Finally! My family needed a lot of care these past few years, but I’m finally in a place of rest. I’m almost an empty nester, and it feels good–REALLY GOOD!

If you read my last post, you know I had a house full of people during Covid, and we’ve been doing nonstop renovations on our home since we moved here from Atlanta five years ago. I unexpectedly found myself in a caretaker position, and I had to set my writing aside. Now that I’m finally in the clear, I know I owe my loyal readers and writing peers an update on my sudden absence.

My oldest daughter has struggled with severe depression and anxiety since middle school. Her teenage years were rough, but I’m proud to say she’s finally in an amazing place. She took a job in Florida and has a wonderful boyfriend. He works as a math teacher at a Christian private school, and him and his friends and family have embraced my daughter. She has a healthy, active lifestyle and is growing into a beautiful, young woman. She calls me multiple times throughout the day to fill me in on her life.

My other daughter graduated a year early, and after a year at home, we sent her off to college. She got accepted into the Theta Tau coed fraternity for engineers, and she’s thriving in every way. We’re rewarding all of her hard work with a new truck on order. Now that I don’t have to fuss at her about a messy room, she texts and FaceTimes me every day to share her life with me.

My youngest son started his freshman year of high school and is in honors band. He’s always been an easy child (but worst pregnancy and baby). He got accepted to spend a day to play with the band at my daughter’s college (and my husband’s), and he’s thriving in every way.

My oldest son nearly died last December due to blood loss. We learned he suffers from Crohn’s disease, and we took him in until he regained his health. He’s now out of our home and thriving as well.

My last post explained that our granddaughter and her mother had moved into our home, and I became a full-time Mimi as we helped her mother out financially. Without going into details, things got too dangerous for the child once they moved into their own tiny home, and we had to take custody of the child. Things quickly escalated, and my entire family had to deal with an Amber Heard situation. I’ve spent the past year dealing with nonstop slanderous allegations (even against my children), vicious texts, and court dates. We found out that everything this woman had ever told us was a lie. Her mother informed me that we weren’t her only victims, as she had lied about being pregnant for six months while living in her boyfriend’s parent’s home. She’s a serial manipulator. She stalks old posts on this blog and my author Facebook page, and she and her family are constant drama (the Jerry Springer kind).

Thankfully, we’re nearing the end of the saga, and I expect our last court appearance to be in February. If it takes her hating me to get her sober and to start acting like a decent mother to her child, I have no problems being the bad guy. As for the constant slander, I based Alissia and Luke’s personality off mine. We’re Challengers on the Enneagram scale, so we really don’t care what people think of us. However, integrity is everything to an Enneagram Eight. This woman burned everything she had with my family the moment I found out about her lies. She moved here to get away from her family, but she and her mother are just alike. Chaos breeds chaos, and I don’t want any part of it.

Finally, after nonstop renovations on the inside and outside of our home, it’s starting to come together. We downsized from our home in Atlanta, looking forward to our empty nest years. Then everyone moved here, and this house got a bit cramped. With only my son and my granddaughter now here part-time, I can finally get my house back to normal. Both of my daughters each moved almost all their belongings with them, and I gave them furniture. Instead of decorating my house for storage for all the people, I can finally decorate my home with art. If you know me, you know I LOVE art of all kinds. I actually have a pottery and handmade jewelry addiction.

This month I’m busy shampooing carpets and moving furniture around, now that I have open rooms. I got my game and workout room back. We just had sod put down in the back yard. It has a massive oak tree that shades the entire back area, and I plan to have someone hang tiny lights on it. Remember the Medicians’ living area? Lots of hammocks and tiny lights. Yeah, that’s what I’m going for.

Next month I expect our temperatures to drop a little, and I’ll be able to sit outside without becoming drenched in sweat. I’ll have a beautiful new yard we’ve worked on since we moved here. It even has a kitchen area with a smoker and griddle, and I’m excited to try new recipes. I expect the only drama in my life to be with the squirrels over the bird feeders. And, no, I’ll never win that war. I’m just completely outnumbered!

