I started the first draft of The Arcane Codex Book 3 on March 1. YAY! (but also AAHHHH!)

Traveling for work right now, but hey, did you know I wrote a novel? It has witchcraft, murder, the Appalachian Mountains, cats and an MC willing to save the day, but not eager to be a hero. You should read it if that sound interesting to you

Normalize saying "I'm going to need to either take a nap or do yoga before I start that" when facing a task you're too agitated to deal with right now.

I'm too old to live in denial any longer. 99% of my problems would be solved if I could afford an old house in Paris that was covered with vines.

I've read two books so far this year, and they've both been absolute bangers (do people still use that term?) The rest of the world (and my life) is a mess, but I've got that going for me

The (unofficial) Coburn/Broden family motto in The Arcane Codex. What can I say? They're adaptable. Adeline's witchcraft is strong, but her relatives found *other* ways to handle their problems.

The original Looney Tunes hasn't aged the best, but they slapped when it came to devising punny titles. I type this while watching a short called "Mutiny on the Bunny"

I went to the aquarium today and saw several funky little dudes that you should also see

The realest part of The Lord of the Rings was how long it took Bilbo to finish writing his book

Wild that the same device I'm staring at, begging for words to come for my WIP, can present me with pictures of cats on demand. I don't always *love* technology, but it has its upsides. Speaking of cat pictures, allow me to present my offering for the stockpile

I sent out my manuscript to beta readers and now I'm sitting here like:

A small Kentucky town. A dark magic. People dying in ways nobody can explain. Adeline thought she left this life behind. But something dangerous has awoken — and it remembers her.

Calling the year 2025 “life changing” for me would be an understatement. I published my first novel, and finally achieved my life-long dream of being author. I wrote another manuscript, read some FANTASTIC books, and made lots of great bookish and author friends. Here's to 2026 being even better 🥂

Here's your annual reminder. Best wishes for having the year you deserve. #NorbAF

Magic & Murder in the Holler just crossed a big milestone for me. Just wanted to say "thank you" to all of my readers 🥰

Saw the new Avatar over the weekend. And, as someone who didn't watch the first two, I thought it was good. My favorite part was the space whales.

Are you ready for the blurb reveal for Death & Destiny in the Mountains (The Arcane Codex, Book 2)?

ICYMI #booksky Magic & Murder in the Holler is 25% off on Smashwords through the end of the year! If you're looking for a witchy story, set in the hills of Appalachia, it's perfect for you! www.smashwords.com/books/view/1...

How I feel every time I finish a draft:

Magic & Murder in the Holler is part of the Smashwords 2025 End of Year Sale! Find your next favorite book at smashwords.com/sale and follow smashwords for more promos like this! EOYSale25 #ebook #sale #books2read #indiebooks www.smashwords.com/books/view/1...

Any other authors out there look at their book and go "wow, I made this" sometimes?

[genre/trope/style] is dead, you say? Well, I have a defibrillator and a persistent streak. Its odds of staying dead aren't favorable...

Currently in the "why did I write SO MANY words?" stage of revisions. Love that for me.

Amazing how a subscription I canceled back in February is still holding out hope that I'll change my mind and come back to their service. I need to bring that level of delusion into 2026

No scene in film amuses me as much as John Hurt's cameo in Spaceballs

My dad starting reading my book recently, and his only feedback so far is that Adeline's cat Whiskey (who is based off of my cat, Whiskey) was not IMMEDIATELY identified as a beautiful girl the second she appeared. I'd like to apologize to my readers for not making that 1000% clear in the text.

Somebody I work with is having so many people over for Thanksgiving that they needed a 35-pound turkey. Sir, that is a human toddler.

Indie Authors- what fake job title are you giving your pet(s) for the work they do? Left is my Director of Napping & Distraction Right is the VP of Inspiration & Oversight

Cracked 17k words on my current draft!

I love it when authors phrase the time it took them to finish something in units other than hours/days/months/etc. Don't get me wrong, I love seeing it expressed in time too, but there's something unique about reading "this draft took me nine full pots of coffee" or "I went through 23 pens on this"

Writers really saw Gomez Addams say "Look at her. I would die for her. I would kill for her. Either way, what bliss" about Morticia and went "this will be the basis for every male lead I create" It's me. I'm "writers"

What if I told you that the sequel to Magic & Murder in the Holler just came back from the developmental editor? 👀

I love it when a character thinks "I'm just a normal person" but everyone around them is like "we're friends and all, but you're kinda terrifying in a way I can't fully articulate."

Renewed my library card today. Now, I'm unstoppable

Not ready for spooky season to be over yet? (It seemed to pass way too quickly this year). Magic & Murder in the Holler is a witchy murder mystery set in the hills of eastern Kentucky that offers spooky vibes any time of the year.

I was recently a guest on the Book Shop Chats podcast where I got a chance to talk about my debut novel, and overall writing journey. You can listen here: bookshopchats.buzzsprout.com/1952942/epis...

If you're reading this, it's because the algorithm thinks you want to read my witchy murder mystery set in the hills of eastern Kentucky

New blog post! With October coming to an end, it was time for a wrap-up post (and I threw some September stuff in there as well) www.saralilienfeld.com/post/what-i-...

New Character Art! I wanted to share this wonderful piece of character art of Adeline and Jakob by @lictoria_art on IG I feel like this piece truly captures romantic tension they share quite well. (But you’ll have to wait for Death & Destiny in the Mountains to see what happens next between them!)

Magic & Murder in the Holler released one month ago today! And what a surreal month it’s been. Turns out, I have readers in places I never expected

My coworkers keep jokingly threatening to make my book their next book club selection. As if I need an excuse to ramble about it

In case you didn't know, I have a newsletter that I send out every other week. Sign-up for it and be the first to know all of my exciting writing news! www.saralilienfeld.com/newsletter

A relative told me that my debut novel is available at their library 🥹

It's #caturday, and Whiskey has a packed schedule of zoomies and naps planned. She's also told me she wants me to read Magic & Murder in the Holler to her again. She loved the spooky atmosphere, but thought I should've made her the main character instead of Adeline.

New Blog Post! Today seemed like a good time to check in on my pending projects. You can read more here: www.saralilienfeld.com/post/state-o...

I’m beyond excited to announce the title for The Arcane Codex Book 2! Adeline, Jakob, Elijah and all your other faves from Magic & Murder in the Holler will be returning in Death & Destiny in the Mountains, which will be coming in Fall 2026.

I need every high/epic fantasy author to know that I'm in awe of them for creating not just whole worlds, but also unique names. I needed to make up one name for my urban fantasy novel, and it nearly drove me insane.

I forget to mention it sometimes, but you can buy my novel, Magic & Murder in the Holler, directly from me via my Ko-Fi shop. Buying books directly from indie authors when possible is one of the best ways to support us. if you want to check out what I'm offering, head to: ko-fi.com/saralilienfe...

I wrote my cat into my book, (because I love her) so it makes me extra happy when a review mentions her. (Whiskey doesn't know she's a literary icon yet, but I know.)

I regret nothing