💌 Sara Ella's November Newsletter

Black Friday savings, personalized Christmas gifts, & a FREE Zoom event

Nov 24, 2025

Dear Friend,

The weather outside isn’t quite frightful yet here in Arizona. In fact, we’ve at long last hit what I like to call the “sweet spot.” Cool mornings and evenings. Days that are neither too hot nor too cold. As Goldilocks might say, our November weather is “just right.”

Not many people realize how cold it can get where I live. Sometimes it even snows down in the valley. It’s rare, but it happens. While I may not be thawing ice from my car windshield this winter, our winds get so strong they can lift trampolines into the air like a Kansas tornado lifted Dorothy’s house. (I know this from personal experience. Now our trampoline is tightly secured to the ground.)

All of that to say, I’m thankful for these short-lived, pleasantly mild days. And I’m grateful for you. If you stick around to read the rest of this newsletter, I have a couple of “thank yous” in store this month as a show of gratitude for your support this year. Happy Thanksgiving to my American friends, and happy November (and almost Christmas) to everyone else!

November Highlights

🥧 A Very “Mary” Thanksgiving + My Favorite Apple Pie Recipe 🍏

✍️ No-Word-Count November Update + FREE Write by Candleight Invite 🕯️

🛍️ Early Black Friday Savings: 25% off an Annual Substack Subscription + a BIG Surprise Coming Soon 🤩

🎧 Glass Across the Sea Audiobook First Listen 📚

🎄 In-Person Event: Local Christmas Market + Christmas Gift Offer 🎁

🥧 A Very “Mary” Thanksgiving

With Thanksgiving this week, I would normally be stocking up on groceries, meal planning, and making sure my house is squeaky clean from top to bottom. As Monica Geller from the sitcom Friends once noted: “I’m always the hostess.”

And I love being the hostess. Hospitality is ingrained deep in my heart. My mom was the same way. She catered weddings, planned parties, and put on the best holiday celebrations for as long as I can remember. I take after her, I suppose. I come up with themed foods and drinks for birthday parties, often find myself serving at events or the coffee cart at church, and, of course, I always do a full spread for Thanksgiving.

Turkey, brisket, pie, cream peas with pearl onions, cheesy mashed potatoes, stuffing, country gravy, cranberry sauce, mandarin orange salad, homemade rolls, and pie . . . all the pie! I don’t know any other way to do this holiday. I love it, but I’ve come to learn that not every year has to look the same. Sometimes I am called to host. Other times, I am called to rest. I find it a natural inclination to jump in and serve, but letting others serve me? Now that is a struggle.

I shared some of the difficulties my family has faced this year in my post titled Finding Light in the Darkness. It’s no secret that 2025 has hit us harder than other years. Still, I planned on business as usual. I’d host Thanksgiving because I’ve never known anything else. So when I received a phone call at the end of October inviting my family to simply “show up and be served” for Thanksgiving this year, my initial reaction was to decline the offer.

I couldn’t possibly do nothing, could I? Who am I if I’m not hosting, baking, cooking, on my feet from sunup to sundown, so exhausted by the time we sit at the table to eat that I’m not even hungry? It’s not that my family doesn’t bring food or help when they come over—they do! They go above and beyond (because they’re the best). It’s just that I do not know how not to overdo it. I do nothing halfway. Go big or go home, right? That’s me! I host to impress, and maybe that’s why God nudged me during that phone call to pause my “Martha-ing” for this one holiday and try stepping into Mary’s shoes.

I love the way the show The Chosen portrays these two sisters. Any time in the past I’d heard this story from Luke 10:38–42 I always pictured Jesus favoring Mary and scolding Martha. It was a hard story to hear, especially considering I have always related to Martha. The oldest sibling. The one in the kitchen. The one who was expected to do it all.

