Sarah Allen, Author

Happy Sunday everyone! Are you a dog person or a cat person?

What is bringing you Joy today?

I think Joy is different from enjoyment or pleasure or even happiness. I think Joy is deeper, more concrete and consuming and tapped into something eternal. I think it's so all encompassing that even sad things are sometimes part of Joy. (Thanks for animating that thought so absolutely perfectly.)

I think God created every single little ant and cloud and whisker for many reasons, but among them, Joy.

On a related note here is my cat hehehe.

Tell me something you're grateful for!! (But not David Mitchell, he's mine.)
🦃 🙏

Just two ladies in black and some bright flowers. This will always be kidlit central over here and there's definitely things in the works in that regard, from picture books and illustrated chapter books to podcasts. We'll see what we can do with those things. But...the novel idea that's taken hold is an adult idea. Featuring a 60+ protagonist. I've long thought that the characters that interest me the most are under fifteen or over fifty, so we're just hopping to the other end of that spectrum for this project. This is the first adult idea I've been interested in since the very first novel I ever wrote, which was about a 50 something zookeeper named George. We'll see how this goes. Onward!

WHAT IF we responded to every single thing we saw online with the assumption that it came from a place of good faith? What would happen?

Also here's a meme for all y'all brave souls doing NaNoWriMo this month!

Ok so it's a LITTLE bit about scaring them. But mostly the brave thing.
👻

What's the worst nightmare you can remember? No really, I want to know! I love hearing about people's dreams.

I used to have a lot of nightmares, but one I remember vividly was about a wolf with a sword who cut me in half in my old school gym. I'd be interested to see what Freud makes of that one.

Just wishing for some shooting stars and some peace for everyone today.

"Here you leave today and enter the world of yesterday, tomorrow, and fantasy."

Can't think of a better motto for what we writers try to accomplish in our books. Unless of course it's the words "To all who come to this happy place, welcome."

Happy 100th to Disney!!!! So glad to be your neighbor!

Believe me, every writer you know feels this way. And in honor of Friday the 13th, today would be a great day to leave a review for The Nightmare House, and your other favorite spooky books 😉 It genuinely means a lot and helps in significant and often unpredictable ways.

I had my first Orlando in person school visits last week and it was an absolute blast. Hanging out with other writers was so soul-filling, and meeting kids and readers and answering their questions is the best part of the job. If you're a teacher looking for author visits (in person or virtual) reach out and let's make it happen!

Edgar Allan Poe's last words were "Lord help my poor soul." He died on this day in 1849 at Washington Medical College in Baltimore, Maryland. We may not know what Edgar Allan Crow's last words will be yet, but I have a pretty good guess.

Airport, crazy hair, peace. WOW September was a month. It had: getting into the swing of a new job. Trying to catch up on grading. Traveling to see family because my sisters about to move to Latvia for eighteen months. Getting sick. Promoting a book, and the quickest editing deadline I've had so far for the next one.

Lets just say, I am SO glad I live in a world where there are Octobers. I'm mostly getting back to normal life again, so here we go!!

I once heard in an interview talk about how Sir Ian McKellen told him that the most important word in that famous Macbeth speech was the word 'and.' Snakespeare is here to tell you that the most important part of being a writer is procrastination.

It has been an absolute whirlwind but I can finally say I've been hired as a visiting professor of creative writing at .edu. I am already having a blast getting to know my students and reading their work. UCF campus is absolutely gorgeous, and I love that our mascot is the knights and our colors are black and yellow 💛🖤. And of course I had to pick the T-shirt with Mickey on it. Can't wait to see what's ahead!

Did you know that the average time it takes someone to fall asleep is 15-20 minutes? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA😭

Ya girl just turned in her next middle grade to her editor what what!! So now I'm gonna go join my friends Bianca and Bernard and see about setting off some fireworks in the bayou.

September fattens on vines. Roses
flake from the wall. The smoke
of harmless fires drifts to my eyes.

This is plenty. This is more than enough.

-Geoffrey Hill

Phew! It's been an insane month, and I'm starting to feel my schedule finally start to get into a rhythm just in time for the hurricane heading our way hehe. I'm not too worried, and it makes for some cozy refilling the well time--speaking of, has anybody seen Live Up To Your Name on Netflix? It's an absolutely lovely and romantic and over the top k drama and I'm loving it. Also Behind Your Touch. Absolutely delightful. What fills your creative well?

