Plans Changed but Not the Story
It looks like my blog is officially shifting into a bi-weekly schedule once again. This wasn’t exactly planned, but with everything happening (wrapping up my next book, unexpected health changes, and real life doing what it always does) this makes the most sense right now. Truthfully, it takes the pressure off, and I know I’ll be able to show up here with more energy and intention when I’m not forcing weekly updates on top of everything else, especially when weekly updates don't hold many changes.
Now, for the surgery update. That’s changed, too.
My septoplasty and bilateral turbinectomy were canceled. And not just rescheduled—completely canceled. I was supposed to be one of the last surgeries my surgeon performed before leaving the practice, but as the universe has provided me, I got sick. Like really sick, as this is one of the worst colds I’ve had in years. And because the practice requires a full four weeks of being symptom-free prior to surgery (which makes sense given the need for a safe intubation), my surgeon will be gone by then. So, I’m now starting the process over for the most part.
As for the book, obviously, the release is delayed still until June 25th. Originally, the surgery was part of that delay, but the truth is, there are also other more personal factors involved, things that I’m not ready to talk about publicly. What I can say is that the Barrenmire Lights collection is still coming, it’s still going to be completed, and I’m incredibly proud of what it’s becoming.
Current Reads & Recommendations
Sticking both of these subtopics together this week, as I’m still slowly working my way through Lady in the Tower by Alison Weir. It’s a dense and detailed nonfiction dive into Anne Boleyn’s final days, and although I haven’t had much reading time lately, this book has continued to keep my interest whenever I get a moment to sit with it.
I'm also still working on getting through the audiobook Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff. Cleopatra’s story isn't one of those historical legacies that I’ve been drawn to specifically, but the Egyptian aspect of her life intrigues me. I've always loved Egyptian mythology and reading about the discoveries of pharaohs and the polytheistic side of their religion.
As for reading recommendations, I don’t have a personal rec from my own finished reads this week, but I do want to highlight a fellow indie author I recently discovered on TikTok: David D. Meyers. He’s a sci-fi author, and while sci-fi isn’t typically my go-to genre, I’m always drawn in when there’s tech or cybersecurity involved, and that is exactly what caught my attention with his upcoming book, Coded, the first in The Connection Saga. He’s currently looking for ARC readers for its release at the end of this month, so if sci-fi with a hacker twist sounds like your kinda thing, go check him out.
As someone who loves weaving tech and the darker side of the internet into my own romance novels (see Can’t Control or the upcoming third book in The Barrenmire Lights), I’m especially excited to see how he handles those themes.
Finds Unrelated to Reading
I'm a busybody, and I plan almost everything. Everything that I can control is planned—even if the train falls off the rails at some point, at least I know everything that was supposed to happen so that I can adjust for the future.
I’ve mapped out the next several months ahead of time regarding to-do lists and my budget, not just because I need to stay organized, but because it gives me a sense of control in the middle of the chaos. Even if the plans shift (of course, they usually do), having structure gives me a satisfying illusion of control.
I also like to get things done, which means that my "days off" aren't really off at all. Between working a full-time job, being an indie author, and trying to take care of my health, the to-do list never ends. But planning things out makes the chaos feel a little more manageable.
And maybe that’s the point. We don’t always need the plan to go perfectly—we just need a reason to keep moving forward.