There's no question that the world is in chaos. America is in a live production of 1984, (Don't believe your own eyes!) and several other countries are slowly, and more quietly, following the lead into the right.

People are scared. They're angry. They're overwhelmed. Helplessness makes it feel so big, so intense. And it is. And it's okay to feel all the feelings, to rage against the injustices and cry when we watch a protector gunned down by the people meant to be part of the legal system.

You must take care of yourself, too. In all the chaos, in the darkness, in the tunnels of never-ending fear, you need to safeguard your mental health. All that noise out there? It will be there whether you think about it or not. If you can't stop thinking about it, if it swirls around in your head non-stop, you're going to burn out. You need to step away from it in order to keep yourself strong. I'm not saying ignore it; I'm saying in order to continue trying to deal with it, you, too, must be okay within yourself.

Yesterday I had a truly fabulous chat with April and Daizi over at Bare Books Podcast. We talked about cancer. About hospital visits, unannounced family drop-ins, perimenopause (I put them on notice I was about to strip down because I was suddenly on fire), and about the vagaries of aging.

And April said, "But you're not dead."

That's right. At least we're not dead. Dark humor is a beautiful way to see past the shadows. And it's really, really good for your mental health. It reminds you that there's more than tragedy, more than autocracy, more than empires crumbling. There's also today. Here, and now, and the people we've surrounded ourselves with. Our loved ones, sitting right beside us. All that, out there, isn't right here.

Okay. That was a bigger ramble than I'd anticipated. I'm nearly 80k into my next Ally McGuire book, and I'm finally on schedule. My next Brey book is very likely to include butches riding dragons, because that's the kind of mood I'm in, and I've never written anything like that before. It feels good to have story ideas coming at me again; we agreed in our chat last night that some escapism might be just what a lot of us need right now. The interview with Bare Books Podcast will come out around Valentine's Day, so head over there and listen to their awesome chats.

Be strong. Take care of yourself. Laugh.

Audible news

The Heart Remembers, narrated by Abby Craden, is officially available for pre-order. I've listened to the very beginning, and I have to say, I understand why people go crazy over her. What a voice! Release date is February 24th.

Also, have you signed up for the Wifey Romance Newsletter?

We released a cute short story for Christmas, and you'll be seeing a new one from us for Valentine's Day. Want to get it before everyone else? Sign up for the newsletter!

Thanks for sticking with me. I'm looking forward to a full year of stories, travels, coaching, and adventures.
Also, I'd love to hear from you. So much of writing is solitary, and hearing from readers reminds me that I'm not alone at my keyboard.