Muse and Mischief

I’ve realized over the past few months that I’ve been treating creativity like a business and not giving myself enough room to simply wander. That’s what this blog has always been for me

There isn’t anything wrong with treating my creative career like a business, it gives me tremendous structure, but I have been neglecting this blog and I’ve felt the difference.

My goal for the rest of the year is to get back to posting regularly here again.

There was even a stretch where I hit a bit of a mental health wall. I’m doing much better now, but it reminded me how important it is to make space for the parts of my life that refill me instead of only the parts that move me forward.

FInishing my second novel in April was a major milestone that I don’t think I really gave myself time to celebrate and really revel in. I started my next novel right away and while I have been having fun with it since it is very much a passion project, I should have celebrated myself better.

I did have a late night/early morning epiphany that had me hammering out an idea for 45 minutes on my phone in the dark. I even typed that I was either brilliant or crazy. Time will tell on that one. It has become my new venture to create my company EmberWake, which I will be sharing more about in future posts.

Needless to say, it’s been a busy three months not even counting my day job. But I’ve missed our time together here quite a bit. So I’m making more time to dedicate to focusing on me here.

To get back into the swing of things, let’s check in on my Bingo card for 2026.

Well I didn’t make as much progress on here as I hoped, but that’s okay. As I said earlier I finished the first draft of my second novel Venus Protocol. I submitted three of my short pieces to publications (all got passed on, but that’s okay).

I started writing a romance story, but as I worked through the story it ended up being more of a women’s fiction story, but still a different genre than I have done before.

My novella She Thrives In Hell is a brutally honest story born out of my fears and anxieties. It was uncomfortable to write at some points, but reading it in full, I truly believe the world needs this story right now.

Some of my goals have changed in the past seven months too.

Even though I haven’t started querying, my vision for my company has me going in a different direction. I first heard the concept of serialized fiction over a year ago and it stuck with me. I think with where the world is going, a format that grew out of the 19th century could be what could get people reading and imagining again.

I’ve always wanted stories to feel like conversations instead of products. Serialization feels closer to that. Readers and writers get to spend months together instead of a weekend.

It’s interesting and a little sad that one of the reasons for the format’s popularity then would a reason for it to thrive now. In the 19th century, serialized stories made them more affordable for people to read because they were able to spread that cost over a period of weeks instead of one large purchase.

Looking ahead:

I think this next half of the year is looking really great. She Thrives In Hell is going to publish through the first week of December.

I’m especially excited about recording When the Candles Burn. I’ve never really shared my stories in my own voice before, and I think hearing them that way could make the experience even more intimate.

I am working through the 3rd round of edits for my fantasy novel so it will be ready to publish as a serialization in August 2027.

On the personal side, I’m hoping for some positive changes in my current career. My family has some traveling and plans coming up soon that we are excited about.

All in all I have a really good outlook for the rest of the year. Or at least that is what I’m holding onto.

I’m going to get back to posting weekly again here so I hope to see you again next week.

Until then, go live some life.