Bayou Bound Books’ First Christmas Collection Is Here
If you’re the kind of person who wants to be wrapped up in something warm with a hot drink in your hands the second it gets a little chilly, this one’s for you.
The very first Porch Stories Christmas collection is officially here, and I’m so happy to finally share it. I wanted pieces you’d actually reach for on those slow, cozy holiday mornings, whether you’re curled up with a book, sitting on the porch, or opening gifts with the people you love. And because this is Bayou Bound Books, Santa had to come down the bayou on an airboat.
Vintage Christmas is making a comeback, so I leaned all the way into that old-school holiday feel.
Here’s what’s in the collection:
Santa’s Bayou Airboat Crewneck in Sand and Dark Mocha. Soft, neutral colors that go with everything and feel like the holidays without being loud about it.
Santa’s Bayou Airboat Tee in Brown Savana. For those Southern Christmases where it’s somehow still warm enough for short sleeves.
Vintage Bow Stamp Christmas Mug. For all my coffee and tea lovers out there. Fill it up, grab your book, and stay a while.
And keep an eye on the shop, because a few more pieces might sneak into the collection before the season’s over. 🎄
These also make really easy gifts for the reader in your life, or for yourself, because you deserve something cozy too.
The Christmas collection will be available until January 1, so if you’re a last-minute shopper or want to treat yourself after the holidays, you’ve still got time. After that, it’s gone.
Shop the Christmas collection on the Bayou Bound Books website before it disappears.
Isabelle Herrscher
Ink dipped in soul, bound by the bayou.
The Porch Stories Halloween Collection Is Here
Y'all, spooky season is officially here and I finally made the thing.
The Porch Stories Halloween Collection is live in the shop, and it's limited edition, so once October 31st hits, it's gone.
If you've been around for a while, you know Porch Stories. It's been a minute since I've posted one (I know, I know), but the porch hasn't gone anywhere, and this collection is my little love letter to it. Same porch. Different kind of night.
Here's what's in it:
The Halloween Tee has our vintage pumpkin badge on the front and the full moonlit porch scene on the back, Spanish moss, cypress trees, rocking chair and all.
The Halloween Hoodie has the same front and back designs, just cozier, for the nights that finally cool down enough to sit outside.
The Halloween Mug is 15 oz with the pumpkin badge on both sides, for your morning coffee or late night tea while you read something you probably shouldn't before bed.
And honestly, even though it's a Halloween collection, none of this is just an October thing. It's Southern Gothic. Spanish moss and cypress trees don't stop being creepy on November 1st, so you can wear it and use it all year.
A couple quick questions I know y'all will have:
Is the Porch Stories Halloween Collection available all year?
No, it's a limited collection. The tee, hoodie, and mug are only available through October 31.
Will my order arrive by Halloween?
Each item is made just for you once you order, so it takes a little extra time. To be safe, order by mid-October if you want it in time for Halloween.
Grab yours before the porch light goes out.
See y'all on the porch.
Wear the Bayou: A Look at What's in the Shop Right Now
A look at what's currently in the Bayou Bound Books shop, shirts, mug, and art prints, and why none of it feels separate from the stories.
Wear the Bayou: A Look at What’s in the Shop Right Now
I don’t talk about the shop enough, honestly. So today I will try and do a little better.
If you’ve been around here for the books and the stories but haven’t made it over to the merch page yet, here’s what’s actually in the shop section of my website at the moment.
The Shirts
There’s a black tee with the full swamp scene on the back. Spanish moss, cypress trees, a skull stacked on books, moonlight, and the words “Where the stories rot beautifully” across it. Comes in a classic unisex fit and a crop top, so wear the bayou however feels most like you.
There’s also a grey tee, a little more understated. “Ink dipped in soul, bound by the bayou” sits on the front where a pocket would be, and a bayou house on the back.
The Mug
For anyone who does their best reading with something warm in their hand. It is available in three different sizes. Whether you are a hot coffee or tea lover it will be perfect for you or make a great gift!
The Art Prints
Original pieces, born out of the same voice and atmosphere as the books. You may notice that my artwork may not look how my brand sounds and the honest reason for this is just because I create what I feel inspired to create and for some reason my visual art expresses itself a little differently than my stories. It is what it is kind of situation but a reminder that Bayou Bound Books is so much bigger than just a book brand, it is an entire creative world.
Everything in my shop ships straight to you. None of it is separate from the brand, it’s all just another way to hold onto the same world the books live in.
You can find all of it at bayouboundbooks.com.
The Books
If you have not noticed yet, I am sure you will notice soon. My books are not on there. Let me tell you why and where you can find them.
