The Folkloric, Neurospicy Purple Vale

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This is The Purple Vale, a newsletter about fairy tales, folklore, fantasy stories, and musings of a neurodivergent and (sometimes) hopeful romantic.

My writing focus is on fantasy and fairy tale genres, for middle-grade through adult readers. My sensitive self doesn’t write a lot of violence. When I do write romance, I keep the steam level mild unless otherwise stated.

I want my writing to be an escape, but I also explore things like identity, authenticity, controlling/harmful environments, survival and meaning-making. I love whimsy and magic, beauty and wonder. I must acknowledge pain and what it can do to us. I like happy endings and I like hopeful, less-than-tidy endings even more.

Who is that spaced-out ethereal, mysterious creature sitting on the rock?

Oh hi, that’s me! Stephanie Ascough, Floridian moved to Tennessee who embraces the seasons, loves water, and dreams of visiting Ireland one day. I’m living my AuDHD life as best I can with my husband, our kids, and our cat/fae overlord. You can visit my published works below.

What can you expect here?

I write seasonal or monthly reflections that celebrate the tiny, beautiful changes in the natural world. I include nods to the Solstices, Equinoxes, and Cross-Quarter days. Here and there I share something about my current WIP (work in progress). It’s not easy to compartmentalize my work. I like to constantly make connections, after all.

If you’re a writer or someone who loves stories, if you get excited over the changing seasons, if you could read every single version of a fairy tale out there or love obscure folklore, then The Purple Vale is your place.

I publish most weeks on Thursdays or Fridays. Wanna join?

Paid Subscriptions

I am in the process of evaluating offerings for paid subscribers, and am excited about what those will entail for 2025. Currently I offer one monthly post exclusively to paying readers. This might be a journal entry, a seasonal or writing resource, a flash fiction, or some other enchantment.

Fantasy, Fairy Tales, and other Enchantments

The Secret Heart of Maeve MacGowan: YA fantasy inspired by Irish history and folklore

Double Alchemy: New Adult romantic fantasy inspired by Beauty and the Beast

The Wistful Wild: poetry anthology inspired by fairy tales, folklore, and myth

Flower and Cloak: five short fairy tales including three reimaginings plus two originals

A Land of Light and Shadow: upper MG fantasy for thoughtful young readers and the young at heart