Hello 26, Let’s Do This.

After my little blogging hiatus, my birthday is next week, and I’ve officially hit that age (basically any age after 21, am I right) where every birthday is less fun and usually comes with a dose of existential dread.

Don’t get me wrong, I love my life and all the amazing experiences I’ve had that brought me here.

But there are moments where I’m like “woah, I’m closer to 30 than I am to 18” and that’s seriously terrifying. In many ways, I’m happy with where I’m at. And in other ways, I feel like I’m way behind. That might just be the way things are, perhaps a bigger commentary on the human condition as a whole. Whatever it is, I feel it big-time whenever another birthday rolls around.

But this year, instead of feeling sad, I plan to fully emerge myself in all the blessings I’ve experienced recently. Having an attitude of gratitude is the way to go, right?

Right. Okay cool.

That’s why I decided to spend my birthday blog post this year with thankfulness. Thankful for the blessings I’ve been given and all the blessings yet to come.

There are too many to post, but alas, here are my top 5:

#1: New publishing opportunity

A recent book I read to help me develop my story!

This one I can’t talk about a whole lot yet, but it’s going to be the secret sauce that makes Breakup Queen the epic saga that I know it will be. If you’re newer to my blog, you might not know that I’ve been publishing books since I was in college (and my debut novel was published when I was 19). So this is going to be an amazing milestone for me and my creative work, and it’s going to happen this year when I’m 26.

#2: More freelancing work

I also am self-employed, and recently I’ve gotten more gigs that are getting me closer and closer to hitting my personal financial goals — and that’s a really exciting thing. If you also graduated from college semi-recently like me (class of 2019, what’s up), then you probably know the job struggle all too well. But things are looking up, and networking like crazy actually paid off. I’m so happy with where things are at and all signs point to more work and opportunities on the way. My professional life is blooming, and I’m so grateful for it because I know it was a steep climb to get here, and there’s still so much more I want to do.

#3: Boyfriend ❤️

Aren’t we so cute? I adore him so much.

This one appeared out of nowhere (jk, we met online but it still felt super sudden). But Andrew, is very possibly, the best thing that ever happened to me. He’s the most kind-hearted, mature, and sweet family-oriented guy I’ve ever met, and can’t wait to see what’s in the future for us. Oh, and did I mention he’s in the national guard? It’s impressive, for sure. I wouldn’t be brave enough for something like that, but I’m so grateful God makes people who are ❤️

#4: Friends both near and far

While I sadly don’t have many local friends, I am so grateful for the friends I do have that are only a text or call away. I know it takes a village, and I count myself so blessed to have people all over the country that care about me. Even one or two in other countries, isn’t that wild? Distance is no problem with technology, and I’m so glad to have met these kind souls any way I could.

#5: Never Growing Up

Back when I had pink hair, pictured with one of my crocheted unicorns and very apropos Yarn Punk leggings.

I’ve been so surprised at the value and joy I get out of re-connecting with my inner child. Sticker books have been one way I love relaxing when I’m stressed, or watching shows that take me back to a simpler time (Gilmore Girls, I’m lookin at you). And I think anytime a birthday rolls around, it’s so important to connect with the younger version(s) of you too. Before you were twenty-something, you were 18. And 16. And 12. And so on, and so forth. A birthday is a wonderful time to give yourself a hug from every era, in preparation for your next eras and adventures to come.

Anyone else with a birthday in March? Let me know, we can share ideas and celebrate!

Advertisement

Hit Summer With Your Best Shot 6/21 – SEQUEL PREMIERE

Happy Memorial Day Weekend! In the spirit of this occasion of remembering those who gave their lives for America (may they always be honored and remembered), I thought I’d make a pretty big announcement of my own.

The sequel to my time-travel coming-of-age romance Forgetting What I Couldn’t Remember is called Forgiving What I Couldn’t Change. And you can read it on June 21st (yes – the first day of Summer). Summer isn’t just a season; if you’ve read book one, you know that Summer is the name of the biggest grade-school-baddie-turned-psychopathic-criminal. So of course, I figured the best way to forgive her once and for all was to drop this second and final installment on the first day of her season.

Forgiving What I Couldn’t Change actually takes place in the SoCal fall, but that’s basically still warm weather (with the addition of pumpkin spiced everything). It was really fun to situate the characters in that season of blending the savory with the summertime. That also mimics the interesting blend of spastic daytime patterns as experienced by Vera and Fader in the virtual reality world they get trapped in.

The book will be available in ebook, paperback, and eventually, audiobook – narrated by the amazing Chelsea Kwoka. She voiced book 1 and hit it out of the park, so I knew we absolutely had to work together again.

To catch up on book 1, you can find it on Amazon HERE. I always like to tell people how personal both books are to me (but the first book especially – because it’s basically me traveling back in time to enact some justice on my old bullies).

I also have (what I hope) is a fun book trailer on YouTube all about book 1 – care to take a look? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUUTZ820GTI

Thank you so much for all your continued support. Comment below with more content you’d like to see from me. I could talk about my writing for ages, but I know that lifestyle stuff is important too, of course!

I’ll leave you with a quick spoiler-free passage from the sequel that I particularly enjoy. This is a moment between Fader and Vera while navigating the digital reality world:

Between the sound of the falling acid just outside, and the repetitive drip-drip-drip of hidden water somewhere in the cave, the silence was bearable. But only for so long. 

