Summer is nearly here! The spring blooms are wilting as the days grow hotter. The suffocating humidity of southeastern Virgina has arrived, and while delicate flowers have fallen, the rest of my yard has become a jungle. If I open the windows, it gets sticky inside, and if I step outdoors, it’s like wading through a bowl of warm soup. The central air struggles to keep up, but it’s doing its best…
And so am I. With the current self-renovation of our house, online coursework, exercise, meditation, editing, writing, art, and of course family & friends, I’ve been a bloody busy bee. My marketing has fallen wayside as of the past year or so—as has my social media engagement—but I’ve been working and gradually getting back into the swing of the marketing-strategy side of things. There’ll be a bit of a turnaround with that soon.
I’m plugging away at edits of Fair Haven (my very first published novel—it’s currently out of print), and I will have news on the re-branding and re-release of that book soon. There are a few anthology invitations for which I’ve been writing short stories, and I’m so excited to share the news about those when I can. I’m stalling on writing the next novel, so progress is slow there, but I’ve picked up some commissions for cover art and illustrations that have been keeping me creative and working.
Check out these illustrations that I did recently, and if you’re looking for original art for your project, hit me up. The b&w images were commissioned work for Todd Keisling’s “Monochrome” trilogy. The one in red was made for the back cover of Rick Hipson’s “Thirteen Dreadful Drabbles to Die For“.
At the end of the day, I try to put my feet up with a cup of tea, or occasionally whiskey or wine (I’ve been cutting way back), and I read. Currently, I’m reading an ARC of Sonora Taylor’s collection, “All the Pieces Coming Together”, Stephen King’s “The Stand” (for the very first time!), and a gardening book called “Rewild Your Garden”, which is about allowing some wild native plants to take over to establish a more natural ecosystem for backyard flora and fauna.
My days are growing wildly full, much like the jungle in my backyard that is overdue for a mow. But these, hot, soupy summer days lead to new blooms, beach mornings, evening campfires, and new growth. I would normally feel on the edge of sanity with so many things going on, but everything seems to be falling into place, and each day feels more rewarding than ever.
Mocktail, tea, whiskey, coffee, or wine cheers to this transition into a new season!
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