Fabled's Author: Samantha Crouch
“Walking in here every day, I just feel the stories in my head come to life,” Samantha Crouch, a recent Baylor grad and aspiring author told me when I sat down with her at local indie bookstore Fabled to talk about life, passions, and her journey to becoming the author of two young adult fantasy books.
Sam has worked at Fabled for two years and is one of the few people who had the privilege of seeing this magical destination—for book and coffee lovers alike—come to life. Hired two months before the bookshop was opened to the public, Sam remembers being overwhelmed with emotion walking into the store to see the empty shelves and bare walls that would soon be filled with stories that would inspire people for years to come.
When she stepped into that empty storefront, something inside her clicked and the passions she had grown out of touch with resurfaced like they had never left. “I had a two-year break freshman and sophomore year of college where I wasn’t writing, and I wasn’t reading. I was just out of touch with that side of myself. Fabled opening was a little bit like my, hey, welcome back. This is your true self, step back into it. And I think that honestly turned my life around.”
As we sat in the bright and whimsical Children’s Room, Sam on a plush, velvet blue couch and I on a nostalgic, wooden chair, the magic of the place felt alive. It was easy to see how inspiration struck in this place that practically buzzed with the love of stories. In fact, Sam credits Fabled and the people in it as key components in her journey thus far. The owners, Kimberley Batson and Allison Frenzel, awoke the part in her that craved storytelling. A fellow employee encouraged her to take a Young Adult Novel Writing class her junior year at Baylor that would lead her to meeting her first mentor, Dr. Jortner. Fabled is not only the place where Sam spends forty hours a week working as a team lead and communications coordinator. It is also where she goes to sit down and write.
When asked what she wishes more people knew about Fabled, Sam said she wished more people knew about all of the hidden gems. And not just the actual hidden gems, like the secret desk filled with notes from strangers, but hidden gems like the people who work there that can recommend life changing books or the clubs they have that provide opportunities for story lovers to come together. Sam herself helped engineer one such book club, Order of the Owl, which is a young adult book club for all ages. “The book club ranges from high school freshmen to people in college to adults with kids,” she said. There’s something for everyone at Fabled and she hopes that as more people visit, they find their own muse in the hidden gems, just as she has.
The real evidence of the inspiration that flows throughout this place is intertwined into Sam’s writing. In two short years, she has created intricate worlds of magic, deeply complex characters and thought-provoking themes that have ties to her real-life experiences. Her first book—which will be finished around the same time as her second and is inspired by the Disney classic Mulan—is a story of strength and proving your worth in which the main character infiltrates an all-male army. Her second book, which will be the first of a trilogy, is a story full of morally gray characters who will keep you guessing until the very end. When asked about it, Sam disclosed, “This one is a young adult, high fantasy that focuses on power dynamics in relationships, specifically romantic relationships. It’s about the importance of recognizing and claiming your own power and not allowing yourself to become the supporting character. It’s very much my main character falling into that role and then her eventual arc of digging herself out and becoming the main character.”
Sam gave us a behind the scenes look into her writing process and we were able to take a sneak peek at the Pinterest boards she creates to get herself into character. For our Fashion loving readers, get excited, because Sam assured us that fashion will play a big role in these books. We won’t give anything away, but if you are a fan of mixing trends, dark aesthetics, and moody elegance, these books might have you daydreaming about collecting an entirely new wardrobe. Besides coming to Fabled, scrolling through her Pinterest boards, and listening to her specially curated playlist, Sam’s process is very visual. “Writing on notecards and taping them to my wall. Or writing on mirrors. I look like I’m trying to solve a murder.”
As our time neared its end, I asked Sam what the one thing she hopes people take away from her novels is, and she immediately pulled up a quote that she feels perfectly encompasses the message behind her stories. The quote, by Ghandi, reads, “The day the power of love overrules the love of power, the world will know peace.” Just talking to Sam, one can tell that these stories are going to be as original, strong, and as full of inspiration as she is.
We are sure this won’t be the last article written about Sam and her work, but we were honored to be able to sit down with her and share her story on our platform. Before letting Sam get back to her work, I had to ask her what the first thing she would do when her books got onto the New York Times Bestselling List. Her answer? Come to Fabled and thank all of those who inspired her along the way.
Written by: Maddie McNamee
Edited by: Greta Gessert
Photos by: Megan Hale