            “I don’t bite, you know.” 

            Fader huffed. “That hasn’t been proven. You looked like you were in enough pain to bite me if I hadn’t have given you that cloth to chomp on instead.”

            I rolled my eyes, even though the gesture may have been left unseen in the faint neon halo light. “That’s not entirely true.”

            “You sure? Because I can’t stitch up my own wounds. Don’t think I’d have the stomach for it.” 

            “What I’m sure of right now is that… I want you.”

            He froze, like being stung by an unseen predator. “What?”

            “Want you next to me, I meant. Yeah, like, scoot in. I’m cold.” Turning away momentarily, I prayed that Freudian slip didn’t just damage everything good we had going on. In a virtual reality world built on real-world death, you’d be surprised at how hard good stuff was to find.

            Before he could find a proper rebuttal, he moved closer to my side, wrapping his arm around my bare shoulders as shivers ran up my spine. “Okay, you have me. Is that all you wanted?”

            The ambiguity in his words wasn’t lost on me, so I treaded lightly. “It’s definitely a step in the right direction.”

Coping With Anxiety – 3 Tips That Keep Me Somewhat Calm

Yours truly, one of my recent selfies because I was feeling cute the other day 😉

Life happens – there’s just no getting around it. And lately, I’ve been so off-beat that I haven’t been able to work on my latest book (the time-travel coming-of-age sequel to this bad boy right HERE). And in my case, there have been some specific things that just threw me off my game in the past few weeks. Coping is key, and so I thought I’d share below some things I’m learning in my writerly journey that have really helped me as I cope with the curveballs that life has been throwing at me:

#1: Find your faith

For me, my faith in Jesus has really grounded me substantially while I’m trying to cope with the uncertainty of life (i.e., relationships, looking for writing jobs, finding a good work/life balance, etc.). Just knowing that God already has everything all mapped out for me, and that there’s nothing I can possibly do to derail that, is really comforting. I was literally crying out to Jesus last week and I opened up to Psalm 46: 5 in my Bible which says “God is in the midst of her, she will not be moved…” and it was basically the most amazing thing ever because I just got through asking God for a sign that I’m really going to be okay – if not today, then someday very soon.

Anyway, all I’m saying is, if you have any questions about what I’m talking about here, I would be more than happy to share my faith with you. Just drop a comment below or reach out to me via my author Instagram HERE.

I’ve also been chatting with trusted friends that I know will lead me on the right path closer to Jesus, even when life feels stormy and scary around me. Leaning on others when you feel weak is a massive help, because if you’re anything like me, you just want to feel heard and validated. People you trust can do that for you from a very holistic point of view – and I bet they’ll appreciate you even wanting their help in the first place. See? Everyone wins.

#2: Find creative outlets that make you feel good

In my case, I channeled my conflicted feelings and frustrations into a song (and no, I’m not sharing it anytime soon, if at all. It exists, and that’s enough for me right now). This was especially impactful to me because I’ve been studying music and playing guitar for twelve years now, but I’ve never been able to write a coherent piece of music until the other night, when I was literally just getting ready for bed, and this incessant melody just started repeating in my head. SO I did the only rational thing and saved it into a super embarrassing voice memo in my phone so I could play around with it more the next day.

Oh, and I wrote out a bunch of lyrics too. It was a wild feeling – having my thoughts presented so emotionally on paper and in a sonic medium made me feel so much physically lighter. Just overall, really surreal and it felt so healthy. So I might keep writing songs, now that I’ve gotten the hang of it (and it also really helps to have sort of a stylized role model. For me, musically, that’s Taylor Swift, because her music has resonated with me deeply since I was a kid).

But if you’re not musically inclined like me, why not take up something totally new and different? Paint a picture. Try out origami. Or maybe even crochet or knit (I’m a big fan of amigurumi crochet myself, with even a digital shop on Instagram HERE).

#3: Amp up your self-care habits

If you’re feeling overworked and exhausted, this is CRUCIAL. Do some yoga, take a long walk, eat less sugary carbs and more fruits, veggies, and healthy fats. I know a lot of that is common sense, but when you’re feeling bogged down and unable to function as usual, this is such an easy fix to get you back on track to being your very best self.

In my case, I’m anxious to get my mojo back because I really want to make serious headway on my next novel before the end of the year, so that I can maybe swing a mid-2021 release (and hopefully, in-person events will be back by then too). Overall, an author is only as good as their health habits and body allows them to be, so fuel your creativity with the right foods and habits, and you’ll be feeling better before you know it!

If any of these tips helped you, feel free to sound off in the comments below! I’d love to compare notes and hear about how you’re doing, and if there’s something you’ve discovered that helps you, I’d probably be game to try it too!

#wellness #stressmanagement #anxietycoping #writers #authors #indieauthors #creatives #fuelingcreativity #leaningonfriends #faithinJesus #growinyourfaith #bereal #beyourself #embraceyourfeelings #itsokaytonotbeokay #publishing #writing #songwriting #beingcreative #music #copywriting #jobsearch #anxietystruggles #beinghuman #copingwithlife #lifeisabattlefield #fiction #sciencefiction #localauthors #amazon #goodreads #reviews #blogging #newideas #selfcare #healthyeating #Jesuslovesyou #prayerlife #churchfriends