Author’s Note: I wrote this short story (~5,600 words) back in February after emerging from a three-year depressive period—an attempt to fall back in love with writing and to explore some of the darker emotions I’d been working through. The feeling that part of “me” had been erased or forgotten during my depression found its way into the prose as the character of August. The thing that broke me out of my depression was anger, which I personified as the character of Luca. To anyone who’s struggling with depression, hang in there. There are a number of things that can help, but for me, it was getting active again. Forcing…
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’Tis I. The one who’s enjoying the heck out of AMC’s The Vampire Lestat and thinks you should watch it, too. Summer is by far my least favorite season of the year, simply because of the torments of the Texas heat. I can’t stand it. Come July 1st every year, I pretend it’s officially fall. Listen, the summer solstice has passed, which means the days are now getting shorter, right? The shadows are lengthening and deepening. I’m not making this up. “Science” agrees. *tosses Halloween confetti* So happy fall, y’all. Fuck this sticky, humid bullshit, with its hurricanes and mosquitos and lack of humane temperatures. I’ve got the AC cranked…
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Tis I. The one who’s five days late on her monthly blog. But I have good reasons! I just got back yesterday from a two-week roadtrip that took me from Texas to California and back again. This month’s update will be a little shorter than normal as a result. Keep reading below to hear more!
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Tis I. The one who overdid it in March and faceplanted in April as a result. It’s been a hell of a month, y’all. Not only am I nearing the end of a huge writing project, but I’m already plotting two new ones. Somewhere in the middle, I’ve had to remind myself to rest before my body decides to return to factory settings. Keep reading below to hear more.
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5AM wakeup. From upstairs come the cries of my daughter, who’s fallen ill during the early morning hours. We have a minor flood in the house because of a clogged toilet, backed-up laundry to the ceiling, two car inspections due, federal income taxes to start, husband out of town for work. Oh, and a jury summons came in the mail yesterday. And then sometimes, fate says “this bitch seems bored” and throws me for a real loop. Somewhere in the middle of this, I’m supposed to be finishing a book.
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Tis I. The one who used far too many M’s in the title of this blog. This month was less stressful than last, but no less busy. I’m deep in manuscript edits, have read about a million books, and managed to see Lady Gaga in concert somewhere in the middle. Keep reading to hear more about the concert, where else we went on our mini vacation, and what I’m loving this month. 💕 Aimee Lady Gaga – Mayhem Ball It’s no secret that I’m a little monster. I first became a fan back in 2008 with Just Dance and Poker Face, but I became a devoted follower when she released…
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This month has been a whirlwind, with writing projects, an impromptu office change, and lots of reading. I also want to take the time to celebrate some of my favorite Black creators in honor of Black History Month, as well as reflect on Bad Bunny’s historic Super Bowl performance.
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Picture this. A little girl, no older than four, playing alone in her room. With the precision of a stage director, she constructs the scene for her imaginary play. The main character is a Barbie doll with chewed-up feet and hair that has never known peace. Dressed in rags, Barbie is made to trudge up a mountainside (performed by a pile of blankets) in a raging blizzard (performed by a plug-in fan, turned on its maximum setting and positioned about 6 inches from Barbie’s face).
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I wanted a place to share the more personal happenings in my life, so this is the first installment of my new monthly blog posts. Around the end of each month, I’ll discuss what’s going on with me and the family, what I’m currently working on, and what I’m loving at the moment (books, crafts, recipes, beauty, etc). Want to see what I’m up to? Keep reading!
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The following is an excerpt from my current WIP. This manuscript tells the story of a gifted young pianist who fights to reclaim his dreams of the stage with the help of the same person who once drove him to quit.