As a caretaker of a home full of people, I’ve had to suppress my creative side the past few years. Oh, how I’ve missed writing, painting, and baking bread. I’ve even missed gardening–even though I pretty much kill most of what I plant. I’m really enjoying this new season in life. Empty nesters can actually hop on a plane and travel any time they like! I’ve been parenting for over thirty years, and I’m finally reaping the benefits of all the hard work.

Here’s to empty nesting, and here’s to Alissia’s adventures continuing. Y’all know a war is brewing. I’ve got a lot of surprises in this one–a LOT! Stay tuned while I get back into being a full-time author. I’m finally free to create again! Oh, how I missed my creative side. It’s been TOO long!

Stay tuned for more updates as I write. With all the political drama online, I pulled away from social media years ago. (I really do hate unnecessary drama.) I’ll try to start posting again on a regular basis. I just don’t spend much time scrolling anymore. I also know blog posts are out, and videos are in. However, I’d rather focus on finishing Unexpected Legends than trying to keep up with video posts. Now that I’m back, feel free to reach out to me. I LOVE hearing from my readers!

I know it’s overdue, and I apologize for the delay. Unexpected Metamorphosis was written in about three months, as I was in a dark place and needed to get some things out of my head. Back then, I wrote until around three or four in the morning and woke up around nine o’clock to homeschool my three young children. I had a lot of energy and got a lot done back then. I even worked out almost daily!

Shortly after my first novel was published, I put the children in public school and started writing and marketing every day. Living in the Atlanta area, I was involved in author groups and worked to get a book out each year. It was hard work, but it was doable. However, as with everyone, life gets complicated, and things can easily get derailed.

While writing my fourth novel, I had some family issues with my mother and a sibling, and I tried to fix a few things. After a long period of trips for court dates and meetings, I finally collapsed on my couch exhausted and drained, with nothing accomplished.

During this time, I had a young teen dealing with some depression, and I was getting Unexpected Metamorphosis ready for a second publishing. After a few years in the industry, I realized my first editor had let me down a bit, and I wanted things fixed.

Unexpected Metamorphosis was republished, and we moved to a small town on the Gulf Coast, away from the fast pace of Atlanta. We downsized and thought our move would slow things down a bit. However, things didn’t go in that direction. In fact, life got a bit crazier.

We dealt with major renovations, only to have to redo some of them a year later when some water damage happened. My teenage daughter’s depression escalated into some scary times, and my daughter-in-love called from Florida to see if I could keep my granddaughter for a while and help to get them moved here.

By that time, I had decided to set my writing aside to give my full attention to my daughter, and I soon found myself potty training and being a full-time caretaker of a two year old. Things got better for my daughter, and she moved out for college. My daughter-in-love eventually moved in, and we helped to get her settled in this town. I got into a new routine and was about to start writing again.

Then, Covid! While most people’s lives slowed down during the quarantine, mine only got crazier. My daughter’s depression intermingles with anxiety, and she immediately decided to leave Kansas to come home for online schooling. She brought a massive, shedding, and formerly abused dog home with her. This meant I had seven people in my home and two dogs. Life for this writing introvert changed drastically.

If that wasn’t enough, my daughter’s boyfriend soon lost his job and moved into our game room. Shortly thereafter, my daughter-in-love reignited things with my estranged son after years of being apart, and he moved here from North Carolina.

Nine people! That means nine people and two dogs were in my home last year. And they weren’t a nice little clan of my children. We had a variety of ages, with a variety of personalities and struggles they were dealing with.

My daughter-in-love and granddaughter moved into a nearby house, and my son found a place through a veteran’s program. We’re now down to six people in my house, and with my granddaughter visiting her other grandparents in Florida until August, I’m back at my desk full time.

That means I’m back at my writing! Things have finally settled, and Unexpected Legends is my top priority at the moment–well, starting next week. I’m about to go backpacking in the North Carolina mountains to give my brain a good reset. Nature always gets my writing juices flowing, so it’s perfect timing.

I apologize for the major delay in the last book in my series. It bothers me greatly, but I can’t turn my back on people who reach out to me. If you’ve read my writing and know Alissia, you know she’s been through a lot. It would be a waste not to use all that pain and suffering to help others in their difficult times of need. That’s what it’s all about. She can get old and bitter, or she can get old and wiser.

