Facing My Own Stranger… Again
This time last year, I was deep into writing The November Stranger, and I can barely believe a whole year has passed! The last time I wrote to you was in January, just after the book came out. There is a lot to catch up on.
I’ve had a very demanding year so far. How about you?
A couple of months after the book launched, my father became ill and passed away. With grief, other family responsibilities, and work taking up so much of my time and attention, my writing began to slip further and further into the background.
For a while this past summer, I felt lost in a familiar and unwelcome life of “duty and obligation” again. There was always something taking my time and attention, and my own dreams kept getting put aside day after day. By late August, that deep desire to get back to my writing just wouldn’t be silent anymore. That’s when I started looking at how I could rearrange my life to make room for it again.
I began by going back to the crossroads. I reread my own book. I remembered how I had created Nora’s story in part from my own desire to figure out how to realize my dreams of authorship and to cultivate a creative life for myself. Soon, I started making room again. Not thinking about it. Not wishing for it. Actually doing it.
I’m happy to report that when I face my own stranger in my daily journal these days, we are feeling pretty happy and integrated.
LATEST BOOK NEWS
A lot has happened with the book since I last wrote to you. So, let’s get you caught up!
The Upcoming “Meet Me in November” Celebration
You’re invited to Meet Me in November on Facebook, Instagram, and/or TikTok (@tammymundywrites)
I’ve planned a whole month of content for November, where the story begins. I’ll be sharing more about Nora’s world and inviting you to talk books with me along the way. I hope you’ll follow along, and if you feel like sharing a post, leaving a comment, or telling a friend about Nora’s story, it all helps new readers discover the book and I’d be very thankful for your help. Who’s coming?
A New Story and a Gift for You
New Prequel: Enough for Two
As part of the celebration I’ve written a new prequel short story, Enough for Two, which begins seven years before the novel. It follows Nora through the months after her mother’s death and her first time carrying the meal to the crossroads herself.
I hope you’ll enjoy reading it and spending a little more time in Nora’s world. You can get the free prequel here: tammymundy.com/crossroads
Your Gift: Church of Art Print Bookmark
I recently commissioned my sister, local artist Becky Lowry of the Tiny Art Studio in Schuyler, VA, to paint this original art bookmark inspired by the book’s cover. I had prints made from it and I’d love to send you one as a thank-you for being here.
Use the code ART-SWAG26 to order your free Church of Art Print Bookmark from my shop HERE. Becky is happy to sign the print for you — just request it at checkout. The code will be valid now through November 2026 as part of our Meet Me in November celebration!
The novel is now available everywhere!
The November Stranger is growing up and going out into the big, wide world!
- The book is now published at most major book retailers, both in the U.S. and abroad. Readers around the world should now be able to find it wherever they buy books.
- Local booksellers can find the paperback wholesale using ISBN 979-8-9945382-1-0.
- A signed paperback with a complimentary Church of Art Print Bookmark and the ebook are now listed in my Shop on TammyMundy.com. The ebook is available now, and signed paperbacks will be available to order by Nov 1st.
- An audiobook is in the works too! I’ll share more when it’s ready.
New! Book Club Kit
Several of my readers have mentioned sharing the book with their local book clubs. I heard you, and I created a free downloadable Book Club Kit. It includes discussion questions, ideas for your gathering, and ways to use the Sayers Family Cookbook and Enough for Two if your club wants to go further. Use the kit with your group or explore it on your own. Get it here: tammymundy.com/bookclub-tns
If you decide to use it for your book club, I would love to hear how it goes.
What I’m working on next
After the November celebrations I’m planning to return to my work in progress that I’ve titled Straight Up Moonshine. This is a story I’ve been researching and working on for years. It’s a fictional telling of the lives of my great-grandparents, who lived in Charlottesville and Albemarle County, Virginia, from the 1890s through the late 1930s. Their story includes early marriage and babies, alcoholism, Prohibition-era moonshining into the Depression years, and a tragedy that still echoes through the generations that followed.
The novel draws on historical records, family stories, and years of genealogical research. Much of it is already written, but it’s taken me some time to develop the maturity to tell this story the way I feel it needs to be told. I’m hoping to be ready to publish next spring. I’ll share more with you as I get back to working on it.
Do you think there should be a sequel to The November Stranger?
Some readers have asked for another story from the world of The November Stranger, perhaps about Mason or Pearl. I’m thinking about possibilities for next year, and I’d love to hear what you’d like to see.
What would you most like to read in a sequel? Leave a comment on this post at Kitchen Table Notes with any character or story ideas you’ve been thinking about. I want to hear all your thoughts!
Thank you for reading this far. I know that was a lot, but it’s nice to get caught up. And thank you for being here, and for making room for my stories in your life. It feels good to be writing to you again.
Until next month,
Tammy ❤️