Welcome to 2023, everyone! I like to think that the start of a new year is a chance to step back from the holiday insanity, calm down, and reset. And it is, mostly. But it also means that I dive headfirst into my projects and get things churning right along. I'm always happiest when I'm creating, so my new year had been productive already.

Anyone who knows me knows that my creative endeavors only happen because I make sure they do. Everything you see from me--my books, my art, this website--comes from me putting it all together. I am a one woman show and it makes me proud to call all of it my own. Not that I'm opposed to collaboration or anything. But I'm a picky, perfectionistic control freak and quality is right at the top of my list of priorities. I strive to put out the best material I possibly can, so I hold myself accountable for that.

In that vein of quality output, I spent almost all of 2022 teaching myself how to use 3D modeling software in order to fulfill a longtime desire to create all of the artwork for my book covers and accompanying media. I did the piece above just today, and it shocks me when I compare my most recent pieces to the first ones I did. I've learned a TON from creating models of my characters and using the software to put them in the poses and environments I need. I used to be pretty darn proud of what I was able to achieve with Photoshop composites, but now that I know what else I can do, I can truly represent my characters in the ways I always saw them in my head. It takes a ton of time and many, many, many little tweaks, but my workflow gets better all the time.

The piece up top is of my character Maki Kirseren, from my upcoming book Triton's Destiny. I'm currently posting scenes of it on Wattpad and will publish it probably in the spring (for more information, please see this post). The art was created with Daz Studio, and I've had an absolute blast learning how to make my imagination come to life. I very much want to eventually redo all of my book covers, but for now, I'm focusing on the new ones. There are only so many hours in a day, after all. Or days in a year.

I wish everyone a great new year and hope those looking for inspiration are able to find it. I know it's difficult for me at times too, but as long as I'm still creating, I consider that a success. There's always something in my head desperate to escape. Maybe that's because my mind is a dangerous place to be and my ideas are exercising their right to self-preservation. In any case, there's no shortage of new material on my horizon. So stay tuned for the next adventure. I hope it'll be a good one.

Thanks for reading.

Thanksgiving is over and now it's all Christmas, all the time! Although, let's be honest... some places started the Christmas stuff in August... As for me, the house is decorated, the tree is up, and Christmas Cogs has been updated.

​Along with the new cover, the story's been revamped and expanded, and I've posted it up in parts on Wattpad, in addition to the new files available for download on the Free Reads page.

As of right now, I'm not planning to update Happy Newt Year, as I'd like to focus on something new, but I'm not ruling it out entirely. Book Two of the Galactic Explorers series will be coming out early next year, and in the meantime, I've got something brand new outlined which will debut over on Wattpad as I write it. I'll post about that once I've got a link to share and I invite everyone to come join the journey and watch with me as the story unfolds. It should be fun.

We got a little snow at my house overnight and it's looking a lot like Christmas around here, so I'm going to grab a warm drink, queue up some holiday tunes, and get back to work. Enjoy the holiday magic, everyone!

​Thanks for reading.

Yes, I'm very well aware that it's Veteran's Day today and not yet Thanksgiving, but turkey day will be here before I'm ready for it, so I'm going to post this now while it's fresh.

Don't get me wrong, though. I am very thankful for the veterans in my life. Growing up as a military brat, I understand very well the sacrifices made for family and country. So I'd like to give a shoutout to the veteran who influenced my life the most--my dad. Thanks for everything, Dad. So many of the details in my stories come from the experiences I've gained from bouncing around the US and the world and having the opportunities to explore my interests. And my family was always right there with me. You guys are the best.

So... Custom-built Family, one of the stories up on my Free Reads page, has been updated, expanded a bit, and features a pretty new cover. Christmas Cogs is the next one to get a makeover and will be forthcoming in the next few weeks. If you'd rather read over on Wattpad, I've posted it there as well.

I'm so grateful for everyone who's supported me and my writing journey over the past several years. Creativity is an ever-evolving process and I'm always amazed by the progress that can be made in a short amount of time. I'm convinced that no piece of art is ever truly finished and the fact that I still find things to tweak after I deem something 'done' just underscores that belief. I like to think that at least my art is getting better as it evolves and I hope others get the same enjoyment out of it that I do.

In case I don't have a chance to update again before the holiday, I wish all of my American friends a very Happy Thanksgiving. And for those not celebrating a 'stuff your face' day, I raise my glass to you too. Thanks for reading.