Blog Post: Gratitude & Growth — A Thanksgiving Note from My Heart to Yours

As we gather in gratitude this season, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the journey—this wild, beautiful, sacred thing we’re building together—and to say thank you.

This story, Moons and Shadows, began as a whisper between silence and survival. And somehow, it became more than just words on a page. It became an evolving world. A calling. A shared light in the dark.

But I didn’t build it alone.

I want to thank God—first and always—for the strength to keep showing up when the path was unclear, and still is unclear. For whispering back when I was ready to give up.

To my husband, Chris—thank you for standing beside me through late-night writing sessions, plot tangents, marketing storms, and the chaos of creation. Your steady presence and quiet strength keep me grounded. I love how you are evolving with me through this season and beyond.

To Danielle, my Chief of Operations and the behind-the-scenes weaver of this timeline endeavor—thank you for listening to me dream and for helping me make the dream real. Your honesty, strategy, word-of-mouth brilliance, snack crate fun, and love go beyond words. Thank you for spending all that time with me toward the tail end of this last release to ensure we were on target.

To Robin, my head of marketing—you’ve been an amazing guide in professionalism, especially when it comes to navigating legal in a storm of cover creation and beyond. You’ve helped me share this story in a way that honors its depth. You’ve learned to pivot with me, guiding me into a version that’s still me, while keeping the foundation of what this could and will become. Your wisdom and belief in this work mean everything.

To Brandi, my editor, who holds the soul of this story with such care—thank you for digging deep with me, for knowing what needs to be unearthed, and helping me say it just right. Thank you for sitting with me and reading each word over and over. It’s all the things and stuff. Always.

To Kelly, the artist who brings this world to life—your gift of visual storytelling has turned imagination into magic. Thank you for seeing it so clearly and painting it with such soul.

To Frank—thank you for the legal advice, the time you’ve taken to support Danielle through contracts, and for gathering the information we needed to make informed decisions.

And to the Moonlighters—every single one of you who have shown up, read the words, whispered them to others, joined the Discord, or simply believed… thank you. Whether you’re part of the ARC team, a silent supporter, or a vocal champion—you are the light walking through the shadow.

Your follow-through, your passion, your questions and reactions—they remind me daily why I keep writing.

We’re not just building a story.

We’re building a home for the ones who see the world a little differently.

We’re building a place where memory matters, where healing through shadows is sacred, and where community is everything.

Thank you for being part of it.

Happy Thanksgiving—from my heart to yours.

With love and light,

M.D. Petrocco