The first Wednesday of every month is the Insecure Writer's Support Group. Posts go up the 1st Wednesday of every month. Check it out here and join if you need support with your writing. Don't forget to stop by and say hi to the co-hosts: Sarah - The Faux Fountain Pen Jacqui Murray, Chemist Ken, Victoria Marie Lees, Natalie Aguirre, and JQ Rose!

Hello, I am back from surgery. Recovery is going well and my pain has been very mild. The actual surgery itself went well, but not to plan. My doctor's exact words were "Horrible" and "1000 times worse than I expected." The problem was my bladder, bowels, and left ovary were cemented to my uterus. She ended up removing the ovary with the uterus because if something tore I could have bled to death. The risk wasn't worth it. (My mom fully agreed!) It took over 3 hours and she called another surgeon in to help her. I ended up admitted for two nights.

I don't do things half-assed!

Thankfully, surgery didn't derail my plans for 2021 too much. I was in good shape with A Quick Spell so the only thing delayed was the newsletter announcing it was available for pre-order on Amazon. (Subscribers will get a special deal for pre-ordering too, so if you want in on things like that when they happen... HINT HINT.) Other writing has been slow, but it is happening. I'm taking it easy getting back into the swing of things because healing is exhausting.

How has your 2021 been going? Kinder than mine I hope. I'm pretty sure 2021 is trying to make 2020 hold its beer. We might need a restart of the year...maybe the last few years just to be safe.

Also, I need reviews for A Quick Spell. If you'd like a copy to read and review, fill out the form below and I'll send it your way. Thanks.

I had plans on revealing my next release and asking for help with release day for Insecure Writer's Support Group, but February 1st I'm having surgery. Needless to say, I'm going offline for a bit. If you want to know I got through surgery fine (only positive thoughts here!) keep an eye on my Twitter. I'm going to ask hubby to send a tweet once I'm out of surgery.

Wish me luck!

The first Wednesday of every month is the Insecure Writer's Support Group. Posts go up the 1st Wednesday of every month. Check it out here and join if you need support with your writing. Don't forget to stop by and say hi to the co-hosts: Ronel Janse van Vuuren , J Lenni Dorner, Gwen Gardner Sandra Cox, and Louise - Fundy Blue!

January 6 question - Being a writer, when you're reading someone else's work, what stops you from finishing a book/throws you out of the story/frustrates you the most about other people's books?

I actually haven't DFN many books. I'm either really good at picking books I know I will like or I am very easy to please when it comes to books. Of the ones I haven't finished, it's either because life got in the way and I set it down and just never picked it back up, the story and writing bored me and I lost interest, or it was too predicable and I wasn't in the mood for predicable cliches.

NOW, ON TO MY INSECURITIES.

It's 2021 and I'm both glad 2020 is over and terrified. Who knows what this year will throw at us. Will it be kind? Or make 2020 look like a walk in the park? I'm trying not to dwell on it too much. I can't control how the year plays out.

Instead, I want to focus on what I can control: myself. I have a plan to release two books this year, get my mermaid series edited, and write on two WIPs. The plan is simple. There's not a lot packed in there, but that's on purpose. With my chronic health issues, I have to be flexible. I never know when I'll be knocked out by pain or for how long. By giving myself a simple and easily adjustable plan where I can schedule things ahead of time, I should be able to achieve my goals despite any wrenches thrown at me.

Before you pop off to other IWSG blogs, I want to invite you to join me in doing 365 Days of Gratitude Challenge. After the mess that was 2020, I decided to spend 2021 posting one thing per day that I'm grateful for. Or at least try to post every day. I'm going to miss some days, I have to be realistic and expect that. But I'm still going to do it because I want to spread something positive.

If you would like to join me, feel free to do it on whatever platform you want and how often you want. What you are grateful for can be as big or as small as you want. Use the hashtag #365gratitude. I'll try to stalk the hashtag on various social media so I can see who is joining me.

What books have you set aside and why? Do you have a plan for 2021 or are you going to wing it? Would you like to join me in spreading something positive this year?

The first Wednesday of every month is the Insecure Writer's Support Group. Posts go up the 1st Wednesday of every month. Check it out here and join if you need support with your writing. Don't forget to stop by and say hi to the co-hosts: Pat Garcia, Sylvia Ney, Liesbet @ Roaming About Cathrina Constantine, and Natalie Aguirre!

December 2 question - Are there months or times of the year that you are more productive with your writing than other months, and why?

I have no idea if I'm more productive certain times of the year. I never pay much attention to when I'm really productive and when I'm not. My focus is on trying to be consistent.

Last month, I talked about the day job and my woes with finding someone to help me out with baking since I can only do part time. I'm happy to say the new lady I hired has been amazing. Halfway through her training week, my chronic pain flare hit and she ended up working on her own. She did awesome. Then when my pain flare came back around Thanksgiving, she did awesome again. I was able to take the time off and focus on self care and pain management. The other day when I popped in to get my paycheck and talk to her about what hours we'd work the next week I told her I loved her.

This along with starting physical therapy, getting a referral to see a foot doctor, and recent test results has left me hopeful that I'm finally on the right track to finding the root cause of my chronic health problems. I can see a glimpse of a life that isn't derailed completely every month. Already, the pain has lessened from 4 sessions of PT.

All this translates into more energy that I can put into writing. Right now, so much of my energy goes into managing my health and pain. I'd much rather spend that energy on writing. And for the first time I feel hopeful that that will be the case one day.

If you are a writer dealing with health issues of any kind, do not give up. Persist and keep digging. Bug your doctors to help you find the pieces of the puzzle and get answers. Never accept being told to just live with something. Our bodies are amazing and are capable of healing.

The first Wednesday of every month is the Insecure Writer's Support Group. Posts go up the 1st Wednesday of every month. Check it out here and join if you need support with your writing. Don't forget to stop by and say hi to the co-hosts: Jemi Fraser, Kim Lajevardi, L.G Keltner, Tyrean Martinson, and Rachna Chhabria!

November 4 question - Albert Camus once said, “The purpose of a writer is to keep civilization from destroying itself.” Flannery O’Conner said, “I write to discover what I know.” Authors across time and distance have had many reasons to write. Why do you write what you write?

This is a pretty easy answer for me. I write what I write because I like to escape the real world. 2020 has proven just how crazy the real world is, so it's nice to get away into a story where you know the good guys win and evil is always defeated.

Last month, I talked about being back at the day job as a baker and how I worried it'd wear me out and my writing would suffer. I'd like to say that hasn't happened, but it has a little. Well, not the baking part.

Since I'm only part time, I need help to get it all done and we hired someone. The plan was for her to be able to do everything and she'd work her hours and I'd work mine. Between the two of us, everything would get done. Well, some people just aren't cut out for self managing themselves and this lady is one. She's more of a minion who needs a Gru to supervise her.

That is what is tiring me. I work on my stuff, but also keep one eye on her and answer any questions she has. That's draining for an introvert like me. I actually ended up hiring another lady who has experience with baking and supervising people and I hope she will be the Gru I need. Then I'll just stick the minion on cookie duty and everything will get done and not be so drained that when I get home that I can barely write. Right now, I have a minimum goal of expanding one drabble to 200 words and to write one paragraph on my WIP. I'm just hitting those minimums. It's progress, but I would like more.

Do you have a day job that likes to butt its head into writing? Why do you write what you write?