Oh, hello. Reasons I am not a good blogger.

Here are my top ten reasons why I suck at blogging (and trying to maintain an author website):

1. Self-publishing is a lot of work!
2. I tend to close in on myself when I get stressed instead of asking for help.
3. I chose to release a book during back-to-school month… what on earth was I thinking?!
4. I act like I’m really great at multitasking, when in reality I basically suck at it.
5. Despite reason number 4, I tend to overload myself with tasks, thinking I can handle everything.
6. I put an enormous amount of pressure on myself to complete all these tasks that I never should have placed on my shoulders in the first place.
7. I am a people pleaser.
8. When I get overwhelmed, sad, or lost, it hits my body really hard, and I find myself exhausted beyond normal.
9. I had big plans to keep everyone in the know daily, and when I fell behind, I gave up completely.
10. With all the areas I had to check every day, this website became the least of my worries because it didn’t seem like many people were even reading what I wrote.

And here is how I intend to do better:

1. Self-publishing is a job, and I need to act accordingly. Yes, it is a lot of work, but I know that to achieve success, I need to put in the time and effort.
2. Asking for help is never a negative. I know that I have a team of cheerleaders, friends, and family who are willing to help me along the way, and I am forever grateful to them.
3. Haustblót fell on September 22 this year, and I truly wanted to honor the Norse holiday by releasing my book on the Autumn Feast.
4. To-do lists are my friend! I have been really struggling with finding a schedule that works for everything going on in my life, but I vow to make to-do lists more of a priority.
5. Saying “no” is an option. I will try to get better at not taking on more than I can handle.
6. I need to chill out. If I can’t get to something, it is not the end of the world (even if my pesky brain tries to tell me otherwise). I think that adding prayer and meditation to my day will really help with this. I already spend time in prayer, but setting aside time to be truly quiet will help settle the crazy in my brain.
7. I don’t think I can make this one disappear, but I can work on realizing that I don’t owe anyone anything other than my word. If I can’t stand true to my word, then what am I? So, my word to you would be that I will try to do better each day, but I will give myself grace if I don’t reach every goal.
8. I will rest when I need it and work hard when my body allows.
9. I apologize for having such lofty goals on top of adding many other stressors to my daily life. I will take things one bite at a time instead of trying to shove the whole dang cookie in my mouth.
10. I don’t care if only one person reads this website. I love you, whoever you are! I will work just as hard to speak to anyone willing to read as if I were writing to the entire world because YOU, dear reader, make this worth it!

Well, now that we have that out of the way, it’s on to other business! Release day has come and gone in a whirl! Many stressors led up to that day, including but not limited to several cover image updates/issues, reuploading the manuscript at least five times, and crossing my fingers that author proof copies would come in time for release day.

Along with all of those not-so-fun happenings, September 10th happened. The world stopped for a moment that day and has been off-kilter ever since. Every day, a new tragedy strikes. Lives lost and hate running rampant on the internet. I watched a man get assassinated, and it felt like I lost a brother, despite never having met Charlie Kirk. As a follower of Christ, it was like losing part of my body as well as realizing just how fragile life is.

That day showed me that I am afraid, but I choose to not have fear because I know where I am going when I die because of the love of Jesus Christ. Despite my faith, knowing that Charlie was killed because of his beliefs shook me to my core. I know Christians have been called to persecution, but seeing it happen in real time was incredibly eye-opening.

Obviously, that moment changed the trajectory of my life in many ways. I have struggled to read or write anything besides the Bible. My mind has been clear in some ways while refusing to function in others. That moment also helped form parts of the next book in the Loki’s Monsters Trilogy.

I feel a fresh fire for my story and can’t wait to put my thoughts into action on the pages. I may write about Norse mythology, but my inspiration is from God above. I write stories that help people feel part of something and inspire them to find and thrive in their purpose.

I choose to move forward and write my emotions into the world I’ve created. I hope it translates into passionate, beautiful words, but also hope and courage. Vala is courageous and loyal. I strive to be more like her as I continue taking steps forward into this new world.

To my current readers, thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support and for sharing in this journey with me.

To my future readers, thank you for taking a chance on a loon like me. I hope you enjoy the world within the Yggdrasil.

To my cheer squad, you guys are THE BESTEST! I love you all so very much and thank God daily for each and every one of you.

With that, and as always…

I love you, bye!