As for me, I choose to grow old and wiser. I wish I had more energy, but I’ll take the patience I’ve gained through the years over the chaos of youth. My daughter still deals with great bouts of depression and anxiety, but she’s headed in the right direction. She’s working on her college degree, and I’ll continue to vacuum up her dog’s hair all over my house. Her struggles are real, and I don’t regret putting my writing aside to help her get through the pain. With an unexpected appendix surgery and wreck that damaged her hand, she’s needed a bit more help.

Surrounded by young ones, I remember my struggles at their age, and I won’t ignore their pain. In fact, I got a tattoo last year to continuously remind me of my purpose when I start to grumble about other people’s chaos.

Each time I want to complain, I lift my arm and read those words. I can still give a heavy sigh and eye roll (which I do almost all the time), but I give my attention to the one in need.

Get ready for Unexpected Legends! I’m back at my desk and ready to write. I promise it’s worth the wait. This last book will have all your answers. There’s a LOT going on in it.

Until then, please consider leaving a review/reviews on Amazon if you’ve read the other books. Amazon’s algorithms work with those reviews, and they really are important for authors. Besides, I love hearing what people think of Alissia and my writing. When things get chaotic in my personal life, those reviews from my readers give me a smile.

I’m back! I know it’s been a while, and I owe my loyal readers an explanation. As for why I haven’t been active on my blog for the past two years or posted as much on social media, it all goes back to 2016–the election. I witnessed SO much hate online, that I honestly got disgusted with the Internet (rather, people in general). Not one to fake anything, it got hard for me to stay active online.

Being social on the Internet isn’t something I want to be a part of anymore. I’m from the era before the Internet, and after witnessing so much ugliness online, it’s not something I want to be around. For me, it’s easy to switch it off and walk away. It’s not that I personally received any hate. I just don’t like the negativity in general, and I’m done with it.

Around two years after the election, I saw another pattern that bothered me. One day at church, the girl in front of me pulled out her phone and took a picture and posted it on Snapchat during our worship singing. I continued on, not bothered by a single incident, but then, when the preacher started his lesson, an older woman took a picture and went to posting it online. I couldn’t help but cringe, thinking our society has become way too addicted to social media and our appearances.

Since then, I’ve learned of people egging others online to commit suicide. There’s also the family who lost their pregnant daughter and two granddaughters to murder by the husband/father. People actually had the audacity to stalk the family and say the woman had it coming to her for being too controlling. She had it coming to her? People actually chose the side of the murderer of two little ones, an unborn, and his wife. This is what hiding behind a screen has done to society.

Years ago I taught classes on using social media as an author, but with my personality, I can’t fake or make it work anymore. I’m one hundred percent not a people pleaser, so it was a bit hard for me back then to enjoy building my author platform. It’s not that I don’t like people, I just never cared whether they liked me or not, and going after likes on social media never set right with me–especially as an anti-conformist. I did it, and I taught others to do it. But, I’m done with it.

I’ll continue to write and make art. That’s what I do as a creative. And I’ll continue to share it with others. I just won’t put a lot of energy into going after social media likes. I’ve decided to put my focus on my website and newsletter when it comes to informing my readers.

I apologize for the long silence and hope you’ll stick around. There’s a newsletter signup in the sidebar. Because I haven’t sent one out in a couple of years, I lost all my former subscribers and had to open a new account. Please take a moment to sign up to my newsletter for news on my writing. I assure you that I won’t send out spam. In fact, I’ll rarely send out anything. I’ll mostly post on this website, and if you want to be notified of when I upload a post here, you can sign up for the second subscription in the side bar.

Just got my fall Walmart Beauty Box in, and it’s much better than the summer one. If you read my review of last season’s box, you know I wasn’t that impressed and considered canceling. However, it has great ratings online, so I decided to try it for another season. For only five dollars each quarter, it’s not an expensive subscription.

