Hello, goodbye + a major announcement
Why I ghosted Substack and what's next
Hello, long-lost friends! And newfound friends…
You might be surprised to hear from me since you’ve either a) never received an email after joining this list or b) last heard from me on September 6, 2023 when I sent an email about lamps and promptly turned the lights out on this account. Totally wasn’t going for that level of irony, but what a way to ghost a Substack.
First of all, I want to apologize to my subscribers for ghosting this Substack. We had a nice thing going, and then I disappeared. Frankly, The Ghosting might have been the longest Toiles to the Wall hiatus, but it wasn’t the first one. I started Toiles to the Wall as a creative outlet during the pandemic and a way to promote the novel series I published on Amazon KDP, the Pedigree series (which still exists there as a digital exclusive).
What happened was that I outgrew Toiles to the Wall. It happens. Lacking bandwidth for a blog and Instagram entirely during a busy career transition, I took a break, which dragged on longer and longer. Finally, I had to face the fact that Toiles to the Wall just didn’t ‘spark joy’ for me anymore.
After a near-total Instagram break, I’ve slowly dipped a toe back into it. As a career social media manager, I’ve learned the hard way to be careful about spending an eight-plus-hour workday on social and then spending my off-the-clock hours (haha, as if they exist!) scrolling yet more social. But it’s a hard boundary to keep because I love my career field and love the social media landscape (at least 60% of the time).
All this to say, my Toiles to the Wall era is officially over. But wait, there’s more! During my long hiatus, I came back to a historical novel I wrote in 2014/2015 and put in a drawer because that was an extremely hectic season of life. No exaggeration, the week I finished this manuscript, I found out I was expecting my now soon-to-be ten-year-old daughter. So, no editing got done, no more writing got done until 2017, when I started working on what would become Pedigree. And I’m proud of Pedigree, but I never forgot my earlier work. (Ok, I kind of forgot it; there were 2 a.m. feedings happening here.)
But now, at the right time for it to happen- Drumroll please…
My historical novel, Even the Faithful, is being published in Feb. 2026! All has not been quiet behind the hiatus scenes. I’m truly very excited and humbled that this is happening and literally cannot wait to share this book with everyone. I say literally because I’ve already started sharing more about it on Pinterest and am going to do so on Instagram as well, albeit at a more sustainable pace for me. The story takes place in my hometown of Dayton, Ohio in 1946, right after the end of World War II. It follows a couple in a lavender marriage, an earnest young priest, and the impossible choices that come to define their lives.
If you like historical fiction (or me), please consider continuing to follow along. I’ve genuinely enjoyed connecting with my subscribers over the years. If you’ve been around since this was an ugly MailChimp newsletter that went out at 9:30 p.m., special shoutout. I love you, man. If you’re a newer subscriber who’s getting a letter from me for the first time, sorry again, and I promise not to do any more ghosting.
To stay in touch, please sign up for my new newsletter - as an added bonus, you’ll get a free 1940s Book Club Hosting Guide. It’s beautiful and full of vintage cocktail/mocktail recipes, snack and dessert recipes, and general hosting tips. Plus, you’ll get a first look at the prologue for Even the Faithful. Just note that you will need to complete the sign-up process (it’s quick). To be respectful of everyone’s privacy and email preferences, I’m not going to import this list into my new email platform.
If this isn’t your thing and you’re wondering why I’m here crashing your inbox two years after you Googled ‘Farrow and Ball review,’ you don’t need to take any action. This is the last time you’ll hear from me. No hard feelings. You can always change your mind later and sign up for emails on my new website.
Thank you again for being here and for all of your support during my Toiles to the Wall era. I hope we stay in touch, and I look forward to connecting again soon!
Warmly,
Sara