Hello my dear Enclave friend,

I write to you on the cusp of autumn, a hot cup of coffee by my left hand and the glow of afternoon sunlight by my right. How are you today?

So often I wish we could sit down together, toasty beverages in hand, or sit side by side beneath the shade of a large willow oak in the park near where I live. But there's also something special about writing to you in this way, so very like how we share stories together already, just in a slightly different form.

Just before the long weekend began, I attended a workshop for writers where the speaker asked what we would most want to say to a reader and how that thing connects to our books. I immediately knew my answer. Each time you step through the sun-filled fog that separates us from Azuria, when you smell the damp moss and slightly unfamiliar ferns, when you gaze up at the red and gold leaves of the autumnwood trees, what I want you to know is this: You are stronger, braver, and more magical than you believe.

(And no, it was not until now that I realized how close that is to a lovely quote by Winnie the Pooh/AA Milne.)

Fantasy fiction, for me, has always been about finding myself. Looking back, I can also see that it's about escape, though sometimes I wonder if "retreat" might strike closer to home. We remove ourselves from a reality that is so often alienating and step into a familiar magical realm that's also full of surprise. Within that realm, inside those stories, we're a truer version of ourselves. We find, for a moment or for several hours, who we were truly meant to be.

When I was little, fantasy authors like Madeleine L'Engle, Garth Nix, and DJ MacHale provided that sense of escape, retreat, and renewal for me. I followed their characters on daring adventures and found a braver, more exciting version of my young, bookish self. Many of the stories that inspired me have found their way between the pages of my novels; their Azurian doubles inspired baby Iellieth before she began her adventures.

I believe that stories are what save us, in part by returning us to ourselves. I hope that the stories of Azuria make you feel more connected to the world around you, to others in your community, and to yourself. In short, I hope that you, like me, find what you're searching for inside the pages of fantasy novels, even if you don't know, as you step between the veil that separates the worlds, what you're looking for when your journey begins.

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Thank you for letting me share these stories and thoughts with you. Wherever you are today, I hope a dazzling adventure awaits you just around the bend. If you haven't read Amber Queen yet, the newest release in the Age of Azuria series, I hope that you will! And my special thanks to those who have left a rating or review!

I have a few short stories waiting for you in the wings, one of which whisks us back in time to the war-torn world of Eldura. I can't wait to continue this journey with you!

Happy reading adventures,

🍂 Beth

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