Category Archives: Everything else

Everything else, Guinevere trilogy, Updates

I’m Baaack! Updates on the Last Two Years

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Yes, I have returned to the land of the living, er…writing. The last two years have been the craziest of my life and I’ve had to take some time away from writing, but I’m back now. Here’s a little summary of what’s been going on in my world:

  1. I got married! I met Chris, the love of my life, two and a half-ish years ago and our relationship was a whirlwind. (For those who don’t know, I relocated from St. Louis to South Bend, Indiana, two years ago to live with him.) We were married on October 19, 2025, at a historic mansion here in South Bend. I plan to eventually have photos/details of our wedding online but haven’t had the time to put something together yet.
  2. I’m in the process of leaving my agent. We’ve been together for five years, but we’ve both changed focus and I need someone who is more dedicated to historical fiction. I have a few agents in mind and I’ll start querying once my next book is finished. (I will still write non-fiction as well, and may need a second agent for that, depending on what the first represents, but we’ll deal with that later.)
  3. I just got back from the 2025 Historical Novel Society conference. It was held in Las Vegas, a city that I have found is too much for me. (Too expensive, too loud, too much flashiness.) The conference wasn’t the best I’ve been to, but I had a good time, learned a lot (my favorite session was on subtext) and got to see old friends and make new ones.
  4. I’ve started ghostwriting and book coaching. I’m still at my full-time job, but to earn some extra money, I’m working for a ghostwriting agency on the side. We’re writing the last few chapters of a historical fiction book now and I’m coaching a nonfiction book as well. I’m under an NDA, so I can’t talk about them, but I can say I love both books and am having a great time on both projects.
  5. I’m working on my next novel. I’m at the end of research for my next book. I have an outline and have started envisioning my characters with the help of Pinterest. I’m hoping to finish it by November-wish. I don’t want to say too much since I can’t sell on proposal yet, but I can tell you it’s historical fiction and takes place from 1913-1920 in England. The Great War will be part of it, but it is not the focus of the book. Get ready for a moody atmosphere, feisty characters, and of course, strong women who you won’t find in most history books.
  6. I’m working on establishing my own author services (ghostwriting, book coaching, research, marketing, branding and creative/design) company as well as a design company that focuses on authorial and other events like weddings, anniversaries, graduations, etc. I’ll provide design for invitations/signage and faux florals. More information coming on those soon. (This came out of planning and DIYing my own wedding, as well as my Sex and the City book launch party in 2022.)
  7. The Guinevere’s Tale trilogy is now part of the Chanticleer Hall of Fame in the book series category! Scroll down to about halfway to see it and read reviews of all three books. At almost 10 years old, this series is still going strong!
  8. I’m obsessed with Dark Academia. For those not following trends, Dark Academia is an aesthetic that focuses on a love of books and learning. That’s the simple definition, at least. It encompasses interior design, fashion, is a book genre and much more. Hubby and I are in the process of decorating our whole house in this style. More to come.

I’m sensing a theme here…not having time to do all I want to do. Story of my life! What about you? What have all of you been up to?

PS – It’s killing me that I can’t blog our research for this ghostwriting book. I love it so much and it is so much fun! Maybe my client will be able to once the book finds a publisher.

Everything else

Finding Hope and Purpose

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If I had written this blog post at 4:30 a.m. like I had originally considered, it would have a very different tone. As fellow writer Chuck Wendig wrote, last night, the American people “pressed the self-destruct button.” Emily Dickenson called hope “the thing with feathers,” and for a long while this morning, I feared it had flown away for good.

I’ve had my tears, my time of grief and not being able to see a way forward. Hope was just resting, making a soft bed for me while I grieved the future I had hoped for. Then I saw a few messages online that reminded me of something very important: just because things didn’t go the way I wanted and the future may well be dark, it doesn’t mean giving up. In fact, fighting is more important than ever. As the song Savage Daughter declares, “I will not lower my voice.”

