Three Winter Musings + A SECRET
Happy New Year Muser!
Okay . . . how is it 2024 now? I think of all the years I’ve experienced on planet Earth, 2023 was the one that went by the fastest. I would also say it was one of the most fulfilling, so despite being busy, I am genuinely excited for what 2024 will bring.
We are starting out the new year with three winter musings, and a VERY VERY big secret, so stay tuned till the end.
Here are three things that have been inspiring me this season.
1. Books With A Bit of Magic
2023 was a kaleidoscope reading year for me. I read thirty-six books, started and gave up on a handful more, and got lost in developmental editing for friends. Then there was Chasing Dust, which I read until I was blue in the face before publishing.
As a writer, reading is a funny thing. It's essential because it broadens your horizon and sparks that creative flame in your brain. But it also can leave you super critical, noticing every detail in the storytelling. So for me, finding books that truly pull me in and keep me there is a real gift.
Enter Divine Rivals, my favorite book this winter. The storytelling was chef’s kiss. It had that sepia tone you get from historical fiction, but with magic sprinkled in so naturally it didn’t distract. Divine Rivals was a book I savored, taking the time to read it in low lit rooms and over hot cups of tea.
If you want a read that feels analog yet whimsy, has a dash of love, and a fierce main character with real life challenges, add Divine Rivals to your TBR. It’s also part of a duology, and the sequel just came out, so it’s a great time to give it a go.
2. Ghosts
Are you scratching your head at this one? Honestly I am too but for whatever reason, this has been the season of ghosts. I’m not really the person who enjoys recreational fear. As a kid, I remember watching I Know What You Did Last Summer from behind a blanket and asking my sister, who was nine at the time, to tell me what was happening. So this whole ghost thing is a bit of a plot twist. Nevertheless, I have been dipping my toes in ghost shows that are . . . scary adjacent.
It started with watching School Spirits, followed by Haunted Mansion, Lockwood & Co, and now the remake of Nancy Drew. We even had our own ghost scare in the house, when my husband woke me in the middle of the night to get my opinion on an odd silhouette in the hall. (Spoiler: it was the light from a smoke alarm).
But when I step back from my low-key frights, I am really enamored with the concept of ghosts, literal and proverbial. I like the idea of something living on and yet still being completely stuck in time. I like the idea of unfinished business and the space to carry it out after death. I even like the idea that spirits can be around, supporting us, without us even knowing it. Something there gets my wheels turning, and for that, I keep creating space for ghosts this season. I'll be sure to let you know if we have any real hauntings in this seventy year old house of ours.
3. Digital Illustration
I recently listened to an illustrator on a podcast and she talked about how she’s a chronic experimenter. I don't think I’ve ever been more seen. I love, LOVE to try out new creative outlets. It feels like peeling back layers of an onion. The mediums and tools and that exist now are so exciting. It's loads more fun than school art ever was in the 90's.
So this season, my creative outlet of choice has been digital illustration. I'm spending my evenings doodling on my iPad and surprising myself with what happens.
The best part of digital illustration is the lack pressure to get it perfect. If something isn't working, you can undo, redo, move it, change it or delete it entirely. This means I can draw purely for joy. Here is one of my creations this winter. I'd like to think these people are moving through a bustling city, both alone and in good company. Any ideas on where they might be going?
FINALLY . . .
MY SECRET . . .
and let's not drag it out.
I have written another book!
It all started right before Chasing Dust came out. I was at a local wine bar, drinking a glass of red with a friend, when she said, “I loved your book but man I wanted to spend a little more time with Alex. I mean what was he doing those six months they were apart?”
In that moment a light bulb went off. I could see flashes of how Alex existed during that time. I could feel how he processed Cali's departure and how his art changed things. So I thought, why not? Let's take a detour and write about it.
I present to you One Sunset in Taos.
This novella is from Alex's point of view and is written as an extension of Chasing Dust. It’s a short read and can be enjoyed all on its own, after Chasing Dust, or chronologically in line with the Chasing Dust story.
One Sunset in Taos will be out on January 26th of this year (the day of Alex's art show in Chasing Dust, for those who have been paying attention). There will more information about it over the coming weeks but needless to say I am really excited to share it with you.
It's going to be a great year, I can feel it in my bones. What sparks of inspiration have settled in with you this season? I hope your gears are already turning with a curiosity for the creative adventures that lie ahead.
And please share if you have any ghost stories, because you know I need to hear them now.
Keep on creating.
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