May 2026 Newsletter

Hello, everyone! Happy May!

How was April? Did you have anything fun going on?

Writing: Autism Awareness Month

Did you know April was Autism Awareness Month? To finish off the month, I thought I’d share a little bit about my own journey with autism.

When I first received my autism diagnosis, both my focus and the focus of those around me was on how autism can be a superpower—that it brings unique strengths and isn’t something to be ashamed or sad about. And that is true. Autism comes with so many positive qualities.

But over the last month or two, I’ve realized that we can’t focus only on the positives while ignoring the fact that autism is also a disability—and “disability” is not a bad word.

Because of autism, there are certain things that will probably always be harder for me. Not because I’m less capable or less valuable in any way, but because my brain and body simply work differently. I will probably never make friends as easily as a neurotypical person. I’ll likely always experience heightened anxiety, struggle with adapting to change, and become more exhausted by everyday life than most people realize.

There’s actually a certain relief in accepting that. In acknowledging that there is a reason I experience the world the way I do. But at the same time, there’s grief in it too. Accepting a disability can also mean grieving the things that may never come easily to you.

Anyway, I hope this helped you learn one more thing about autism. Feel free to ask me anything you want in the comments or by replying to this email!

Reading: Holly Jackson

Looking for a new murder mystery author? Let me introduce you to my latest obsession author: Holly Jackson.

I read Not Quite Dead Yet a couple of months ago and loved it, so I decided to try some of her other books. I started with A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, her debut novel, and I was hooked. From there, I read The Reappearance of Rachel Price, Good Girl, Bad Blood, and now I’m currently reading As Good as Dead.

The twists in these books are incredibly well written, and they’ve quickly become some of my favorite mysteries I’ve read. I’ve loved every one of her books so far, though Not Quite Dead Yet is still my favorite.

Let me know if you’ve read any of her books!

Spotlight: Marissa Meyer Launch Event

I know you’ve all heard a lot about Marissa Meyer from me, but here I am once again 😅

This month, I went to my third Marissa Meyer launch event, this time for her new book The Escape Game. It was so fun getting to see her again, ask a question, and hear more about her writing process. The bookstore also had fun games themed around the book, along with stickers and bookmarks.

I got my copy of The Escape Game signed and personalized, along with six other books signed. I also got a book signed by the author who interviewed her, Emily J. Taylor. At this point, almost all of my copies of Marissa Meyer’s books are signed!

As usual, my mom came with me to the event, and since the ticket included a copy of the book that she probably isn’t going to read, we decided to do a giveaway of her signed copy, personalized to “A Reader.” The giveaway copy will also come with a themed bookmark and sticker.

To enter the giveaway, make sure you’re subscribed to both my Instagram (@abby_theintrovertedwriter) and my newsletter (which you probably already are if you’re reading this), then simply reply to any of my emails. I will announce the winner in my next newsletter, so make sure you reply before June 6th.

Personal: Life in April

I feel like April was a pretty quiet month—I mainly focused on work and getting through school. I am so ready to be done with school. But a couple of fun things did happen this month!

On the 25th, I went to my first-ever prom. I went with my sister and a couple of friends from my youth group. Prom is not my thing at all—lots of people, bright lights, loud music—but I figured it was something I should experience at least once. I went into it expecting it to feel awkward and not be very fun. At first, it was a little awkward, but once I warmed up, I actually ended up having a great time.

And on the same day as prom, it was also Independent Bookstore Day. To celebrate, indie bookstores across the Twin Cities created a passport where you could collect stamps at different stores to unlock discounts. Of course, I couldn’t miss out on that, so my mom and I visited four different bookstores the morning of prom.

I ended up getting four new books: The Swan's Daughter by Roshani Chokshi, Mr. Wrong Number by Lynn Painter, A Stage Set for Villains by Shannon J. Spann, and Perfect Cover by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. I also picked up a tote bag and some cute stickers. It was such a fun outing!

Quick Writing Update

• Wrote 700 words in Project: Ocean

• Wrote 6,000 words and finished draft #1 of Project: Europe

• Continued to work on my short story

Have you read any good books lately? What’s one fun thing that happened in April? Let me know by replying directly to this email or leaving me a comment on the website that corresponds to The Introverted Writer!

Thank you so much for reading! Have a great rest of your day!

Abby Henderson

P.S. Have a great month!