Please know that I am not dismissing anyone’s experience or burying my head in the sand. I see what is coming—I believe the word shitshow has been used by multiple sources—but I am choosing to not let it overwhelm me. I know I will have my days of “WTF is going on and how did we get here?” There will still be tears. But for my own sanity, I am reminding myself—and all of you—that it is always darkest before the dawn.

Countries have been here before, and people, especially women, have endured. And they kept fighting. They took their anger and their grief and channeled it into something productive for society. If it wasn’t for the very feelings many of us are feeling today, we wouldn’t have the Missouri Woman Suffrage Association, which was the (post-Civil War) beginning of the movement that eventually led to the 19th Amendment.

I realize what I am about to say might sound delusional and I am purposefully not addressing many of the political landmines that we will be facing (I just don’t have it in me to do that), but we need to be reminded that there is still hope and there are things we can do.

  • They take away our rights? “Then by God we take them back.” (To quote Kevin Costner’s Robin Hood.) Women fought for 75 years to gain the right to vote. I bet they felt a lot like we do today every time their measure was put on the ballot and lost. But just like they kept on until times finally changed, so will we.
  • They try to silence us? We shout louder than ever. Personally, I’m going to make sure I’m active in the South Bend League of Women Voters just like I was in St. Louis. I want to get involved in movements aimed at abolishing the electoral college and passing the Equal Rights Act (snowball’s chance in hell over the next four years, but we’ve been at this since the 1920s, so lets keep going!)
  • They show hatred to different groups? We show them what love and compassion are. I’m going to be more active in my local LGBTQIA+ community and make a point to educate myself on diversity issues.
  • They threaten the future of democracy? We continue to vote in elections big and small for as long as we can. We commit ourselves to learning so we know how to rebel properly. Read Ron Chernow’s biography of Alexander Hamilton to learn how and why our country was built the way it was. Educate yourself on the legal and judicial processes. And never forget that this is OUR republic. They are supposed to represent us and they are not (at least not all of us). The more we can get involved, the better.

And so on and so forth. Culture seems to swing on a pendulum and right now we are in the ultra-conservative arc. This seems to be true in many countries, not just the United States. Yes, damage can, and likely will be done, in the next four years. But eventually they will pass and we will be here. Will our country look the same? No, there is no way it can. Will it self-destruct as Chuck fears? Maybe. People I love have been saying for decades that we’re headed toward another Civil War, and that may well happen. But then again, we also might have another mismanaged pandemic and not be here to see what happens. I’m not going to let mights and maybes ruin whatever time I have left.

Does this mean I’m not scared? Heck no. I’m worried about the environment, the future of contraception and abortion rights (although many states have passed measures securing those rights) and the deportation of immigrants and hate crimes and all of the above. But I have determined I will not let it cripple me like it attempted to do when I first heard the news.

When I looked to the future at 4:30 this morning, all I saw was bleakness. I thought, “Boy am I glad I am not having kids. But I feel sorry for my nieces and all the other littles who will inherit this mess. And there go my plans to write full time. Better keep that day job.” I asked myself why I should bother to write about women in history when people are still burning books, fewer people than ever read, and women are openly targets of hatred? Will there even be a publishing industry in four years? Will women be forced to not read like in The Handmaid’s Tale?

But then I realized that just by writing, I am defying them. Every name I can put back in the historical record is a thorn in their side that they will have to remove. Every book I publish is another one that while they can attempt to ban it, is out there for people to read. And should the publishing industry be negatively affected, they can’t stop self-publishing. Technically, people have been doing that for hundreds of years.

We all have to find joy where we can. I am choosing to find it by reminding myself that by-and-large, daily life will stay the same, at least for a while. I’m finding joy in my husband (Yeah, I got married! More on that in another post), my cats, the beauty of late autumn and in my own creativity. Love, creativity and kindness are powerful forces that can, have and will change the world. Remember that.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go eat my emotional support doughnut, drink some water, put on some red lipstick and kick this day in the ass. Who’s with me?