You can find my books on Amazon. They are not on my shop because I have not yet found a place where I like how the printing turns out and to be honest the best way I can get more blogs, merch, books, etc. for you guys is to not have my house turn into a full out fulfillment center. My books are currently only on Amazon because it allows me to have more availability and right now that feels very important to me while I continue to build the Bayou Bound Books brand. Never say never though because I am slowly working on a plan to make it to where I can also have my books on my website that I have worked so hard on.
Who knows, maybe there will even be special editions and signed copies available for purchase when they finally get here! For now I will just have to link them down below. Something else to note is that my 3 books are published under my maiden name, Isabelle McGee, for more information on that feel free to binge some of my blogs where I further explain why.
Chasing 25: https://a.co/d/03tanyvh
Get Out Of The Swamp: https://a.co/d/04gP2Hxg
Prompt To Grow: https://a.co/d/0aVPvrla
More soon. 🖤
My Writing Process Does Not Exist and That Is Okay
A lot of authors out there have a writing process. Artists have a painting process. Creatives of all kinds seem to have these carefully structured routines with blocked off hours and dedicated creative windows and systems that keep everything moving forward on schedule.
If you came here looking for that from me I am sorry but I genuinely cannot help you there.
My full time author schedule is relatively nonexistent and I have made peace with that.
Here is what my day actually looks like. I wake up -- whenever that is, and it could genuinely be any time -- make my coffee, sit down at my desk, check my emails, and respond to what needs a response. After that everything is chaos. Beautiful, productive, completely unscheduled chaos.
I do not wake up at a certain time. I do not go to bed at a certain time. Some nights I am asleep by 10pm and up early ready to tackle the world. Other nights, because I spent years working night shifts and have always been a night owl at heart, I am going to bed at 6am and waking up at 3pm. And honestly it is what it is.
I have tried blocking out my schedule almost hour by hour. Breaks at specific times, creative work in specific windows, the whole system. It does not work for me and I think I finally understand why.
I cannot sit down and feel forced to be creative. I will be creative when I want to be creative. That is just the truth of how I work and I stopped fighting it.
Editing is the exception. Editing I force myself to do because if I do not create a deadline for myself I simply will not do it. There is no natural creative pull toward editing for me. It is all discipline and mild dread and self imposed consequences. But everything else -- the writing, the content creation, the building -- that happens when it happens.
My day looks like working for an hour or two and then going to hang out with my fiance. Then getting back to it when he is busy with his hobbies. Then working again late into the night because something clicked and I cannot stop. I probably work more than eight hours most days but the majority of the time it does not feel like work because I am doing something I actually love.
That is the thing nobody tells you about pursuing your dream full time. When the passion is real it does not feel like a job even when it is technically labor. Even when it is unpaid labor for stretches that would make a reasonable person quit. You just keep going because stopping does not feel like an option.
So no. I do not have a process.
I have a dream. I have a passion. I have coffee and a desk and a fiance who puts up with me disappearing into my work at completely unpredictable hours. And somehow, in the middle of all that beautiful chaos, things get made.
That is enough for me. 🖤
The Bayou Bound Books Merch Is Here and Here Is How You Can Help
Building an indie publishing brand from scratch is one of the most rewarding and humbling things I have ever done. There is no big publisher behind me, no marketing team, no safety net. Just me, the stories, and the people who show up for it.
If you have ever wanted to be part of what I am building here, here are a few ways to do it.
The free ones matter just as much:
Repost my content. Share a book link with someone you think would love it. Leave a review on Amazon if you have read one of my books. Mention Bayou Bound Books to a friend. Word of mouth is how indie authors grow and every single time you put my name in front of someone new it counts more than you know.
And if you want to wear the bayou:
I have merch available now and I am genuinely proud of how it turned out.
The black shirt has the Bayou Bound Books logo on the front and a full swamp scene on the back. Spanish moss, cypress trees, a skull on a stack of books, moonlight, and the words "Where the stories rot beautifully." It is dark, it is Southern, and it is everything this brand is about. It comes in both a classic unisex tee and a crop top so you can wear the bayou however feels most like you.
The grey shirt is a little more understated. The brand slogan "Ink dipped in soul, bound by the bayou" sits on the front where a pocket would be and the back features a hand drawn bayou house with Bayou Bound Books across it.
There is also a coffee mug in three sizes for those of you who do your best reading with something warm in your hand.
Everything ships directly to you. You can shop at bayouboundbooks.com.
However you choose to show up, whether that is buying a shirt, sharing a post, or just being here reading this, it matters. This brand exists because people like you keep showing up for it and I do not take that lightly. 🖤
Link to Black T-shirt: https://www.bayouboundbooks.com/shop/p/bayou-bound-books-tee
Link to Grey T-shirt: https://www.bayouboundbooks.com/shop/p/unisex-classic-tee
Link to Black Crop top: https://www.bayouboundbooks.com/shop/p/womens-crop-top
Link to coffee mug: https://www.bayouboundbooks.com/shop/p/white-glossy-mug