It sure has been a rough few years for a lot of us, me included. If you don’t follow me on any socmed, you are likely unaware that I quit my day!job with FSU in March, 2022. It was a decision that was a long time coming, and not taken lightly, and also not taken without some risks. I’m happy with that decision, no matter what comes of it in the long run.

It was never a good match for me, honestly. I took it under financial duress when the director of the department begged for my help, with the idea that I would quit after a year or two. Well, that was back in 2013 so we see how that went! It was a good job and I liked all of my colleagues, but I learned an important lesson (again): I am not meant for the corporate world (which, make no mistake, higher-ed has become).

As a lesson it is a regular one for me; I keep thinking I can solve immediate problems by taking a corporate job, and while that’s true, the costs are high. I lose my creative drive and my mental stability. Such jobs always result in anxiety attacks, down the line. Yes, I might yet again have to take a “job” again at some point in life, but I have finally figured out that they should always be short term solutions.

What am I doing now? Not writing as much as I want to, for one thing! 2022 was a bleak year for word counts, despite starting off strong. I am working back into that headspace, and wondering if I just needed time to decompress from the decade spent at the day!job wasteland.

I have started a coaching business as well. It’s called The Task Mistress, where I provide productivity solutions for solopreneurs. If that peaks your interest at all, please sign up for my “All the Tasks Fit to Print” newsletter!

The big news for my faithful readers is that I finally finished and published The Queen’s Aerie! It was an idea I first came up with years ago when one of the major scenes in the book just landed in my brain fully formed. Honestly I did end up changing that scene quite a bit once I got to writing the full novel, but I find it endlessly fascinating how these ideas burst into my life! I swear I have no control over it!

Anyway if you love MMF romance, weredragons, court intrigue and a fuckton of worldbuilding, this might be the book for you! I hope you enjoy it.

Happy new year, and I hope 2023 is kind, prosperous, and healthy for all of us!!!!