Pumpkin Trails Update: Why I’m Waiting Until Next Fall

A little update on The Pumpkin Trails of Three Spruces

I originally planned to have The Pumpkin Trails of Three Spruces out this September, and if you've been following along on Instagram, you've probably seen me working on the cover, characters, illustrations, and all the little pieces of Three Spruces over the last few months.

Well... September came and went. 😅

The book also became quite a bit bigger than I originally planned.

What started as a shorter chapter book has grown into a longer middle grade story, with more time spent getting to know Evelyn, Vivian, Wyatt, their families, and the town of Three Spruces itself. I'm really happy with where it's going, but I'm still writing and illustrating it, and I've reached the point where I would have to rush pretty much everything to get it published in October.

And I don't want to do that.

Since this book is so tied to October and the Great Pumpkin Hunt, releasing it halfway through the month would also mean missing most of the season I wrote it for. So I've decided to hang onto The Pumpkin Trails of Three Spruces and plan its release for fall 2027 instead.

I'm actually pretty excited about that decision. It gives me time to finish the story and illustrations without racing a deadline, order proofs well ahead of release, and make sure the finished book is exactly where I want it to be.

It also gives me more time to spend in Three Spruces.

I've always pictured this as the beginning of a series, with different stories taking place throughout the year. And with a little extra time before the first book releases, there's a chance another seasonal Three Spruces adventure might not be too far behind it. 👀

For now, I'm still working on Pumpkin Trails while we're actually in the middle of pumpkin season, which feels like a pretty good time to be writing it. I'll keep sharing bits of the book, artwork, characters, and Three Spruces along the way.

So, not this October after all. But I think it'll be a much better book because of it.

The Pumpkin Trails of Three Spruces is now planned for fall 2027.