There’s Something About October 🍂

There’s just something about October.

Maybe it’s the first hint that Georgia has finally remembered it’s allowed to cool down. 😂 Maybe it’s the changing light, the earlier evenings, or the fact that suddenly everything feels a little cozier. Whatever it is, October has always felt different to me.

I love fall in general—the colors, cooler weather, candles, blankets, seasonal drinks, and that first morning when you walk outside and realize the air actually feels different. After months of Southern heat and humidity, even the slightest chill feels like a personal gift.

But I think what I love most about this time of year is the feeling of it. Fall somehow manages to be cozy, nostalgic, a little mysterious, and slightly magical all at once. The trees change. The days shorten. Things slow down. Nature itself seems to be shifting into something new, and I've always been drawn to those in-between spaces.

Of course, I also have a whimsical streak that becomes considerably harder to hide this time of year. Give me glowing lights, an enchanted forest, something vaguely witchy, an Alice in Wonderland exhibit, or anything that looks like I could accidentally wander through it and end up somewhere magical, and I'm happy. I've never really understood the idea that we're supposed to outgrow wonder. Life is practical enough already. I think adults are allowed to keep a little magic.

Maybe that's also why fall feels so creatively energizing to me. I notice things more—the way light falls through trees, leaves collecting along a path, fog in the morning, the sound of wind when the seasons start changing. My imagination starts turning ordinary things into something else entirely.

It's probably not surprising, then, that so much of what I naturally love also appears in The Whispering Seasons. Nature, changing seasons, quiet magic, places that feel alive, and characters becoming something new are all woven through the Vale. I didn't consciously decide, I'm going to fill this world with all the things Amber likes. It just happened. Apparently, if you give me enough creative freedom, I will eventually create an enchanted forest. 😂

October also makes me nostalgic in a way other months don't. Maybe that's because fall is so tied to traditions and memories—Halloween as a kid, decorations coming out, favorite foods returning, the anticipation of the holidays just beginning without the chaos actually being here yet. There's something comforting about traditions coming back around each year, even as life around them changes.

And maybe that's what I love about seasons in general. They remind us that change doesn't always have to mean losing something. Sometimes change looks like cooler air, different colors, a new beginning, or simply seeing something familiar in a different way.

So yes, I'm ready for October.

Bring on the cooler mornings, changing leaves, cozy evenings, whimsical things, entirely too many candles, and every excuse imaginable to curl up with a good book.

Just don't ask me how many fall decorations I actually need.

The answer is between me and the seasonal aisle. 🍂😂