³⁸Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. ³⁹She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord’s feet, listening to His word. ⁴⁰But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.” ⁴¹But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; ⁴²but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” — Luke 10:38–42

But when I watched the episode of The Chosen that depicts this story (Season 4, Episode 5), I saw it in a very different light. While Jesus still tells Martha that her sister has chosen what is better, He remains kind and gentle in His correction, showing compassion and thanking her for all the ways she has served. It’s a matter of the heart, you see. It’s not that what Martha was doing was inherently wrong. It’s that she was anxious, focused on what her sister wasn’t doing to help her rather than on what was most important—sitting in Jesus’s presence.

While I realize the show has taken fictional liberties (and some may debate that’s a reason not to watch it at all—a debate we can save for another day), I think it does an excellent job of showcasing the heart and character of Christ. Who He was while here on Earth, and Who He continues to be—a compassionate, caring, loving, gracious, and understanding Savior.

“I’m inviting you to something that is better. To sit at my feet. Listen carefully to my words, and devour them as a meal, more nourishing than actual food.” – The Chosen

This year for Thanksgiving, while it’s an internal struggle knowing I will not be hosting or serving a lavish spread, met with the sounds of delightful “mmms” from my guests, I’m very much looking forward to being present with those we will share this holiday with. To being served and having the chance to sit like Mary did and not worry about what needs to be done. I’ll get back to my “Martha-ing,” I have no doubt. And Martha has her place. Marthas are very much needed. But there’s a time to be Martha, and there’s a time to be Mary. For Thanksgiving this year, I choose to be Mary. (Which is sort of perfect since, while my mom was often a Martha, her name was also Mary.)

As for the one thing I do plan to make for my family at home? It’s not Thanksgiving without my absolute favorite apple pie recipe! 🍏 I came across this recipe while reading Denise Hunter’s Sweetwater Gap over ten years ago, and it has remained a staple recipe in my home to this day. It’s a time-consuming one, but so worth it! If you want to try the best apple pie in the world, check out Aunt Lola’s Blue Ribbon Apple Pie recipe on Denise’s website.

🕯️No-Word-Count November Progress + FREE Write By Candlelight Invite

I thought it would be easier not to look at my novel’s word count for a month, but I have to admit, it’s become more of a challenge than I expected. When I came up with the idea for No-Word-Count November, I wasn’t trying to compete with other writing challenges out there. I simply wanted something that felt doable. Something for those who, like me, felt overwhelmed by trying to reach a certain word count goal within a certain time frame.

Deadlines have their place—I’ve been on book deadlines off and on for over ten years now. But just as I’m taking a break from hosting this Thanksgiving, I also felt the need to take the pressure off my writing during a month when many of us set aside time to focus on our stories.

And I have focused on my story the past several weeks. It hasn’t always looked like adding words to the page. Sometimes it looks like listening to one of my favorite podcasts for research, brainstorming my next scene, or even watching films or reading books inspired by the story I’m retelling. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve added words. I don’t know how many quite yet, but for someone who wants to know every tiny detail of everything all the time, the not knowing has been an exercise in growth and discipline.

It’s also been quite freeing.

It was especially difficult not to look at my word count progress during my annual writing retreat this month. When you’re surrounded by amazing writers keeping track of their word count goals for the weekend, it’s that much more difficult not to peek at your own.

But when we reached the end of the weekend, I realized . . . it didn’t matter how any of us kept track of our progress. That wasn’t the point. The point was that we all showed up to choose our stories together. We all aimed for a goal. Some of us edited. Some of us had a word count in mind. And some of us (*raises hand*) just wanted to draft that next chapter. And I did! I’ve revised a chapter and drafted a new one so far this month. I have no idea how many words I’ve added, but I’m okay with that. Because I’ve made progress on a story that didn’t exist three months ago. Which is all right by me.