Books, Everything else, Guest posts, Other Voices

Two New Historical Fiction Novels by Author Friends

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Two of my dear writer friends, Donna Russo (who is also my agent-sister) and Stephanie Dray, have new novels coming out soon. I’m thrilled to share them with you. 

Donna’s latest novel, VINCENT’S WOMEN, is a work unlike any other written with Vincent van Gogh at its heart. It is the only novel to bring into question his sexuality, how he lost his ear, who he lost it for, and how he might have died, all through the eyes of a woman. We learn of Her; we learn all of it through Her. It begs the question…what if everything we know about Vincent van Gogh is all lies?

Stephanie’s new novel, BECOMING MADAM SECRETARY, is a captivating read just in time for Women’s History Month!  Journey with Frances Perkins, parasol in hand, as she forges alliances and challenges norms in the heart of New York City, crossing paths with historical figures like Sinclair Lewis and FDR. It’s a story rich with ambition, friendship, and the subtle humor of life’s unexpected turns. A delightful dive into the past, proving history is not only about the dates but the daring. 

About Vincent’s Women
Bestselling author Donna Russo’s VINCENT’S WOMEN is the untold story of Vincent’s loves: how they shaped his life, his art, and his death. It writes against the ‘myths, ‘ exploring the possibility that none of them are true. It is the only novel to bring into question his sexuality, how he lost his ear, who he lost it for, and how he might have died, all through the eyes of a woman. We learn of Her; we learn all of it through Her.

The story is guided by Johanna van Gogh Bonger, Vincent’s sister-in-law, as she decides to reveal the truth about Vincent to her son. We are then taken on a journey through Vincent’s life, each section bringing a pivotal moment of Vincent’s life alive while showing us the part she played in bringing it about. Between each woman, our guide, Johanna, gives us the transitional periods, right up to his death, which is now in question. 

Hundreds of the nearly thousand letters between Vincent van Gogh and his brother Theo, now considered one of the greatest documents of the human experience, were used to help construct this novel, its narrative, and dialogue, especially the dialogue of Vincent himself.

Vincent van Gogh is one of the most well-known artists of all time. The world knows of his madness, traumas, and suicide. But what if all that we know isn’t true? What if this knowledge is based on rumors and nothing more? What if his true story is vastly different when based on factual material and forensic information? What if the truth of Vincent’s life-his madness and his genius-is defined by his never-ending search for love?

“Vincent’s Women: The Untold Story of the Loves of Vincent van Gogh represents historical fiction at its best…astute, thought-provoking, and revealing.” -Midwest Book Review

“The writing and dialogue are all so well done, and the use of a fictional narrative makes it all feel authentic. Very highly recommended.” -Readers’ Favorite 5-star Review

A Foreword Magazine Editorial Selection

✭✭✭ BUY  NOW ✭✭✭

Learn more about Donna and her books 

About Becoming Madame Secretary

New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Dray returns with a captivating and richly dramatic novel about Frances Perkins, one of the greatest political figures of the twentieth century, and an unsung heroine whose legacy is woven into the fabric of every American life.

Raised on tales of her revolutionary ancestors, Frances Perkins arrives in New York City at the turn of the century, armed with her trusty parasol and an unyielding determination to make a difference.

When she’s not working with children in the crowded tenements in Hell’s Kitchen, Frances throws herself into the social scene in Greenwich Village, befriending an eclectic group of politicians, artists, and activists, including the millionaire socialite Mary Harriman Rumsey, the flirtatious budding author Sinclair Lewis, and the brilliant but troubled reformer Paul Wilson, with whom she falls deeply in love.

But when Frances meets a young lawyer named Franklin Delano Roosevelt at a tea dance, sparks fly in all the wrong directions. She thinks he’s a rich, arrogant dilettante who gets by on a handsome face and a famous name. He thinks she’s a priggish bluestocking and insufferable do-gooder. Neither knows it yet, but over the next twenty years, they will form a historic partnership that will carry them both to the White House.

Frances is destined to rise in a political world dominated by men, facing down the Great Depression as FDR’s most trusted lieutenant—even as she struggles to balance the demands of a public career with marriage and motherhood. And when vicious political attacks mount and personal tragedies threaten to derail her ambitions, she must decide what she’s willing to do—and what she’s willing to sacrifice—to save a nation.

