Friends,

It has been a month since my last blog. I have been lazy. I have been writing book 2. I have been trying to get social media under control. I have been working hard trying to keep up with my husband’s business. Time slips away like sand flowing through my fingers and I can’t keep up.

It hasn’t been an easy month. I am not complaining. I can’t say I am bored, which is where I was a year ago.

Nope.

I miss being bored.

Now I am so tired at the end of the day that after dinner is done, I sit on my uncomfortable couch and watch matchmaking shows like ‘Love is Blind’, ‘Married At First Site’, and ‘Indian Matchmaker.’

But there have been so many highlights to the month…

1. I dropped my bike. If you follow my social media, you will know that it was a whirlwind of unfortunate accidents that landed me face down in the middle of an intersection- but thankfully I survived. My leg saved the bike from serious damage, and I had a lovely modern art painting of colors and textures to look at as my leg healed.

That was fun.

2. I am almost done writing The Myth and the Monster- Raven Society Book 2. I sent the first 3/4th to my editor to get the process started for my launch day in June. I was optimistic. My mother read the rough draft and said it was great.

Of course, she only read a couple of chapters before abandoning it for something more her style. However, still…. she gave me a weak smile and a halfhearted thumbs up, so there’s that.

My editor, however. My friend and my wingman sent me a message after only three chapters and told me to harden my heart and be prepared. She took her job seriously and my book now looks like it was the victim of a back-alley street fight. Red ink just flowing everywhere.

That was fun.

3. My husband’s business is booming. He is out there making a name for himself and getting invites and high-fives from across the country. It is surprising how many people like him. I mean, I think he is pretty cool- it’s different seeing how well he interacts with others.

Which means, my house is a full-on warehouse for his business needs. Right now, he has an office, the garage, the kitchen table, and the kitchen counters all dedicated space to his needs.

Random cage doors, hammers, containers, food, drills, and business paperwork- all scattered from one room to the next. On top of the animals that take up about 1/4 of my house.

What can I do? I need to support him. This is his dream, and so my default- now mine. So, I stopped cleaning. I was getting in trouble for moving things around to make room for petty things like cooking dinner. Between my husband, my son’s art projects and equipment, and the dogs, I gave up.

So that’s been fun.

3. Dark Rose Publishing Company’s business license was approved. That’s exciting! It’s been a dream of mine for a couple of years now. Of course, I have no clients, and it costs me more to have it than what I am bringing in with my book that hasn’t sold a copy in a month and a half.

But at least I have the business license to hang on my wall.

I have no room to hang it anywhere- but it’s the thought that counts.

Of course, yesterday, my Facebook author page got banned for violating community standards. Apparently, my memes about coffee drinking, reels promoting my book, and pictures of my family offended someone. I don’t know- because Facebook doesn’t tell you. There isn’t even an email or phone number to call and ask why.

It’s not like I have a book launch in progress. Maybe it is a sign that my editor destroyed my work in progress so much that I couldn’t hit ‘publish’ on time anyways.

That’s been really exciting.

So what did I do today to combat the feeling of discouragement and failure? I took the day to nurse a headache by getting on my hands and knees and cleaning every square inch of my floors. My bathroom had a makeover filled with bleach, comet scrub, and a refreshment of toilet paper. My laundry room no longer hosts a pound of dryer link and dog hair. I even folded clothes and put them away.

There is nothing like a clean house to make you feel better.

Then my husband and child came home and an explosion of backpacks, sweatshirts, and empty candy wraps undid all my hard work.

My house represents my life right now. All the good intentions and dedicated work in the world will sometimes not be enough.

So tomorrow I will try to contact Facebook again and convince them that I am a trustworthy person. I just have an addiction to coffee.

I will not give up on my book. Since the cover has been created, I must add something inside.

But right now? Right now I will watch Julie and Julia. Or is it Julia and Julie? If you haven’t seen it, you must stop what you’re doing and turn on Netflix. Two middle-aged women who feel lost in the world and rediscover their passion through cooking and writing.

I hope you find your passion friends. Even on dark and gloomy days. And if you need a friend- I will bring coffee!