Kindly; November 14 2022

It’s World Kindness Day! Did you know that? Having a kid in school opens my eyes to a bunch of celebrations I wasn’t aware of, previously. If you want to recognize World Kindness Day, you’re supposed to wear blue – but more importantly, try to do something nice for somebody!

This week is also the Scholastic Book Fair. If you aren’t familiar with that, it’s an in-school fundraising market that sells all sorts of kid-friendly books, as well as erasers and trinkets and fun stuff! I’m psyched to take my kid there this Wednesday. I plan on letting her choose all her own books, with a couple of caveats: only one non-book item, and nothing Harry Potter related. Not that I expect she’ll want anything to do with them; this is a kid who threw out my old Hogwarts pin upon finding out the author ‘doesn’t like people like me’.

She’s such a good kid.

We’re also getting her very first report card on Tuesday, and then having our first parent-teacher interview on Thursday. It’s a busy week, and the one after this is even wilder. Two court dates next week to deal with neighbour issues. Wish us luck.

Recovery-wise, I’m doing well! I should be well enough to go get my flu shot and next Covid vaccine soon. I’m still on a painkiller regimen to keep myself functional, but honestly, the pain’s not bad at all. I’m kind of shocked that a major surgery doesn’t have me feeling worse!

My writing’s slowed way down, which is probably the worst news I have to report. It doesn’t sound like a huge deal, but it’s having a strong impact on my mood – I don’t do well when I’m not being productive, and my career is a big part of that. I have six queries still out awaiting responses, two of which have the full manuscript, and the best thing to do in the interim is to work on something else.

But the ‘something else’ is just… stalled. I’ve got roughly 25,000 words of Nuance in the Stars written, but it feels like such a hopelessly unmarketable project that I don’t know if I want to pursue it. I have another concept burning at me and I might have to start on that one instead, revisit my current project some other time.

I’ll have to do some reading, is what it is. I feel a lot more inspired when I’m into a good book written by somebody else.

Last thing to tell y’all about is, I’m in the middle of producing something very exciting with audiobook narrator/Twitch streamer Kaylyn Johnstone! If you haven’t read my book, The Wishing Maiden, but have always wanted to hear it the way I’ve always envisioned it… Well, keep an eye on my blog!

For now, it’s story time!

Sage knew what she meant, they thought. There was something about Inanna – not just her name, but the woman herself – that rang of familiarity. She exuded a sense of safety.

They raised their mug, testing the temperature of their tea. It’d cooled enough to sip. It was a touch too bitter; Inanna had scalded the leaves. Sage didn’t mind in the least.

“… You won’t be able to stay here,” Inanna told them after another moment. “It isn’t that I wouldn’t let you. This is just a small village – barely even that, really. People will notice, and I can’t guarantee they’d keep you safe.”