Happy Black Cat Appreciation Day to my sweet, sweet girl. Morticia is much gentler, more agile, and more affectionate than her brother. She loves being held, laying on stomachs, and cleaning ears. She is the chirpiest cat that ever chirped. Glad you found me, sis 😊🐈‍⬛

I went from crazy fun celebration week to crazy deep drafting week. I'm deep in the final pages of the next spooky middle grade that I'll hopefully write the end on this week. But you guys, last week was AMAZING. I still have more I wanna say about it all and for you all and that's gonna come once I can get some of the crazy things happening this month settled. But for now I'll just say I got to celebrate book release in the absolutely very best possible way. Thanks Mama for coming and celebrating with me at our favorite place!!! It was absolutely magic and I'm still riding the high.

Boo! More on this epic and wonderful release week to come, but just popping in quick to say boo, hello, and THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for all the incredible support and generosity you guys have sent my way. It's seen and felt and very, very much appreciated. I dont know how I got lucky enough to have so many amazing people in my life.

Link in my bio if your still looking to pick up a copy of Nightmare House! And as we enter spooky season (👻👻👻) consider how great a Halloween gift Nightmare House would be!!

Y'all are awesome!
👻

HERE WE GO, PENNY HOPE!

https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374390952/the-nightmare-house

"I saw a person with blank, colorless eyes . . . and this time, I wasn’t dreaming.

Penny Hope used to be brave, but that was before she met the Fear Maker. Years later, he still haunts her nightmares—a tall, thin man with red eyes, in a haunted house in the woods, who devours human souls and leaves their eyes hollow and empty. Penny’s beloved grandma tells her to write down these nightmares as poems in her notebook. But then Penny starts seeing blank-eyed people in the waking world, too. She’s the only one who notices.

As more people around her fall prey to the Fear Maker, Penny must gather her courage once and for all to save the souls of those she loves. With the help of a magic garden and a new friend, she ventures to the Fear Maker’s house. But the house is a labyrinth of shadows and tricks—and the Fear Maker’s fun is just beginning. Can a pocketful of sunflower seeds and a notebook filled with poems be enough to defeat a master of nightmares? And if Penny sets foot in the Fear Maker’s house, will she ever leave?"

Ok, Penny Hope. Here we go.

Happy release day to my brave, brave girl!!! Swipe through for some sneak peaks, kind words from and , and some silliness. (The last pic took me a million tries, poor Tish.) Thank you all SO MUCH for already being so supportive and fantastic!

Order link in bio! See what you find in The Nightmare House mwahahaha!

***
I saw a person with blank, colorless eyes . . . and this time, I wasn’t dreaming.

Penny Hope used to be brave, but that was before she met the Fear Maker. Years later, he still haunts her nightmares—a tall, thin man with red eyes, in a haunted house in the woods, who devours human souls and leaves their eyes hollow and empty. Penny’s beloved grandma tells her to write down these nightmares as poems in her notebook. But then Penny starts seeing blank-eyed people in the waking world, too. She’s the only one who notices.

As more people around her fall prey to the Fear Maker, Penny must gather her courage once and for all to save the souls of those she loves. With the help of a magic garden and a new friend, she ventures to the Fear Maker’s house. But the house is a labyrinth of shadows and tricks—and the Fear Maker’s fun is just beginning. Can a pocketful of sunflower seeds and a notebook filled with poems be enough to defeat a master of nightmares? And if Penny sets foot in the Fear Maker’s house, will she ever leave?

In two days, my first spooky horror novel will be on shelves.

I wrote my first book as sort of a cheerful song for the wondrous world. My second book was deep-rooted shout into the heavy world.

This book? This book, in many ways, actually feels like a soft whisper to myself. My younger self who had nightmares but who somehow knew inately that morning light always comes and is so much stronger than the dark. Who believed that laughter and enthusiasm and stubborn hope would always win and could break down wall after wall after wall. That we are powerful beings. A lot has happened to that indomitable, invincible little girl that has really put that belief and hope to the test. There were thicker, sturdier walls than she was at first prepared for as she ran headlong into them, and things got scraped and bruised and even broken. How much power did she think she had?

This book is me kneeling next to that younger self and whispering into her ear: Guess what. You were right.

In a lot of ways this feels like an appropriate book to be my actual first not published during a worldwide pandemic. A response to coming out of that experience that changed things for all of us.

I would be honored if you read this book or ordered it for a friend who needed to hear that they were stronger than the nightmares (link in bio!) I have so much hope for this book. And hope is a powerful thing.

