The weather is starting to shift, and that means we’re nearing the end of summer and heading into the beginning of autumn!

This is my favorite time of year. The leaves change colors, the weather gets cooler, crisper, and the everything comes alive with magic. It might be basic to say, but autumn is and always has been my favorite season. Yesterday I even went and got a manicure, and now my nails are orange.

It’s been an interesting few months. I’m in a new relationship with an absolutely amazing man whom I love tremendously. I’m genuinely happy and thriving in life for the first time in a long time. I’m preparing for some big next steps in my education and career. And I’m writing a lot of poetry lately. However, I have been struggling to complete my sequel novel, A Shift of Crimson. I’ve been working on the fourth draft and while I am making progress, it’s somewhat slow progress, and I’m not entirely sure what it is I actually need for the manuscript to get where it needs to be for publication in December. I know I’ll get it done (I still have the rest of September and all of October and November to really hunker down and get these revisions/edits done), but I am feeling somewhat stuck.

This is part of the writing process, though. Sometimes books just flow out of us, and that was really my experience with A Kiss of Glass. And sometimes, we really have to just sit down and make the time to get the writing done. Revisions and editing, especially, are difficult because it’s not just about getting the words on paper, it’s about making them into something beautiful, something engaging. And while this novel definitely has some truly incredible moments, I also feel like there are certain sections that are going to need a lot more work than others, and those are the sections that worry me the most. Not because I can’t give them what they need, but because sometimes it’s just overwhelming. And I think I tend to believe that if my writing isn’t perfect, then I’m failing as an author. I really need to learn to let that impossible standard go.

I have completed the prequel novella, A Hold of Spectres, though, and it will be released next month, so that has me really excited. And while I haven’t yet found a home for my collection of sonnets, I am continuing to send it out to different publishers. Hopefully it will find a home soon. I also need to keep in mind that I’m attempting to write this novel while working full time and preparing for another graduate program. So I can cut myself some slack. I can — and will — complete this manuscript on time for my deadline.

I hope you’re all doing well!
I’m sending much love and light to you!