Happy New Year!
Further into science fiction we go...
I really hoped to have some exciting news for the first letter of 2023, but as most things tend to go I’m still in limbo. But I can announce that Joe has gotten a new teaching position in Martinsburg, so we will be moving this year (again) to be a little closer. Right now the drive is 1.5 and we will be getting up at 4am every day—a major difference to our normal 8am wake up. Several people have said “why do you have to get up”, but it’s because they don’t understand how tiny our house is, how loud our dogs are, and how pointless it is for me to ever try to back to sleep once I’ve woken up.
So, I’m dreading the sure to be bumpy transition, but honestly kind of excited about a new schedule. A morning person by default, the 4am rise was always my favorite. When my children were little, it was my time to myself to write, to enjoy my coffee, watch the sunrise before I had to get them up and off to school and then me off to a day job. No longer are there kids to ready, but maybe, just maybe the inbetween will serve as a bit more time to try to get myself into a routine of a daily workout.
No promises, but I know I’d feel so much better if I can make the commitment. Like writing, I keep telling myself, I just have to show up and eventually it will become part of me. We’ll see.
We had two ice storms in December and the second iced us in for six days and counting at the writing of this post. Fortunately we were mostly prepared with food, candles, chopped wood, etc. But one thing we didn’t buy, and honestly probably never would have found in the single Walmart nearby, was Ice Melt. I love this mountain, but I kind of can’t wait to get off it.
It has made for a lot of reading time however. I use the Libby app on my phone to access my library and while I thought it would annoy me to read from my phone, I actually quite enjoy it. I enjoy free books even more.
This month I’ve read:
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister
The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel
I also have several DNF, but I won’t advertise the ones that bored me.
Going into 2023, I have a YA novel that is going to go out to it’s second round of editors, a middle grade that just has not found a home so I’m thinking about self-publishing it, and a proposal that seems to be floating around in space considering the lack of a response. Major Tom to Ground Control what the hell is happening in publishing??
I’ve also revamped my Creative Couples interview series. I had to pick a new, cheaper platform, so we’ve moved to WordPress and while it’s sparse, I like the look. If you know of anyone who might like to be featured, let me know! The original content will be rolling out every couple weeks and new couples will be showcased as well.
I wish everyone a healthy new year. Here’s to new adventures, new books read and written, and new perspectives on success and happiness. Always good to reevaluate. Peace.