I’ve been keeping our Write by Candlelight sessions exclusive to paid Substack subscribers, but for our final session of November, I’m opening it up to free subscribers as well. If you’re looking for encouragement and community, I hope you’ll join us on Sunday, November 30th, from 5:00–6:30 p.m. MST. Feel free to invite a writer friend who might also need encouragement. We will do live writing sprints, and I’ll be announcing the winner of this month’s candle giveaway. (Everyone who attends any session this month is automatically entered to win!) I’ll also turn my word count view back on at the end of the session and share the progress I’ve made.

R.S.V.P. for Write by Candlelight

🛍️ Early Black Friday Savings + a BIG Surprise Coming Soon!

One thing I’ve been incredibly thankful for this year is you—my Substack subscribers. Many of you came over from my newsletter list, and others have joined more recently. Your encouragement, support, and enthusiasm for this new venture of mine have meant the world, and I have so much more in store for my subscribers in 2026.

When you become a paid subscriber on Substack, you’re not only supporting my writing and making it possible for me to share more content, you’re also blessing my family in a big way. This year has been difficult, but I’ve seen so much light and hope among the hard parts.

This week only, I’m sending a bit of that light your way with a special discount on an annual Substack subscription. Use this private link to claim 25% off your first year as a paid Substack subscriber. For a little more than $3 a month, you get access to:

✍️ All writing workshop content & resource downloads

💻 Community Zoom events

📖 Behind-the-Scenes looks at my personal rejections, edits, critiques, and more!

Hurry! Offer ends Friday, November 28th, at 11:59 p.m. The discount is valid for 12 months. After that, your annual subscription will renew at the standard price. You can cancel at any time if you do not wish to renew.

Claim 25% Off My First Year

And, if you love a good Black Friday deal, watch my Instagram THIS FRIDAY for a special deal from Enclave Publishing that you won’t want to miss. Let’s just say there may be a very merry (but very limited) Christmas surprise in store!

🎧 Glass Across the Sea Audiobook First Listen

If you’re anything like me, you love audiobooks. I feel like Sam I Am from Green Eggs and Ham when it comes to audiobooks.

I would listen on a train.
And in a car.
And in the rain.
I would listen here or there.
I would listen anywhere!

I am very picky about my audiobook narrators—when it comes to what I listen to and when it comes to who narrates the books I write. I am so grateful for Oasis Audio and Enclave Publishing because they have allowed me to be involved in the narrator selection process. And my narrators, Meg Runyan and Ramón de Ocampo, knocked Glass Across the Sea out of the park!

The audiobook for Glass Across the Sea is available now wherever you download your audiobooks. You can snag 30 days free from Audible and download it, or check it out for free via the Hoopla app through your local library.

🎄 In-Person Event: Local Christmas Market + Christmas Gift Offer 🎁

I love attending bookish events during the Christmas season. There’s no better gift for a reader than a personalized and signed book wrapped under the tree. If you’re local to the Phoenix area, I would love for you to stop by my booth at the Palmcroft Christmas Festival & Market on Sunday, December 7, from 4:30–7:30 p.m. I’ll be selling signed copies of all my books at the event. They will also have other local artisans, live music, food trucks, a sledding hill, snow, bounce houses, and more!

If you’re not local but you’re still looking for a special gift for the reader in your life, I’ve got something for you, too!

Purchase any of my books now through Cyber Monday (12/1). You can order any of my titles from anywhere you wish!
Submit your receipt(s) via this form.
I’ll send a signed bookplate and a bookmark, as well as a personalized Christmas card, to the gift recipient (and yes, you can claim this for yourself, too). Simply include the recipient’s name and a few other details when you fill out the form so I can best know how to personalize their card.

Offer ends Monday, December 1st at 11:59 p.m. MST. One bookplate and bookmark per book ordered. One Christmas card per recipient. All items will be shipped out no later than Wednesday, December 10th, to ensure they arrive in time for Christmas.

Claim my Christmas goodies!

So Long, Farewell

That’s the news for November. As always, please don’t hesitate to reply via email or leave a comment on this post. I love hearing from you! Until next month, happy reading and writing and everything in between!