The Disappearance of Vanessa Shaw is Releasing…

BySarra Cannon

This month!! It’s finally happening, and I honestly can hardly believe it! Scroll down for the trailer and release date announcement!

I officially announced the release date and new cover today on our coffee chat, so you can find that link below… but here’s the trailer I made!! Enjoy

The Disappearance of Vanessa Shaw

Coming October 25th

Cover Art By Crystal Cover Design (Follow her on Instagram)

Secrets can kill.

Vanessa Shaw was the kind of girl you either loved or you loved to hate. Over the course of our friendship, I’d done both. I never should have gone to her family’s secluded cabin on the river that night, but it was meant to bring us all closer.  One last party with our original group before senior year began. 

Instead, Vanessa disappeared without a trace, and her memory’s been haunting me ever since. Now, exactly one year later, her brother Kirin has brought us all back to the cabin to honor her life. Six of Vanessa’s closest friends, each with a secret we’d do anything to protect.

But I have a feeling no one is leaving until we unbury the truth. After all, everyone there that night had a reason to want Vanessa gone … Including me.

This book has been quite the journey to create. I first came up with the idea back in 2019 when I was pregnant with Evie, and I honestly thought it would write really fast. In fact, some of you may remember that I had an idea to release not one but THREE books that summer. The Disappearance of Vanessa Shaw, The Possesesion of Mira Black, and The Haunting of Luna Day. I even started all three books and got a decent way into them when pregnancy brain and an unexpected notice to move out of our current rental home put all my plans on hold.

It took me several years to get back to this story, but after we settled down here in our new home in Texas, I was struggling super hard with Shadow Demons 12 and just needed something else to sink my brain into for a bit. Again… I thought for some crazy reason that I could write the rest of the book quickly.

But as creativity so often proves to us, stories don’t always come as fast or clear as we hope. This book has been written and rewritten no less than eight times over the past couple of years. I’ve deleted entire characters, changed major story lines, switched endings, and completely changed my main character’s romance storyline so many times, I’ve lost count, haha.

Despite the struggle, though, I never gave up. And I LOVE the way this book turned out. Reading through it most recently, my entire body was in chills! As George (always the first person to read my books – my loving husband of nearly 15 years) read through it, he kept sending me text messages like, “Your readers are going to love this part.” and “Oooh, I never saw this coming.”

The encouragement, excitement, and support all of you have shown to me over the years has been incredible. In a world where some authors are literally cranking out twelve books a year, I simply cannot compete with that level of production. I know as readers, it’s just one long wait for a book that you read over a matter of hours, but for me as an author, it’s years of staying up late, thinking about these characters every day, pacing my floor trying to get the exact right twist in a way that you won’t guess but will absolutely believe is how it was meant to be. More than speed, I cherish the way a story makes you feel.

And it’s my sincerest hope that this story will keep you turning pages all night and will make you feel like no matter what anyone else thinks of you, you can always believe and trust in yourself.

It’s going to be a fun ride, and it’s almost here!

So… come join me on YouTube or Twitch today at 4PM Eastern and hear the book description, see the cover, and get the official release date LIVE. (I’ll come back and post it here after the reveal too!)

TODAY’S GIVEAWAY: Free T-shirt From My Merch Shop

TShirt From Sarra’s Merch Shop!

I have wanted to do a fun merch shop for Spooktacular for years, and I finally created some fun designs and took the plunge! There are some really great tees, like “Spooky Babe”, “Writer”, “In My spooky Era” and more. Browse through everything here on my Fourthwall shop.

I’ll also be adding more writer tshirts, ‘The Muse Always Wins”, Sir Bean, and some Broken Chapter Society merch, so our winner will have even more to choose from! On the contest above, I say “tshirt” but if you win and you’d prefer a mug and a hat, instead, it’s your choice! Just keep your order to $50 merch total! And thank you so much to everyone who has ordered so far!!! More designs coming soon!

PARTY FAVOR: A HALLOWEEN WORD SEARCH

I have loved word searches since I was a kid! My friend Magan made this fun one for us today, and it’s soooo cute! Simply right click and save to download and solve on your tablet or print it out and enjoy finding the words while you drink your afternoon tea. So fun!

SEE YOU TOMORROW!!

Saturday, I have a special treat for you!! About a month ago, I drove to a cabin in the woods of Oklahoma alone to work on Vanessa Shaw edits for five full days. I recorded my entire trip, and I’ve got a long writing vlog to share with you on Saturday at 1PM Eastern. We’ll gather together for a “Premiere”, meaning that right at 1, when the video first goes live, you’ll be able to watch it with me and chat together on YouTube. I can’t wait to see you there!

But first, join me today for the release and reveal of The Disappearance of Vanessa Shaw!

92 Comments

  2. Sarra!!! So incredibly excited for you and us for TDOVS
    I already know the I’m going to love this book and we got to follow along on your journey!

    Reply

    1. I’ve been watching coffee chats since near the start of the year. I believe the first one I caught live was actually on my 40th in January ☺️

      Reply

  4. I’ve been watching your YouTube channel since covid. I have been there for many of the lives during that time but not as much now because of work. I watch the replays as soon as I got the chance. I enjoy the coffee chats a lot.