✭✭✭ BUY NOW ✭✭✭

Learn more about Stephanie and her books.

Awards, Everything else

Reflections on 2023/Goals for 2024

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Happy New Year everyone! I’ve been without internet for the past week as we packed up the last of my things in St. Louis and moved them back to South Bend so this is a little later (and longer) than originally planned. We got back last night in time to rest a little, have pizza and ring in 2024.

The new year certainly started off right! Just after midnight, I found out that America’s Forgotten Suffragists won Gold (the highest level) in the non-fiction category of the Historical Fiction Company Awards! I completely forgot I even entered that contest, so it was a very pleasant surprise! You can read their 5-star review of the book here. (I think this bodes well for it winning the Pulitzer on May 8, don’t you?)

Thinking About 2023

I just looked back at what my word of the year was for 2023 and it was “health.” Yeah, not the way the year went at all. If there was a word that describes 2023 accurately it would be” whirlwind.”

On the book side of things, I released five books this year: Raising our Voices: League of Women Voters of Metro St. Louis 1960-2022; America’s Forgotten Suffragists: Virginia and Francis Minor; a chapter in Ethics in the Arthurian Legend; Fierce Females on Television: A Cultural History; and Catherine’s Mercy. This was the culmination of two years of really hard work and to be honest, I’m tired and a little crispy. But more on that in a bit.

My personal life was even crazier. In January I had my first date with Chris, the younger brother of a girl I’ve been friends with since I was 15. It was terrible. Normally, I would have written Chris off, but for some reason I gave him a second chance. We did the long distance thing until May, when I moved to South Bend, Indiana, to live with him. He proposed to me in September and we’re getting married next October. It sounds like things moved fast—and they did—but we’re both at a point in life (in our 40s) where we know what we want and when you find it, why wait? I can honestly say I didn’t know I could love someone so much. I can’t imagine going back to my previous life, and God willing, I won’t ever have to.

Moving to another state disrupted my whole life—my job (I had a rough go of it but thank God I got to keep it), every single way I live. Balancing that with all the book releases and my personal life was very, very difficult. I will admit to breaking down several times, crying a lot (sometimes just out of stress, sometimes happiness, and sometimes sadness), and having a tough time adjusting. But now things are getting better, mainly because I’m getting used to my new life, I think I have a good handle on my day job again and that I have so much support from Chris.

Given that nothing in 2023 went the way I expected, let’s take a look at my goals for this year and see how I did:

Writing

  • Edit Catherine’s Mercy – Done
  • Do additional marketing for Sex and the City – I think I did this, but I’m honestly not sure.
  • Market and successfully release: – Done
    • Raising Our Voices
    • America’s Forgotten Suffragists
    • Catherine’s Mercy
    • The project I haven’t talked about yet (I’m not sure which one this was)
    • The Arthurian Ethics book
    • Fierce Females in Television
  • Write – Did not do any of these, but I had a really good excuse named Chris
    • Revolutionary War book (started)
    • 1920s book (research started)
    • Stretch goal: WWII (halfway done)
  • Attend the Historical Novel Society Conference in June – Did this and loved it!
  • Speak as a member of the Missouri Speaker’s Bureau – Done
  • Learn how to better use TikTok – Oddly enough, I stopped using it for a long time
  • Continue writing poetry – I wrote some, but I don’t think I shared any

Personal

  • Enjoy life! – Um, does being caught in a whirlwind count? I think so because it was mostly good.
  • Lose about 70 lbs – nope
  • Get into a habit exercise and healthy eating – nope
  • Pay down debt (I promised my Chicago friends I would move there by the end of 2024) – no, but we are working on the debt and I now live only 2 hours from Chicago, so sort of?
  • Get reaquatinted with my spiritual side – not really
  • Celebrate 20 years at my day job and keep it until I can write full time – yes, barely, but I did it!
  • As for fun: go see more concerts (Placebo in April in Chicago!), theatre (Les Mis and Six this month!), dance, get into gaming again (maybe on Twitch?), etc. – all this and so much more!

