Before we get into today’s topic, I just want to say—wow. The response to High Stakes has been incredible. Copies have been flying off the shelves faster than a rookie blackjack player doubling down on 12. I’ve been getting messages, early reviews, and a whole lot of enthusiasm from readers who’ve dived headfirst into the world of casino tension, card counting, and high-risk storytelling.

So truly—thank you.

Now, let’s talk about the season we’re in. We’ve said goodbye to Halloween… finally. Don’t get me wrong—I love the spooky season. For six straight weeks leading up to October 31st, social media becomes an all-you-can-eat buffet of Hocus Pocus rewatches, horror marathons, candy displays that could launch a second moon, and “which version of the Headless Horseman is the best?” quizzes. (For the record, I watched six different Sleepy Hollow adaptations this year. Six. Washington Irving would be proud.)

But as soon as the calendar flips to November 1st?
Boom. Christmas. Everywhere.

The pumpkins still have a few days of dignity left in them and already they’re being shoved aside by inflatable Santas and peppermint-flavored everything. Even my playlist betrayed me—one shuffle hit, and suddenly Bing Crosby was crooning like Thanksgiving didn’t even exist.

Which brings me to my point:
Where on earth are the Thanksgiving movies?

We’ve got Halloween classics. We’ve got Christmas classics. But Thanksgiving? That holiday shows up in movies like a character who forgot they had a speaking role. Sure, we’ve got a few standouts:

• Planes, Trains & Automobiles (the gold standard)
• You’ve Got Mail (Thanksgiving-adjacent, but we count it)
• Home for the Holidays (highly underrated chaos)
• Pieces of April (quirky indie Thanksgiving dinner gone wrong)
• A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (required viewing, obviously)

But after that? The list dries up faster than the white meat no one wants to admit is always just a little too dry.

Sitcoms have Thanksgiving episodes down to a science—someone burns the turkey, someone forgets the cranberry sauce, someone storms out, someone comes back, everyone hugs. Roll credits. But where are the big, heartfelt Thanksgiving films? The sweeping dramas? The comedies? The thrillers about fighting for the last pumpkin pie at the grocery store?

I’m telling you, writers… we are missing a massive cultural opportunity here.

Maybe it’s because Thanksgiving lives in that awkward space—after the ghosts but before the glitter. But honestly, there’s something beautiful about a holiday that’s supposed to be centered on gratitude, food, family chaos, and the annual emotional endurance test known as “setting the table.”

Who knows—maybe one day I’ll take a crack at writing a Thanksgiving thriller. Or comedy. Or heartfelt family epic about a turkey that absolutely refuses to thaw in time. The world deserves a proper canon of Thanksgiving films, and if no one else will write them… well, authors are problem solvers, right?

In the meantime, as we roll toward Christmas lights, colder air, and the last stretch of the year, I’m excited to share more news about High Stakes and everything coming next.

Thank you for being here, for reading, and for being a part of this wild, wonderful ride. Big things are on the horizon—both in bookstores and under the Christmas tree.

Stay tuned,
Leif

Leif J. Erickson is a science fiction and fantasy author from a small farming community in west central Minnesota. Using his time wisely when he was a farmer, Leif developed many ideas, characters, and storylines to create over fifty unique first drafts and outlines for stories. From his start in a small town school, to college at North Dakota State University, back to his family farm, then to the bright lights of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and back to his small farming town, Leif has always had a love of writing.

When Leif isn’t writing he can be found with his wife hiking in state parks, canoeing local lakes and rivers, exploring local and regional ghost towns, experiencing museums, or simply reading or hanging out with friends and family. Leif draws on the local nature and ecology to find inspiration for his writing while he also asks what’s possible for technology and the human race, weaving them together for amazing stories that will stay with the reader for years to come. Leif looks forward to having many novel and story releases in the years to come.

You can see all of Leif’s Books here: Leif’s Amazon Author Page