The Trickle of Time
Or how I'm trying to do it all
For the past two weeks, I’ve been looking at the calendar in disbelief. How is it already July? Time is losing substance the more of it that goes by and even though I know it is turning to sand, I cannot help but try to grasp it anyway. I both love and hate the wisdom I’m gaining and how it is connecting me to the adults of my childhood.
One of the reasons that I have been clinging so tightly to the days is the fact that in four months (FOUR. MONTHS.) The Truths We Make will no longer be mine. It’ll be in the hands of readers and all of my tinkering and quiet moments in this book will be over. Four months doesn’t feel like enough to get everything I need to get done, done, but somehow, I know, I’ll make it work.
I have faith in the process, my abilities, and the fact that what is meant to be will happen.
As Edgar has said, Fate doesn’t need to be chased down and wrangled. It will find you.
It feels like I’ve been relying a lot on trusting the process this year. So many things have not gone to plan and I’ve needed to reevaluate my goals what feels like daily. Right now my internal compass feels like it’s the one from Pirates of the Caribean where it only points to what your heart truly desires, even if you’re not sure what that is.
So, here I am following blindly and just hoping that something good waits for me at the end of this journey.
I will say that it has taught me to take stock - to really ask myself what I want and why. I’m throwing out societal expectations and fear of looking stupid in exchange for doing things that make me feel accomplished. And you know what? I’ve met some really great people who support me doing it. I’ve also found the people who are sticking it out with me, and I feel more deeply connected to those in my life than I have in a very long time.
Anyway, on to the news!
This newsletter is a big one (as I’m sure most will be until the launch) with plenty of new things to announce.
First, I want to apologize. I’m in the middle of transferring around my newsletter so you all will be getting the second one sooner than my usual once-a-month plan. I’m swapping out services (IK IK, I just redid this one) and I promise it’ll be worth it.
Now, are you all ready for a big reveal?
As you all know I’ve been working on revamping my author brand and as a fun aside, I decided to make some merch!
Here are a few of the sample items I received and you guys! They are BEAUTIFUL. I am so happy with the quality and the beauty of these. I need to give a big shout-out to Jess Robling (@jessrobling on IG) who designed my custom “even baddies get saddies” design. She drew it her freaking self. Ugh. My friends are so talented!
I have a few more designs that I’m working on and I have a couple more sticker orders that will be coming in, in the next month, to go with my book orders!
But all of the merch you see above (and more!) is available in my shop right now: samanthajon.com/shop
If there is a design you want on an item you don’t see, please let me know! I can work to get those items created for you.
The other thing I am excited to tell you all is that The Truths We Make revisions are getting wrapped up then it is off to an editing friend for it’s *hopefully* final big edit. Once I get that back, it goes to the proofreader and it is DONE. How wild is that?! at this point my book has been read by over 20 writers, editors, and readers over the year and a half it’s been written. I am both delighted and dumbfounded that it is this close to be complete.
Which means, in the next few weeks, it will be going on pre-order.
ARE YOU SCREAMING? BECAUSE I’M SCREAMING.
I’m currently looking into local printers and the possibility of doing something special just for subscribers who preorder the book.
Which means, I need your input! Tell me in the comments or send me a message with what you want to see in your exclusive preorder campaign.
Also, if you are reading this and you are not currently subscribed to my newsletter, you’ll want to be! Soon enough I’ll no longer have open access to it and it will only be available for free or paid subscribers.
Before I get ahead of myself, I’m going to end off this newsletter because there are so many more things I want to talk about but they’re just not ready yet. Instead of my normal, what I’m loving, feature I’m going to end with a snippet from The Truths We Make's first chapter.
Have a great weekend my friends!
Wednesday, Present
The sleek, dark town car streaks through the rain-splattered roads. Drizzle pelts the window so that all I see are the shadows of a suburb beyond its pane. This neighborhood has never felt like home to me, with its French doors and wrap-around parapets. Too rich for the likes of me and mine. Luck was the only reason my mother and I had found ourselves a small live-in opportunity on a property that just happened to need a governess. Luck, that the property’s family didn’t pry too closely into our past and welcomed a single mother into the fold. And luck, even if it was bad luck, that the family just happened to be the Poes.
I loved the Poe boys before we ever moved to the elegant streets of Weston. Even at seven, with my knobby knees and flat brown hair, my little heart knew what it meant to be special. And I knew Oliver and Paxton Poe were the closest I would ever come to it.
They were flames burning hot and wild against a blackened sky, and my soul felt rested being warmed by their opulence. Seeing them weave themselves in and out of my days had given me a hope, that while frayed at the edges, had never felt worn thin.
Until, one day, every thread snapped clean.