Thanksgiving Thoughts

The pandemic road has been a rough one. There has been so much hardship, confusion, and anxiety. It is easy to let your mind dwell on the darkness around us, on the uncertainty, and on the difficult road to recovery which we still face.

But this day, on Thanksgiving, it is a good moment to stop and fill our minds with hope. To remember that during all of the difficult times, alongside the negative, there are always shinning moments of light. As I think about this year, I see that on the pathway through the rough time there have been amazing people who have shown love and support, moments of joy and happiness, along with a renewed sense of purpose.

One of the coolest things I’m thankful for from this year is the review my book, United Vidden, received from Dr. Who Online. The official site of the Dr. Who fandom follows me on Twitter and saw me post the cover of my book. They liked it and had one of their reviewers read it. Nathan Jones posted his glowing recommendation of my novel in July on the site’s review page. I’m still thrilled to have received the high praise.

My writing community has been amazing this year. From the June retreat session has emerged a monthly Write Now intensive which helps keep my writing flowing and brings the energy of a supportive creative community into my life continuously. The opportunity to be a part of this blog arose as well in my writing community, and I am very grateful to Ellen Seaton who graciously accepted having me on as a contributor.

My new podcast, The Hot Mess Express, has launched this year. It has taken off in a strong following of cool participants. My co-host, Aimee Ravichandran, and I share the behind the scenes madness of our lives. The social media platforms are filled with posts of perfection and how successful everyone is. This creates the feeling that everyone else’s life is worry free and fantastic, while our own lacks luster. Our goal is to show that you can make your life a success in spite of the hot mess around you. Aimee and I are a hot mess, yet we are making our life work.

I have not had a chance to finish book two of my series, Gortive Offensive. I had hoped to have it ready to go for April or May, yet that will just not happen. However, I have a side novel that emerged with a character that will be critical to the main story line in book three. The Scifi Fantasy Romance, Love’s Call, which is book one of The Dragon and His Kitten series, will definitely debut in April. While it does not bring the story my fans have been waiting for, I hope it will be enjoyable for them while I finalize the second installment of Thyrein’s Galactic Wall for release in Fall of 2022.

In the end, as I look back upon all that has happened, there really is more reason for celebration than for sadness. Ellen and I, both, hope that for you, too, this is the case. On this Thanksgiving day, take time to search out for the light and fill your mind with all the good things that have happened. These will sustain us as we keep moving forward through the darkness into the next nuggets of light and success waiting for us.