Hey there my friend!

Not my normal day to post, I know, but I was at my Reader's Escape all weekend and didn't have any kind of service.

This retreat was wonderful, as they always are. This was the first event where someone actually flew in to attend. Which feels like a big step for me. It's not just a few of my local friends anymore, you know?

And now that it is complete, I finally get to move onto the big things. Thing, Singular.

Everything for the next year is going to be a means to an end. Everything is going to be focused on the release for Madamn. 

There are a few big projects to support this book launch. For example, next year's Reader's Escape. It's going to be a launch party. Slash birthday party for Em. At her home... as in her CASTLE in PARIS. I also plan on launching a Kickstarter. 

And for all of these projects, if I'm going to pull them off, I will need extra help and support. 

While my husband is awesome at this, I've reached out to a few friends of mine who have a particular set of skills in areas that I don't. And being able to delegate and outsource so much of these big ideas make me think that I might just be able to pull it off.

This might actually get to be really big!

Em's story is so important and has shaped the world we live in today, whether we know it or not. I'm thrilled to feel like the vehicle in sharing her inspiring and powerful life.

What is Essential?

I don't know about you, but this week was so intense for me! There was a lot going on at work, and while I started out strong, the chaos of it all started to wear on me. 

So, today I'm taking some me time.

My husband and I are headed to a neighboring town (as close as "neighboring" can get in Wyoming anyways) to attend a quilt festival! I've heard so much about this town, and I'm excited to see somewhere new after being here for a couple of years.

Sometimes it's just essential for self care to run away for a day.

Let it be known that I've still done the essentials. my sink is free of dishes, I have my weekly blog post up and have made progress in my writing. 

I'll get back into more things I would like to have done when I get back, but right now, I'm focused on the essentials, which are done and my own well being. I need the rest and recovery.

I don't allow myself this kind of thing often. I love what I do and I love to work. I feel so much satisfaction from a job well done. Especially since I tend to work on really big projects.

I hope you find some time for yourself today and that it brings you a bit of joy.

Here's to a Big 2025!

Happy Saturday friends!

I've had an interesting week, but am so happy to have a weekend to recover! Working a full time job while trying to write and grow a business is no easy task. 

I've spent a lot of time this week thinking about how I want to grow and scale my "side hustle" as a career. 

I want to be an author, yes. But I LOVE the publishing side of things so much more than the actual writing part. For years I've toyed with the idea of creating a publishing house, and I'm getting close to caving in and doing it. 

However, I'm not sure I can handle that with the year I've got planned, so I'm looking at that as an option in the next couple of years.

Madamn is set to release almost one year from now, in August of 2025. And because Em was a countess who seemed to do things large, I'm apparently going to follow suit and release the novel during her birthday and in her chateau, combined with my yearly Reader's Escape.

SO! Get your passports ready, we will be in Paris in a year!

I'm also wanting to launch a Kickstarter with all sorts of gifts and swag, so the next year will be quite busy!

It will be a great lead in to the whole publishing house idea, though, don't you think?

Keep your eyes peeled and be sure to follow along on social media for updates.

Paula Knows Her Place & Privileges

The other day at work we were discussing safety. What to do in case of certain situations, etc. During this discussion, my boss mentioned she is the only one allowed to scare us when she sneaks up on us (as she loves to and is prone to do). 

However, Paula wasn't having any of that. She quickly spoke up and voiced her discontent. 

I love that the people I work with know her well enough to say, "Ok, fine, and Paula, too." 

Having Paula around grants me certain privileges and I love it.

Anyway, short entry this week, I still have alot of work on Madamn that I would like to accomplish before the day is out and I have a family dinner tonight with my in laws.

Side note, can I just tell you how much I love my in laws?

It's a rare thing I hear, but I feel so lucky to not only have such a great husband, but I love his family, too. So I am looking forward to this dinner. Not to mention my cats also stay with my MIL, so I get to snuggle my kitties.