    Reply

  5. After the week I’ve had I’m looking forward to a nice simple word search! I’m also in LOVE with the spooky ghost tote!

    Reply

  8. I’m so excited for DOVS! But more than that, watching you push through the struggles and doubt has given me hope for the book that I’ve been staggering through since 2012 (but seriously working on since 2021). I’m hoping to finally finish a full draft this quarter! I’m a long way to go from the end still, but your DVOS journey has motivated me to keep working on it!

    I’m so looking forward to reading DVOS at long last and appreciate being included in the process.

    Reply

  11. I am so excited to finally read your book. I’ve been following along and see how much you have put into it. 🙂

    Reply

  13. I’ve been watching your coffee chats for at least a year now. I always try and watch live but it’s 9pm here so I don’t always manage to make it! I always catch the replay though! xxx

    Reply

  16. I’ve followed all of the live coffee chats during the Covid Pandemia, when you were reading A witch’s key, and then I follow your coffee chats mainly on replay the next day.

    Reply

  17. (Steph)
    I wish Sarra every success with TDOVS.
    Looking forward to spooktacular so much
    My favorite time of year

    Reply

  18. Absolutely can’t wait for spooktacular, the best of luck to Sarra with her upcoming release TDOVS. Looking forward to the Broken Chapters Society

    Reply

  20. Sarra, I am so excited that TDOVS is going to be able to be released. You have put a lot onto this story and I know from your previous books, it will be great!! So excited to hear your news at the coffee chat. Hope I can make the live.

    Reply

  21. I usually watch the live while I’m at work. Sometimes I’ll save them for the next time I work. Like my own podcast episode to listen to!

    Reply

  26. I pre-ordered TDOVS during last Spooktacular and I been chomping at the bit waiting for it! I’m SO excited to finally get it in my hands!
    I’ve been watching your coffee chats on and off for a while now. Maybe a couple of years?

    Reply

  30. I’ve already ordered a shirt, but I’ll never say no to another cute T-shirt. So glad you’ve finally got merch!

    Reply

  34. I’m doing this word search tonight for sure. Thanks so much! The party favors always make me smile. 🙂

    Reply

  38. I’ve really enjoyed watching your journey through this book and I’m so excited to be here for the end product. It’s been wonderful to watch your process. Congratulations!

    Reply

  47. So excited for you finishing your book! It’s such an amazing feeling, finishing and releasing a work. Honestly, I think chasing that dragon is what keeps me working on mine. XD

    And yes, creativity does take the time it takes…I’ve realized the way I write means I cannot promise anything about release dates until the book is 100% finished–edited, revised, proofread, formatted, and files ready to go on retailers. Because between creativity doing its own thing and being a close and intimate friend with Murphy’s Law…yep, just safer to say “I’m working on it! When I have a release date I’ll let you know!”

    Reply

  48. I’ve been watching Coffee Chats, mostly replays, for a long time – a couple of years probably! I am watching the replay now!!

    Reply

  49. Hi, Sarra!

    First of all: congratulations! ✨. I’m super excited for TDOVS. I’ve been catching the replay train for a while but I’ve also been at the lives as much as I could for a year or so, I believe. This is my second Spooktacular, yay! ☺️

    Reply

  51. Hey Sara,
    I’ve been to countless life chats(an hour and 57 mins). It’s always nice hearing you speak of your goals and achievement.

    Reply

  54. Every year I look forward to Spooktacular. This year is even more awesome because of the new book! I am so excited!

    Reply

  55. I’m so freaking excited about this book! Amazing trailer and the new cover is awesome. I love both versions. Congratulations on making it to this point in the process! I’m so happy for you and so proud of you for never giving up even though it was really hard. You inspire me. <3

    Reply

  59. Congratulations Sarra!! You’ve worked so hard to make this happen! The cover looks great! 🙂
    Also: love the witchy sweaters and the writer hat! <3

    Reply

  61. Love the trailer. Vanessa Shaw is one I’ve been excited about because I love a good mystery. I’ve been following you on the journey to completing it. It’s been encouraging to me when I’ve had frustrations with my own book.

    Reply

  65. I have been to a coffee chat but it’s been a while. It use to be the time we were getting out of school so I would listen then but kids made it hard. haha.

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  70. Coffee Chat is the highlight of my Fridays! I’ve been watching you for about a year, I think I started around Spooktacular last year. It’s so much fun! Thank you for all you do!

    Reply

  74. I have been to quite a few replays of coffee chats over the last two years. I love the unfiltered videos!

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  76. Kind of excited to read TDOVS….never done/read anything with a spooky ghost twist so I think it will be fun.

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  78. I enjoy the Coffee Live Chat live. If I have time, I try to watch the whole video. Happy October, everyone.

    Reply

  81. I’m so very happy for you. I can’t to read it. Though to be honest now that it has 2 covers I can’t decide which I want. I ordered it last year, and I know we have the option for both, but I think I want a copy of your Sacrifice Me. So that is the option I’m going with.

    Reply

  83. Your merch is so cute! Thank you for the word search! I’m a substitute teacher so that word search will be put to good use this month.

    Reply

  88. I can’t remember the last time I had a day with the hubby just us relaxing and enjoying each other. Reading, watching movies and the game. Love days like this.

    Reply

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