Hello 2024!
Because of all of this, I was planning on not doing any writing until after the wedding, but I was approached the other day by a publisher who is interested in a certain type of book. We’re going to talk about a few ideas I have. I have no idea how that is going to go, but I’m hopeful.

I also have a non-fiction that I want to work on because it has basically become my entire personality right now (and ties into a future fiction project) and I got a fun idea on the way back from St. Louis the other day. I’m looking at the new idea as something I write just for me and if it gets published someday, fabulous. If not, I don’t care.

Regardless of what happens with those ideas. I’m going to focus more on marketing the books I have, having a work/life balance and enjoying planning my wedding. I’ve worked my butt off for the last two years with my writing and honestly, I’m not seeing nearly enough return on it to keep going that way. Plus, I have better things to do with my time now.

There are several books I definitely still want to write, but I need to allow myself to deal with the continued transitions in my life in a healthy way. (Which, oddly, brings us back full circle to my word of the year for 2023.)

I’m going to try to go light(er) on the goals for 2024:

  • Enjoy my time with Chris as much as possible.
    1. I think this one will happen because Chris is really sweet about helping me to relax.
    2. We travel a lot, which forces me to remove myself from my problems.
    3. We have our honeymoon to look forward to! (We’re going to England.)
  • Lose 70 lbs before my wedding in October.
    1. I know I’ve said this for many years, but if this doesn’t motivate me to do it, nothing will.
    2. This is going to take a lot of willpower, but it is possible.
    3. I’m already working on healthier eating; it’s the exercise that I have a hard time prioritizing.
    4. I’m working with a health coach through my day job and my doctor has recommended me to a weight loss clinic in town.
    5. Chris is very supportive and is willing to help me as much as I want him to. He is very clear this has nothing to do with my looks; he wants me to be healthy so that we can be together for a long time.
  • Enjoy wedding planning and all events that come with it.
    1. I’ve got a good start on this, so I’m hoping I won’t have a lot of stress as the time gets closer.
    2. I’m really enjoying doing the flowers, décor and writing the ceremony.
    3. The wedding shower will be in June; the bachelorette party in September.
  • Redesign my house. You know I love DIY projects.
    1. I have solid plans for an overall look (you guys will love it!)
    2. I know exactly what I want the bedroom to look like. Just waiting on the money to get what I need to.
    3. I have a vision for the kitchen and an idea for the living room.
  • Write because I have stories to tell and because I enjoy it.
    1. I hope money comes along with it, but I’m tired of chasing after it.
    2. I need to remember why I started writing in the first place, and money wasn’t it.

Normally this is where I pick a word of the year for 2024, but I’m not going to do that this year. I was thinking something like “balance” or “fun,” but for some reason every time I go to select one, I freeze up. Maybe I’m just burned out on this tradition or maybe its because I forgot to pack my anxiety meds and haven’t had one for a week, but I just can’t get myself to do it. Maybe no word is the new tradition.

Thank you all for your support in 2023 (and always). I wish you a bright, happy new year filled with blessings and abundance.

Everything else

Happy Mercy Day!

The House of Mercy. I love this photo because it gives an idea of how big it is.

Today is Mercy Day, the 196th anniversary of the opening of the first House of Mercy in Dublin, Ireland. On September 24, 1827, Catherine McAuley, Anna Maria Doyle and Catherine Byrn—all lay women—officially opened their sanctuary for poor women and children, against the wishes of  Catholic Church and wealthy and influential Dubliners. These groups objected to the idea of the “undesirable” poor dirtying the pristine streets of the fashionable neighborhood in which the House of Mercy (today called Mercy International Centre) had been built.