However, it does limit my time a bit today because I have also decided I need to place a higher priority on my health, so I took 30 minutes for a quick workout. 

But I did get to find all the books I needed as gifts for the next Reader's Escape (aaaaaand maybe a few more for me. And since my husband came with, he found a few as well...)

If you are wondering, we do have a full library between us with 1051 books that I have scanned into my tracker app and a few more that I haven't scanned. That is also a project I'm working on.

But enough procrastinating! On to Madamn so you can see just how cool this woman really is!

Work, Work, Work, Work, Work

It's late, but it is still Saturday! This week was another one of those weeks where I had something scheduled every single day after long days at work, but I survived to tell the tale and am better off for all that hard work. 

I don't often do them, but having published 4 books and counting, I often get asked a ton of questions, to which I often simply refer them to my book Hard Earned Lessons Learned: A Guide On What I Wish I'd Known When Self-Publishing. It basically covers most things I know about publishing.

However, when asked nicely and people are willing to pay me for my time, I'm willing to answer questions one on one. I've had some great calls with people, so I continue to do them, thought I don't advertise them. 

I also have a writer's circle that I'm a part of as I continue to work on Madamn. I've made some huge progress and have started working with an editor one on one in addition to these weekly meetings. They have really helped to keep me on track and I adore the women I meet with every week. 

I do make some time for myself and have indulged in a crochet course with another friend who is teaching me the basics. I'm loving this and in addition to my ever present book obsession, I now have a thing for yarn. 

As late as it is, I do have some updates to make to my novel for my writing group and lots to do in between, so I'll keep this short and sweet this week!

Hope yours is wonderful!

Crunch Time!

Hey friends, sorry I'm late again! This past week and this coming week have been so intense. It's been productive, but there has just been a lot. 

Over the weekend, I went to Salt Lake to be with several friends and run a few errands. It was a quick 24 hour trip, then I came home to do dishes and laundry and a few other things around the house before starting the work week. 

The sad part is, I know I had big exciting things to share and that there was a funny TS story or two, but it's all gotten lost in the shuffle. 

This week isn't shaping up to be much better, I have appointments every night this week and while it is all super exciting, I'll have to give a better breakdown once I've had a chance to breathe. 

In the meantime, I hope your week is awesome and I'll update when I can.

Kintsugi & Paula's Antics This Week

Hey there friends!

I have been thinking a lot about Paula lately and how all of this got started. The blog, the books, and especially the lessons I've learned. You see, I've been invited at work to speak on a panel they are calling "Pride in Disability."

So I'm going back to the basics for people who don't know me or my story at all. I only have about 15 minutes to cover a topic I could speak on for at least an hour. 

The funny part is that Paula gave me some new stories to share this week. She is obviously also quite excited. 

Take for example yesterday at work. It was a little slower as we are getting to the end of the day and my boss made a comment that another coworker pretended to be offended by. My boss responded by saying she is the funniest person in this building. At which point, of course, Paula had to chime in, loud and argumentatively. 

So my boss continued, "Except for Paula!"

Because she really is. I know that I have been so lucky with my particular version of Tourette syndrome and not everyone has an alter ego with such great comedic timing and personality. 

Then again, that's not really the point. The point is more about utilizing experiences for your benefit, regardless of the experience itself. 

Experiences happen. Sometimes they are pleasant, sometimes they are not, but the point is that we are always made better for them if we can figure out how to utilize the experience. 

It's like the Japanese art of Kintsugi (sometimes called Kintsukuori). When a ceramic piece is dropped and broken, it was often put back together with gold, making it more valuable for the experience.

Take for example this beautiful pot that I got for my plants. I came home and didn't even have it inside before the handle on my bag broke, thereby breaking it. 

My sweet husband glued it back together before I could investigate a kintsugi kit (there are some available for purchase!), so to get the right effect, I painted over the cracks in gold paint. 

The first photo is the first coat, the following two after multiple coats and the overall finished effect.

This is absolutely how I approach life as a direct result of my Tourette syndrome.