Much like Gollum, I’m slinking out from my writing pit, squinting at the overcast sky, and squawking, “The light!!  It burns ussss!!”
So, I’ve put myself on social media blackout/jail until I finish my current book.  Those who have been here for awhile remember the good old days of “Random Contemporary” and this is the sequel to it.  Also known as With Me Now.  I’ve been doing this stupid thing called “setting myself a deadline” and it’s not working out as well as I’d hoped.  Namely, because I’m easily distracted.  What’s Harry Styles up to these days?  What’s this Pokemon Go thing and, yeah, I should probably play it, huh?
Answer: Harry Styles is filming a movie and Yes, I’m playing Pokemon Go because that’s the kind of thing I expect myself to do.  What’s up, 1990s?  Scoot over while I hop up on this bandwagon!
I drag my kids around the yard with me to look for Loki-mon, as they call them, because it looks less weird if my kids are with me, not paying a bit of attention, while I stand it the neighbors yard and cackle about Zubats or whatever.
Meanwhile, I turned 34.  It was a real laugh riot.  Here, my four year old son and the cat demonstrate how I spent two hours of my birthday, napping on the couch.  I’ve quizzed several people on a) how I’ve never been this old before and never dreamed of being this old and b) how did this happen, when I distinctly remember turning sweet sixteen and having cake and getting Beanie Babies for gifts and playing a game called Huuuuum-ble and ate cake and pizza and purple kool-aid.  Because my sweet sixteen happened in 1998 and…look, different times, kids.  Different times.
Actually, 34 wasn’t all that different because I had cake from the same bakery and pizza for dinner.  I like structure I guess, anyway, that morning I ran a 5k with The Hubs and the Rowdy Boys.  I started the race at a jaunty age 33 and ended the race at 34.  But, turning 34 and promptly being handed a bag of orange powder to dump over your head and a medal?  Well, sure!  If that’s not a legit way to celebrate and to make one feel like they’re reached an actual achievement, then I don’t know what is. Beat that, ages 16, 21, and (pending) 35.  Medals and glitter trump beanie babies, shots, and…well, Lord knows what 35 will bring.  Hopefully a visit from the varicose vein removal fairy.  My heels look like a road map to Mordor.
On the writing front: The conclusion of All I Desire, the sequel to With Me Now is imminent.  It has to happen, mainly for three reasons:

1.  I told myself it was going to happen on April 1 but, haha, guess who the fool is.  That’s me.  Hilarious.
2. The plot for the third book is already rolling around in my head and, as my head is a pretty congested place (as in, both because I’m dealing with some intense allergies right now and also because my brain NEVER STOPS GENERATING BOOK IDEAS no matter how hard I try to concentrate on one)
3. I have two other books due for release next year that need attention.  And, you know, actually started, written, and finished.

Busy busy busy.
I was invited to my first author speaking event!  It was awesome!  The Book Club (I don’t know if they have an official name or anything…) found out about my books at the book signing I did back in April.  They read With Me Now and invited me to a club meeting to speak about it.  It.  Was.  Awesome!  I ate a lot of Milano cookies.
Upcoming: there’s a lot of top secret information about a new project I’m part of, called Charmed Legacy.  Here’s what I can tell you: I have the whole book plotted out, start to finish, and it’s epic.  I put that in Italics because it’s so, so much more than just epic.  It’s crazy.  It’s mega-epic.  It’s like nothing I’ve every written before.  And, guys, I have the whole thing plotted out and that never happens.  Want more info?  Click here to join the Charmed Legacy newsletter: never miss a release or an update!
Okay, back to social media jail.  As MacArthur said, “I shall return.”