Sip, Swallow & Scream

I did it! It took significantly longer than planned (also because I was working on numerous other projects simultaneously), but I finished this one, and it was substantial. 14 episodes, about 38k words, and a fun Edgar Allan Poe-themed, paranormal mystery romp has been born!

What’s Sip, Swallow & Scream about?

"Step into the enchanting world of 'Sip, Swallow & Scream' in the charming town of Ravenswood, Pennsylvania, where Halloween casts its magical spell like no place else. This year, however, the annual festivities take a bewitching turn as a real-life mystery unravels.

Amidst the Halloween revelry, the night falls eerily still, and a spine-tingling scream fills the air, leading the townsfolk's gaze to an unexpected tableau. Resting upon a cozy couch in a quiet bar is a lifeless figure, whimsically adorned as none other than the master of macabre himself, Edgar Allan Poe.

Fear not, for Detective Sesame Swallow and her besties are already knee-deep in the festivities when the enigma unfolds. As they delve into the secrets of Victor Hughes, the local bookshop owner with an undying passion for both Halloween and the written word, they unearth a labyrinth of envy and rivalry triggered by Victor's recent discovery: a rare, unpublished manuscript by the great Poe.

Mysterious, cryptic notes serve as breadcrumbs leading Sesame deeper into the town's labyrinth of Halloween-inspired literary marvels. This trail winds its way through a grand masquerade ball, where riddles unravel to reveal hidden chambers filled with priceless tomes, including the elusive manuscript. However, the more they uncover, the closer they inch toward danger, as Victor's jealous adversaries and an unrelenting murderer cast an ominous shadow.

From a spellbinding hilltop estate to the oldest, grimmest cemetery in the town's history, this Halloween-themed murder mystery is an enchanting voyage through enigmatic riddles, concealed sanctuaries, and hair-raising confrontations. In a whimsical weekend filled with sips, gulps, and gasps, a close-knit circle of friends must unlock the secrets of past and present to unveil the truth and restore the enchantment of Halloween in Ravenswood."

Who is Sesame Swallow?

If you don’t know who Sesame Swallow is, well, I don’t blame you. I’ve known her for almost ten years because that’s how long ago it’s been since I wrote the first of several mystery novels about what has become my favorite character. Of course, you haven’t read any of them, and that makes sense, too, because they are in various stages of rewrites and edits.

I didn’t know the character very well when I wrote the first novel, but with each successive one, it got easier and easier. And then I added a few offshoot stories, mysteries like this one, and now Sesame and I are like two peas in a pod. As I revisit and continue rewriting the first novel, everything is falling into place, as evidenced by this story, which will be released later this year on Substack.

Writing is all about getting to know the people who are in your stories. You never know them that well at the beginning, even if you aren’t a panster like me. I prefer to just start writing and let that familiarity grow over time. And so, here we are. In this case, I’ve essentially written a novella, which I originally thought would be half as long. But the story demanded more, and I just rolled with it. Even 14 episodes isn’t ideal, but the finale needed to be as long as it was. I can’t complain, and I’m really happy how this turned out.

As I write more Sesame adventures and work on the novel(s), expect more snapshots, more mini-mysteries, and more fun, like the excerpt from the audio above.

Happy Friday!