But Catherine didn’t care. Her top priority was helping young women—usually servants who were in danger from sexual and physical violence at the hands of their masters—as well as widows and their children, orphans, and others in need by teaching them a trade, basic education (how to read, write and do basic math) and giving them food and shelter until they could get safe employment. While other charitable organizations existed across Dublin, this was the first time a group of lay women dared to do such a thing without being under the control of the male leadership of the Catholic, Protestant, Quaker Churches.

Needless to say, this did not go over well. My book, Catherine’s Mercy, (publishing November 7 but available for preorder today) attempts to paint a picture of what led up to this historic moment and, even more important, what else these trailblazing women—led by Catherine McAuley—did that would change the world. Catherine and Anna, despite their intentions to remain lay women—went on to found the Sisters of Mercy religious order. Today over 6,000 Sisters, 3,100 lay volunteers (or Mercy Associates) and 1,100 volunteers carry on Catherine’s mission in 160 health care, education, social work and other organizations in North, Central and South America; the Caribbean; Guam and the Philippines.

I am proud to have been one of these people for the last 20 years (as of November 17 of this year) and was fortunate enough to visit the House of Mercy several years ago, along with many other key places in Catherine’s life. I had no idea then that I would even be a published author, much less that I would someday write a book about Catherine and the Sisters. But I can’t help believe this is one of the reasons I’ve worked there for so long. I’m a person of faith and I feel like God and Catherine (who is on the path to sainthood in the Catholic Church) had a plan all along. It was just up to me to get there. I can’t wait for you to read this book when it comes out in November. Happy Mercy Day to all!

Everything else, sale

I’m a Calendar Girl – For Charity!

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I’m happy to report Fierce Females in Television: A Cultural History is done and in to my editor. Now I finally have time to tell you about a special project I’ve been involved with for the last few months.

I’ve been working with Ky Bragdon and a team of amazing people to create and market the first fundraiser for the Kyndness Foundation, of which I’m also a founding board member. Our fundraiser is a set of two 16-month calendars that cover 2023 and the first half of 2024. All of the models are female-presenting TikTok influencers. One is sweet and one is spicy. The sweet one is more modest and the spicy one is, well, spicier (but no full nudity).

And I’m Miss May 2024 on the Sweet Calendar! I’ve kind of always wanted to be a calendar girl, truth be told. But I hadn’t yet found a way to do it that wouldn’t harm either of my jobs. That’s why I chose the sweet calendar.

The calendars are $20 each and all funds are going to charity. We are splitting all funds equally between Planned Parenthood, The Trevor Project, LGBTQ Freedom Fund, and The Born This Way Foundation. You also have the option to donate instead of or in addition to purchasing.

If you’re interested, please purchase soon, as they are going quickly! (We don’t know yet if or when they will order more.)

                 

     

Everything else

2023 Goals and Word of the Year: Health

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In 2021 I told myself I would work like a maniac for two years (2021 included) in order to build my career. I’ve done that in spades and I’m not going to lie, I’m exhausted. I can’t keep going the way I am and hope to live to write all the books I want to. That’s why I want 2023 to be all about me–not in a selfish way, but in a self-care, finding balance kind of way.

I picked my Word of the Year several weeks ago after a phone call with my agent in which she begged me (her word) to slow down. She made me promise not to write anything new until at least April so that I can focus on marketing and give my creative self a break. The moment I realized someone had given me permission to stop working at a breakneck pace, I felt so much peace come over me. My muscles unclenched and started thinking of things I want to do for fun. (Remember that concept?)

So that is why my 2023 Word of the Year is health. I’m going to focus on my physical health by eating right and making time to work out; my mental health my slowing down on the writing and doing some things just for fun; and my spiritual health by praying and meditating more and reading related books that interest me.

