hauntings of Sarah Caine). After it nagged at me for a bit, I finally decided one day to sit down at my computer and start writing. As I wrote the story, it just started to take shape and little did I know in those early days that it would become what it is now. But interestingly enough, before I was done writing the book, Saving Grace started forming within me.

Now do you understand what I mean when I say 2026 has been a whirlwind in this writing journey of mine???

If you've made it this far...THANK YOU!! I appreciate you taking the time to read my rambling thoughts and share a little bit of the behind the scenes, latest news and updates with you.

Through this newsletter (that will be monthly for now), I'll share my experiences about my own writing journey as well as all the exciting news and updates to keep you informed of what's coming! I can't wait to share everything I have in store.

PREVIEW: Next month...I'll share more about my writing journey, that I may or may not have a Christmas book coming and more! So don't miss it!

In the meantime, enjoy the fall season and all that it has to offer...football, PSLs, changing leaves, cooler temps (really looking forward to the Hades heatwave to depart NC), and did I mention PSLs?

Until then, PEACE & LOVE!

-K.D. McIntyre