Scarlet Writes Newsletter: Love, Time Travel & July Reflections
This edition ties rewriting time, love, memory, and manifesting dreams. Enjoy with a fizzy beverage that brings joy! For me it's Topo Chico Mineral Water, Carbonated.
Short Fiction | Writing Process | Book Recommendations & M O R E
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In this issue:
New Fiction | Manifesting Destiny | Fun on the 4th | Summer Reads
Healing Wounds | Book Recommendations | A July 4th Reflection
✨ New Fiction: Rewrite or Relive?
What if you could travel back exactly 37 minutes?
A middle-aged writer discovers she can, just enough to rewrite a single moment of her life and love. But when an unexpected romance blooms, she faces the ultimate question: Should she erase it or finally embrace the present?
🎬 Manifesting Destiny: From Page to Screen (and Stage!)
A quiet dream of mine: seeing one of my books transformed into a film.
Recently, a fellow writer suggested that Adeline’s Sacrifice would make a powerful Broadway play. (You can revisit it here.)
In the spirit of bold manifesting, I wrote a speculative review for a future film adaptation of my second book, Scarlet Birthright.
What makes Scarlet Birthright cinematic isn’t just the plot — it’s the revelation of a family structure beyond the nuclear or even the typical extended family. It’s about chosen kin, cultural intersections, and love that transcends bloodlines.
🎥 Read my "review from the future" here
🇺🇸 Fun Poll for July 4th!
In honor of July 4th:
Vote and tell me why in the comments!
🌴 Summer Reads & Beach Giveaway
My book Scarlet Yearnings is featured in a beach reads giveaway from Bargain Booksy!
What book is your must-have summer read this year? Let me know — I always love new recommendations!
🎧 Healing Father Wounds: Podcast with Ella Shawn
I recently joined
in her beautiful podcast space to talk all things:Marriage and the hidden stories we tell ourselves
Writing as an act of healing
Identity, culture, and Black womanhood
Storytelling across generations and oceans
Emotional expression and culinary metaphors (yes, we get delicious)
The balance of tradition, growth, and compassion
This conversation felt like sitting at a kitchen table with a beloved friend.
🎙️ Listen here
📚 Recent Book Reviews & Recs from Me
I’ve been in a reading swirl lately. Here’s what I’ve loved and recommended:
1️⃣ bae, i wish you knew — my favorite June read was a collection of tender and sharp notes of self to the loved one, a mirror and a window.
2️⃣ When The Giant Wheel Doesn't Stop — a relentless, hypnotic rush through the underside of NYC and more.
3️⃣ Unbreakable: Rebuilding Your Life after Trauma — a well-articulated, deeply researched, and compassionate guide for anyone seeking to understand and heal from trauma.
💭 A July 4th Reflection
“That's the thing about immigrants. They leave one home to find another, and in between they feel like strangers to both.”
— Jhumpa Lahiri
(paraphrased from various interviews and essays; similar sentiments appear throughout her work, particularly in Interpreter of Maladies and The Namesake)
As a naturalized citizen, July 4th brings a curious mix of celebration and contemplation.
Some days, my place in this country feels like it's been stitched into my skin. Other days, it feels as if the thread might unravel at any moment.
I find comfort in the words of immigrant writers, including these:
Viet Thanh Nguyen, who writes about the "unsettled, always provisional" life of the immigrant.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, whose essays capture the quiet negotiations of belonging.
Jhumpa Lahiri, who renders the ache and the in-betweens of hyphenated identities.
May we continue to make space for our stories, both on the page and in our hearts.
⛔️ Scarlet, Rejected
I recently shared how I process rejections of my literary offerings.
It happens ｅｖｅｒｙ ｓｉｎｇｌｅ ｍｏｎｔｈ because I submit to journals
ｅｖｅｒｙ ｓｉｎｇｌｅ ｍｏｎｔｈ.
When a “no” lands in my inbox, I pause. It stings, of course. But then I remind myself: I choose to be positive, sip my tea, and keep writing.
Substack Book Review: Scarlet Birthright
Dear
- THANK YOU for sharing your balanced perspective on the story of Joromi, Trisha Sr, Trisha Jr, Margaret and Mary. They are all in my heart. And now, they're in yours too. You bless me. I appreciate you reading and reviewing, Scarlet Birthright!Parting Shots:
Mark Your Calendars - See Me L·I·V·E in Harlem, Chaguanas and Port-of-Spain this summer: https://scarletibisjames.com/events.
If you didn’t know, I love and appreciate your recent comments on my offerings— keep them coming:
, , , , , , , and !✨ Thank you, dear paid and founding supporters, as well as the 38 awesome folks who scooped up my books and audiobooks last month. You’re not just readers — you’re co-dreamers, co-creators, and the heartbeat of this work. Your belief keeps me writing with joy and wild abandon.
✨ A heartfelt thank you to the incredible independent booksellers in Trinidad and Tobago — Scribbles and Quills and Paper Based Bookshop — for believing in my stories and making space for them on your beautiful shelves. Your support helps these words find their way home. I’m deeply grateful.
Dearest Reader,
Thank you for voyaging with me this month. May every rejection remind you of your courage, and every “yes” find you ready. Keep writing, reading, dreaming, and blooming into the fullest version of your creative self. Always take the chance to tell those who lift you up how much they mean to you. Be the joy in your world.
Așę
𓂃˖ ࣪⊹ Scarlet
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✨ Indeed, think of this as my July 4th firecracker of a plug: my books are bursting with stories at www.scarletibisjames.com.
Trevor Noah, Jhumpa Lahiri, -- two of my favorites. also, Amy Tan.
Trevor Noah because he loves his Mom, and he loved and continues to honor his maternal Grandmother (and he’s cute in a muppets sort of way🤣).