It’s time for a little bit of frank honesty.

The past several years have been hard. Emotionally, financially, socially, and career-path-wise. It’s been storm after storm, but I’m proud to say that I’m still here, weathering it all with something like a grin.

The last post I made was back in 2019 before the world effectively fell to pieces. It feels like ages ago since I was on the cusp of making a splash in the CON world.

Then, things went south. Or rather, they dropped off a cliff. My one regular gig fell through when Heart’s Kiss stopped publishing. All the Cons got cancelled. I lost direction and focus. And for a while, I just sort of sat on my creative hands because I really couldn’t think what else to do.

At the same time, I’d started rescuing and rehabilitating small parrots, and that really took a driving seat in my world. It’s been a work in progress learning to balance both directions of my passion, but in 2020, I decided that it was time to take on a diferent pace.

With what is now 30 small parrots, I’m far less mobile. And, after things hit a running wall in the traditional publishing world, I decided to switch focuses for a while and flesh out my own publishing company.

Weathered Ocean Feathered Sky Press has been quietly publishing my short fiction for going on two years now, and I’ve learned a lot along the way. Covers, back cover copy, pricing, formatting, genre-appropriate fonts…the list goes on! Currently, it’s a one person operation with the guidance of a few really wonderful other professionals, but I’m hopeful that one day, we’ll be able to expand and begin publishing collections, anthologies, and new authors. So, stay tuned.

And, in the meantime, things continue to progress. Quietly at times, but steady. A trickle at a time to, one day, fill the ocean.