Glare has been working on his poetry skills. He had some input on some of the spookier poems in The Nightmare House. If you're a teacher or librarian looking for poetry unit helps, Glare made sure we had a whole range of poetry types, from haikus and limericks to shape poems and abcedarians just for you. And anyone else who likes poetry!

Some thoughts one week away from release:

Have I done enough?
Would Roald Dahl approve? Would ?
Is it spooky enough? Is it too spooky?
Have I done enough?
Will teachers see how the poems are there to help them?
What do other people's Fear Makers look like?
Are there librarians and teachers and booksellers I should have been talking to months ago?
Are there interviews/pr opportunities/podcasts I should be taking advantage of?
Wow, writers, especially middle grade writers, are the BEST people.
Have I done enough?
Will there be any kids reading this under their blanket with a flashlight?
How do people make videos and promo stuff look so effortless?
I love this book withy whole heart and I'm so excited for it to be out there.
I put so many fears in this book and I'm nervous about it being out there.
Penny, here we go.
I hope I've done enough.

Me, my book, and my cockatoo hair went hiking at Bryce Canyon and didn't die! Got to hang out with lots of wonderful, amazing family and eat yummy food. I come from a family of eight kids, and both of my parents come from eight kid families, and one day I want to write a BIG BIG family book. It is always, always an adventure.

What's the opposite of a nightmare? A daystallion? Cuz whatever it is, that's what your guys awesomeness brings me.

So ANYWAY I have a book coming out on August 8th and you can preorder now! And there's still a giveaway of a signed copy happening too! Links for all that in the ol bio. Thanks for letting me be obnoxious and annoying about this book o mine for a little bit, I really, really appreciate your guys generosity and support, and that's a rock fact.

GIVEAWAY TIME!!! Enter to win a signed copy of Nightmare House :) So so excited about this one almost ready to make its way in the world!! (Nightmares coming your way 8/8). To enter to win, follow the link in my bio!

It's kind of sad when all the leaves fall off the trees in the fall, but such a releaf when they come back in the spring.

Won't try and speak for anyone else, but this is just something I've been thinkin about lately, and has continued to prove truer and truer as I've... ironically...observed it.

This books comes out in FOUR WEEKS. FOUR. I can't believe it!!! This thing was absolute catharsis to write, but what if people don't like Penny? What if they think the Fear Maker isn't scary?? What if reading the book lets the Fear Maker take your soul???? https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374390952/the-nightmare-house

"And thus, around its jolting track
There runs, to keep our reason busy,
The circling clockwork train of ours
That men agree to call a heart."

-Fernando Pessoa
Translated by Edouard Roditi

Sometimes the universe provides you a furr minion that's basically your kid self in feline form. Timicin is up in everybodys business at all times. He is curious about EVERYTHING and distraught when things are happening without him. He loves watching TV shows and literally trying to dig himself into them. He has a soft, warm belly. He is an EXCELLENT snuggler but only on his own terms, stubborn, and will absolutely not be dissuaded from his obsession of the moment. His purrs are fierce and aggressive. He's chronically stuffy and a bit asthmatic. When he was born, his wide-eyed stares had some folks worried about his mental and developmental status, but so far he's doing just fine, bulldozingly enthusiastic and curious about everything happening everywhere at all times.

I'm glad us weirdos found each other, buddy. And your sister Tish too. Tish, thanks for bringing the tenderness and class to this goofball party.

"My dear brothers and sisters, how we treat each other really matters! How we speak to and about others at home, at church, at work, and online really matters. Today, I am asking us to interact with others in a higher, holier way. Please listen carefully. “If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy” that we can say about another person—whether to his face or behind her back—that should be our standard of communication."

Some grim and grinning friends of mine have come out to socialize. What other types of ghosts should I do next time? Cuz after all, there's room for 1000.

Hi. I'm working on a book. It's a book about monsters and grief and art and why anger isn't as useful a word as we think it is, because it can mean too many different things. It's also the first male protagonist I've written since the very first novel I ever wrote, which was about a middle aged zookeeper named George. I love George and hope he gets to make an appearance some day, even though that particular story is a hot mess that will stay hidden forever. Anyway, I've also got a different book about monsters coming out in August--the monsters that keep us paralyzed because they're actually inside us. I just really love writing about monsters lately. Because sometimes monsters aren't really monsters at all, and with just a little bit deeper of a look you see the incredible creature it really is. And sometimes, monsters are...well, really, truly, terrifyingly monsters. And most often these are the ones that dont actually look like monsters. And I love writing about those monsters too, because I believe that every single one of us can beat every single one of them every single time.

Writing is cool.