Now, that being said, you know I am not one to let moss grow and I have lots of books coming out in 2023, so here are my writing and personal goals:

Writing

  • Edit Catherine’s Mercy
  • Do additional marketing for Sex and the City
  • Market and successfully release:
    • Raising Our Voices (the League of Women Voters book)
    • America’s Forgotten Suffragists
    • Catherine’s Mercy
    • The project I haven’t talked about yet
    • The Arthurian Ethics book (if published in 2023)
    • Fierce Females in Television (if published in 2023)
  • Write
    • Revolutionary War book (started)
    • 1920s book (research started)
    • Stretch goal: WWII (halfway done)
  • Attend the Historical Novel Society Conference in June
  • Speak as a member of the Missouri Speaker’s Bureau
  • Learn how to better use TikTok
  • Continue writing poetry

Personal

  • Enjoy life!
  • Lose about 70 lbs
  • Get into a habit exercise and healthy eating
  • Pay down debt (I promised my Chicago friends I would move there by the end of 2024)
  • Get reaquatinted with my spiritual side
  • Celebrate 20 years at my day job and keep it until I can write full time
  • As for fun: go see more concerts (Placebo in April in Chicago!), theatre (Les Mis and Six this month!), dance, get into gaming again (maybe on Twitch?), etc.

And yes, this is me slowing down! 😉 Obviously, I have no idea what the year will bring, but I’m looking forward to seizing every opportunity and being grateful for every day and every blessing I’m given! Hope all of you have a great 2023!

Everything else

2022 Wrap Up

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I’m poking my head out of the writing cave (“Fierce Females in Television: A Cultural History” is due January 6) long enough to do quick review of 2022 and ponder what may be to come in 2023. Do I really have time to do this? No–the book is going slowly and while there is no way it will be done tonight (my original self-imposed deadline), I will meet the real one.

Okay, so, yeah, how is it New Year’s Eve already?

Oh yeah, I’ve been on so many book deadlines this year I can barely breathe. (I can hear my past baby author self sarcastically saying “I wish I had that problem!”) In 2022 I:

  • Wrote 2 books (Catherine’s Mercy and Fierce Females in Television) and 2 book chapters (for the Arthurian ethics book and one I haven’t announced yet)
  • Edited 3 books (The League of Women Voters Book, Sex and the City, America’s Forgotten Suffragists) and 2 two book chapters (same as above)
  • Published the Sex and the City book and held a big book release party for it (I know, I still owe you guys a post about it and photos…it is on my to-do list)
  • Spent some time on a ghostwriting project that ultimately didn’t work out, which I’m honestly glad about for multiple reasons, the least of which is one less thing on my already over-full plate

I also:

  • Celebrated by 19th anniversary at my day job.
  • Attended 2 conferences (Chanticleer and the Midwest Pop Culture Association.
  • Completed 8 speaking/teaching events.
  • Won 2 awards.
  • Started using TikTok and Twitch.
  • Left Twitter
  • Was hospitalized for blood clots and finally got COVID
  • Continued writing poetry
  • Read around 50 books (not including those for research)
  • Helped start a foundation (more on that next year)
  • Did something I never thought I would do (more on that soon as well)

My head is spinning just remembering it all.

So, as is tradition, let’s check out how I did on my goals for the year, which I couldn’t even recall until I went back to that blog post.

2022 Goals

Contracted (meaning I’m contractually obligated to do these)

  • Research and write the Fierce Females book (due Jan. 13, 2023) DONE
  • Edit League of Women Voters book (Jan 2022) DONE
  • Edit Minor bio (Jan- March 2002) DONE
  • Edit SATC book (TBD) DONE

Other Writing-Related

  • Project involving Daughter of Destiny (Jan 2022) THIS FELL THROUGH
  • Write and record Historical Fiction Master Class (Jan 2022) THIS HAS BEEN POSTPONED
  • Attend the Chanticleer Conference (June 2022) DONE
  • Write more fiction! I DIDN’T TOUCH ANY OF THESE BECAUSE OTHER PROJECTS CAME UP
    • WWII (halfway done)
    • Isolde
    • Revolutionary War book
    • Female inventor
  • A few fun side projects:
    • Family cookbook (using recipes from my parents, grandparents and other relatives) STARTED IT BUT NEVER GOT BACK TO IT
    • Studying tarot and other metaphysical topics DIDN’T TOUCH THIS
    • Dream Atelier through the School of Self image STARTED BUT ABANDONED
    • Write my own magazine based on the Live Like An Editor workshop from last year PART-WAY DONE
    • Continue writing poetry DONE