Black Charcoal Bubble Sheet Mask – $2.50

2.5 oz Biore’ Charcoal Cleansing Micellar Water

.15 oz Great Lash Mascara

Maybelline Master Precise All Day Eyeliner

Full-size Degree Motion Sense Deodorant – $4.24

Garnier Whole Blends Shampoo and Conditioner Samples (Got the same thing in my last box)

Cetaphil Hydrating Eye Gel-Cream Sample

Nivea Aloe Vera Lotion Sample

Together, the full-sized mask and deodorant cost more than the five dollars I paid for the box, and it contains things my teenage daughters and I look forward to trying. In fact, one of my girls already grabbed the eyeliner. She’s into the wings, and this one seems to be for that kind of style. My other teen hates washing her face, so I’ll let her try the cleansing water. I had never heard of it until now, but it has great reviews.

So, is the Walmart Beauty box worth it? Definitely not for last season, but this one is a yes. With three women in the house, we can always use mascara, eyeliner, face wash, and deodorant. I’ll let my subscription continue and see what comes in the winter box. Stay tuned!

I did it! I actually did it. (Well, I attempted to do it.) I woke up this morning at 4:30, but unlike other mornings when my brain won’t shut down, all the things I need to do around the house didn’t start playing through my mind, urging me to start my day early. Nope! This morning all I could think about was going for a run. A run! With the move and all the travel, I haven’t run in two years. And I’ve never run first thing in the morning. Don’t even ask if I’ve ever set my alarm for any type of work out. Not even in my best days of exercising did I set my alarm to do it. I’m not a masochist!

So you can imagine my disbelief this morning. It wasn’t even daylight yet! After trying to remember where I left my taser (because safety first), I gave in and crawled out of bed. I quietly pulled out some workout clothing and slipped into the bathroom (careful not to wake the hubby), Looking down at my phone, I rolled my eyes, remembering my son ran my battery down to six percent before bed.

I was excited for the first time in my life to go for a run. Then I heard a subtle noise and went to the window. Peeking through the blinds, I frowned.

Rain! Really? I got up for that? With a scowl, I went back to bed. And, I actually fell asleep. Doesn’t matter that I own a treadmill. That’s not the point. I was in the mood to actually leave my house early in the morning to go on a run. That’s huge! (Since I’ve been slack on exercising lately, it probably would have been more like a walk/jog. But, hey, I’ll take it!)

Looking out my big office window, I see there’s a break in the rain. I could actually go for a run right now. But, it’s just not the same. I just finished sipping my hot tea, and I’m nice and comfy at my desk. Do I really want to leave it right now for a run? I mean, my little miniature schnauzer is enjoying my lap at the moment. *Sigh I feel like I need a morning nap.

I’m loving SnackNation! This is my second box, and at only a dollar (plus $3.99 shipping), it’s totally worth it. My family enjoys this box, because we get to try new snacks I would normally not buy. Most of them are completely new to us, so we taste them as a family. As a mom, this helps me get a better idea of what I can pack in my children’s lunches. I grind my own wheat and am big on baking, so most of our snacks revolve around homemade baked goods.

For a dollar and shipping, you get six healthy snacks each month. You have to fill out a short survey shortly after receiving the box, or you wind up paying the $9.99 regular price. It’s really quick and gives them feedback to give the companies. Not only do they try to be healthy and ethical, but they also donate to Feeding America for every box. It’s really a great company!

This month’s box contained some interesting finds. My daughter loves jerky, but she doesn’t seem to like the meat sticks. The white fish jerky looks intriguing. It’s from a new company still launching, and they’re all about sustainability. The bag is only sixty calories and ten grams of protein. I hope my daughter likes it. She’s in high school and skips a lot of meals. This is something I could get her to grab on her way out.

As a baker, I’m not into the minute mug cake mix, but they won my vote with the fair trade chocolate. If you’ve read my post on child slavery, you know I only buy fair trade chocolate. It’s that important! I know a lot of people who don’t make things from scratch, and although I usually cringe at packaged cake mixes, this one is organic and wheat. Nice!

Be sure to check out my first post on SnackNation. When I signed up for the dollar box, I paid extra and got a box of fifty snacks that month. I’m still loving this box and highly recommend it.