So, a lot has happened since the last time I logged on here. I’d like to take the opportunity to share a little about what’s been going on so you all get a sense of why I ghosted for so long. My goals moving forward have shifted a little, and I want to be more open about my personal life so you all get to know the person behind the books. After all, what is life without connection?
Let’s get right to it – I became a mom (waaaay cooler than I had ever imagined it would be, but boy is it time-consuming! LOL). It’s been great, and I’ve been very blessed with a fantastic support system, but it definitely threw me for a loop and I’m still getting the hang of this whole time-management with a baby thing.
I also lost several people very near and dear to me in the span of a year. A couple of which were very sudden, and all were pretty devastating – I’ve lived a lucky life so far, so dealing with intense loss is still new terrain for me. Time helps, and I don’t know if the grieving process ever truly ends, but I’m at the point now where it’s not my constant state and I can divert my attention back to being creative and making them proud over there on the other side.
Back to happier big changes – I finally made it official with my long-term significant other, so now I’m a Mrs. (Still getting used to that. Despite being over 30, I still feel too immature for all these sudden, grown up things! Me?! A Mom? A Mrs.? …Really?!)
We also moved from sticky, sunny, wonderfully weird Florida to the chilly midwest. This is the first time I’ve experienced actual seasons (Snow!! Holy cow, it’s so fun but also definitely a pain in the ass LOL). I’m so excited to see the flowers of spring and the color changes in the fall. I get bummed out when things are the same every day, so this weather is right up my alley. I’m even pretty fond of the dreary, tangled landscape of the winter, if I’m being honest. We’re now close to where Sanguine Malum takes place, so there’s inspiration everywhere. It’s great.
Those are the biggest things that kind of just drained away my free time and creativity to pick the pen back up (I have been writing occasionally, but not consistently so it’s barely worth mentioning). I know for some, this kind of stuff wouldn’t put them out of commission for so long, and I definitely admire and will strive for that kind of having-my-shit-together-ness in the future. For now, I can only move forward from today and try to do better, and hope that if you were looking forward to my next book, you haven’t given up on me just yet.
I’ll expand on what I hope to do differently this time around in future blog posts, but one of the bigger things is I want to be a bit more accessible to my followers. I’ve been so caught up worrying about backlash from the more conservative-leaning folks in my real life, that I’ve closed myself off to my book friends, and that’s lame as hell. I’m naturally introverted and shy, which I know many of you can relate to, so I understand the relief of seeing a friendly face at a signing or just in your news feed here and there. So I guess what I’m saying is, expect to see more of me this time around! (Like it or not! LOL)
With that, I’ll let you all go… for now. Thanks for reading.
❤ Lila
Author Lila Vale 