Personal

  • Continue taking classes through the School of Self Image. This is doing so much for all areas of my life. It’s cheaper than therapy and makes me very happy. I DID THIS FOR A WHILE BUT THEN QUIT TO SAVE MONEY
  • Lose 55 lbs (I’m on a weight control plan with my doctor and am working with a health coach. Focusing on eating well, medicine, mindset, and exercise) UM, THIS DIDN’T HAPPEN, BUT NOT FOR LACK OF TRYING. I WEIGH MORE NOW THAN I EVER HAVE.
  • Learn to dance – whatever I can do without a partner. I LOVE to dance, need to move, and I want to feel sexy again. DIDN’T DO THIS
  • Find balance between work and writing; slowly start to shift in the direction of more writing. I have a long-term goal of becoming a full time author. ME, BALANCE?
  • Pay off debt – This is not only smart, but it is necessary for me to be able to move. I have three cities in mind where I’d like to live in the future. I’m not ready to add that to my list yet, but this is a baby step in that direction. YES AND NO. I MADE PROGRESS BUT I ALSO MADE MORE BILLS
  • Assuming COVID lets us: attend more cultural events like theatre, ballet, opera, symphony, dance, etc. DONE!

If you are still reading this, I’m impressed (thank you)! Despite some ups and downs, 2022 was really good year for me. Tonight I’m going to finish cleaning my house, pour some prosecco and continue writing. Here’s to 2023 being an even better year than 2022! *clinks glass* Happy New Year everyone!

Everything else

New Book Announcement!

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I’ve been wanting to tell you guys about this since we signed the contract about a month ago, but there were reasons why I couldn’t.

Remember my short story, Consequences? Well…Chalice Media Group has picked it up as a full novel! It will be published June 14, 2023, which is–coincidently (or not, I don’t believe in them)–the two year anniversary to the day I published Consequences. (If you noticed Consequences hasn’t been on my site or for sale for a while, this is why.)

Without further ado, I give you Catherine’s Mercy!

Outrageous. Unprecedented. Irrepressible. Words not often used to describe someone on the path to sainthood. But Catherine McAuley was no ordinary woman.

In 1824, Catherine, a Catholic spinster of 44, unexpectedly inherits millions. However, unlike most women, she doesn’t use it to climb the social ladder or snare a husband; she uses it to fulfil a lifelong dream of building a refuge for the poor and sick of Dublin, Ireland, run by women of faith like herself. That an unmarried woman would dare propose such a thing is so scandalous, even her own brother calls it “Kitty’s Folly.” Dublin society turns against her. The Church tries to take over. To all of these men in positions of power, Catherine must defend her choices or risk losing not only her inheritance, but her reputation and her life’s calling.

One of the first women who seeks Catherine’s aid is Margaret, a maid in the house of Lord Montague, the loudest of Catherine’s detractors. Daring to protect herself from his advances and rebel against his maxim of total obedience, Margaret is left with no choice but to flee or face his wrath. Desperate, she goes to Catherine for help, setting off a series of events that would haunt Catherine for the rest of her days.

Remembering Margaret’s escape, Grace, another of Lord Montague’s servants, soon seeks refuge at the House of Mercy after being dismissed without a reference. There she is taken under the wing of Mary Ann Doyle, Catherine’s closest friend, and becomes an integral part of running the burgeoning ministry. However, unbeknownst to all, she is also one of its greatest threats, for she knows secrets her former employer would do anything to keep and that the Church could use to destroy Catherine’s ministry.

Based on a true story, Catherine’s Mercy, brings to life the exciting tale of Irish reformer Catherine McAuley and the women who helped found the Sisters of Mercy religious order, one of the first to minister in their communities rather than pray behind cloister walls. As a laywoman and then a nun, Catherine is a beacon of mercy and compassion in a world much in need of both.

I’ll let you know when pre-orders are available, but it will be a bit since I’m still writing the book. It’s due on Halloween!