Guess Who's Back, Back Again

It has been a long and vicious summer. My grandson has been gone since early June, which means it has been quiet. Too quiet. This is the longest we have been apart since 2020, when I moved to Portland to be close to him as he grew up, and I have to say I don't like it. I miss him quite a lot.

Then, on June 25th, we lost the last of our three dogs, Molly. That date happened to be the birthday of the one we left behind, Morgan. I miss them all fiercely and with pain I can't properly express. My girls are all gone, and it's like pieces of myself have been torn away from me.

In June I also got a video- well, I can't call it a review, because it wasn't, of my first book, A Discovery of Talents. Suffice it to say the person said they couldn't finish it because it read like it hadn't been edited. That hurt. Especially since it has been, extensively. What it came down to was that the person I paid $800 to, twice, to line edit and proofread both of the books in The Talent Continuum either scammed me or did absolutely nothing. It's on me, in the end, for not doing a final read through to ensure that the book was publish ready. I pulled both books and went throug them line by line, backwards, to try to make them as good as I could. A very kind woman volunteered to proofread ADOT and then it was reformatted and republished. Crystal Island has also been republished.

It's a steep learning curve, one I am seeing others go through at the same time, some in far worse ways. The hardest thing to see is how cruel people can be. In my case, I received and outpouring of support and kindness, and a welcoming back. In the very public case of another author who went through a similar experience, the bullies came out of the woodwork and I saw a woman put through the wringer in a way I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. Writers get the least amount of grace when it comes to our art. We are expected to produce a perfect product right out of the gate. If it isn't, people expect a refund. Would you expect a refund for a movie ticket? The ticket you bought for a Broadway show? a museum tour? Once bought, art is consumed and should be considered purchased and owned. If you don't like it, pass it on to someone else. That's all I'll say on that matter.

I'm still going through my transition, and it's been pleasant and satisfying to finally feel like I'm who I always felt like I was. My voice is deeper. My muscles are stronger. My anxiety is diminished. The shape of my face has changed. I've gone on a date -my first in my life as an adult! It was fun, but I'm still single.

Now my books are back out, and better than ever. I'm hard at work on a new novel, a cryptid horror novel set right here in Portland. There's a queer cast and death on the loose. I hope to have it out sometime this fall. Then I'll be back to work on book three in The Talent Continuum. I'm looking forward to fall and putting this difficult summer behind me. Only good things ahead!