Battling Project Overload: Coffee & Concepts

And no – it’s not a cool science fiction title. This is literally just the story of my life as an overactive busy-brained freelance writer.

My brain is so tired – like all the time. And I’ve found I also don’t retain things as well because of it. So, it’s high time I handle my crazy workload before it gets too big for me to manage. That’s why I really enjoyed my recent conversation with Walt Robillard – Editor in Chief of WarGate Books.

I was fortunate enough to land a spot on his podcast show, Coffee & Concepts, to talk about my books and my writing process. What so many people don’t think of when it comes to interacting with their favorite stories, is the way authors have to weave these narratives from literally nothing. And finding time / motivation to write can be challenging at best and near impossible at its worst.

We talked about what kinds of coffee we like (which is largely frappuccinos and lattes for me), as well as what kind of inspiration I gathered for my latest release of The Rewind Duology. This series is so important to me, because it really took the struggles I experienced as a kid, and flipped them all around. Where I used to feel weak, these books transformed into a triumph – and I’m also donating a portion of the proceeds to KIND Campaign as well!

Giving back to the community is a crucial component of my work – that’s why I love being able to support an amazing charity that I believe in. Alongside my work with high school students who have an interest in getting into the writing field, as well as my work on the Board of Directors for ARIA, it’s been a blessing to donate my time and efforts.

Excerpt from Forgetting What I Couldn’t Remember (The Rewind Duology #1):

“Maybe getting older lets you finally see all sides of the dice – not just the ones that are facing up.” 

Vera Bartlet is a soon-to-be college graduate with absolutely no idea how messy her life is about to become. It’s not just the job search looming on the horizon or her lack of a boyfriend that’s got her stomach in knots – rather, her dad has been missing for almost a decade, and no one knows what happened to him. 

When Uncle Edgar mysteriously arrives back onto the scene, he comes armed with some interesting new ideas about what may have happened to Vera’s dad – and an even more revolutionary idea of how to find him. With nothing short of bending time and space, Edgar sends Vera back in time in the hopes that she might find the clues they need to get her dad home. 

As she sifts through the mangled pieces of reality and her altered memories of middle school drama become jumbled in between truth and fantasy, Vera has to choose which elements of her past should stay in the past, and which she might like to incorporate into her future. Time travel is never simple, and there are always side effects – but in this case, it might just hold the key to finding her dad. Will Vera stay sane long enough to find her dad and make peace with the bullies who made her miserable?

I have plans to start drafting my next concept, but my life has been so chaotic. Here’s hoping things settle down soon. But until then, keep hustling!

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Girl Bossing to the Highest Degree

I’m exhausted just writing this post, but I wanted to check in with you guys before I buckle down for the remainder of the holiday season.

You know those memes about Girl Bossing too close to the sun?

That’s me right now. I’ve literally got a few different paid gigs to juggle, alongside my art business (Custom Crocheted Critters on Instagram if you’re curious). And I’m on the board for my author association (you know, the Association of Rhode Island Authors) coordinating their volunteers for the big expo THIS WEEKEND (December 11th). And on top of that, I’m also mentoring a couple high school seniors interested in the writing and journalism fields. So short answer: that’s a lot. I love all of it, but it’s got me pretty stressed lately.

What I’m doing to mitigate the effects of such a packed schedule is the following:

Me at one of my recent book signings – a nice warm up for next week’s ARIA Author Expo!

• Listening to my body: When I feel tired, I rest. Sounds simple, but it’s way underrated. And rest doesn’t always mean sleep! Sometimes it’s as simple as curling up with a good book instead of working myself to exhaustion.
• Minimizing my carb intake: This is something I’ve definitely spoken about before, and I don’t do it perfectly. But small changes like swapping out a midnight bag of chips for a protein shake are huge.
• Advocating for what I’m worth: Yes, in the freelancing world, there are countless smaller gigs that are fine for beginners who need to pad their resumes. But you know what? I’m now an expert in my field with a resume a mile long. And this is because I spent the last few years post-grad honing my skills. I’ve learned a lot, and now I’m quite literally, worth more. So I charge accordingly.
• Constantly working on myself: This is as simple as tracking my mindsets and fixing them. Not that it’s necessarily easy, but there is so much you can do to enrich your life by taking up journaling. Self-awareness is where it’s at, so start creating the life you want instead of complaining about it all. My faith in Jesus has also been a major part of this. Feel free to reach out anytime if you’d like to know more about that!
• Exercising regularly: Okay, this is one I’m actually still working on, but I typically love going to yoga class weekly. And walking the dog counts, right? Lilly appreciates the chance to sniff around the neighborhood and handle her outdoor business.

These aren’t one-size-fits-all suggestions, but I do believe they can help you live your best life.

Over time, you’ll create new habits – and what better time to do that, than at the end of the year? That’s right – I too keep forgetting that 2021 is virtually over. But that’s kind of perfect, since my book is called Forgetting What I Couldn’t Remember. And no – it’s not about senility. I’m only 24, after all!

It’s actually about the intriguing way that trauma affects how memories are stored, and the way we have to work through that to be our best.

My character, Vera, deals with all of this alongside time travel, old bullies, and new romance. Want to dive in?

Read more about this book (and all my other ones) on my website.

Wherever you find yourself this holiday season, I truly hope you take time for you! There is so much to be grateful for, as long as you take the time to remind yourself.

If you’re still shopping for any readers in your life, may I suggest some books? Mine are somewhere in between sci-fi and romance, with a dash of sass and sparkle.

Have a very Merry Christmas and a lovely holiday season!