I participated in my very first book club as an author for my short story collection Hard Skin last Saturday. It was hosted by my husband’s aunt who has been a member of this book club for over twenty years. Having readers who live in Hawai’i but are not native offered me an opportunity to talk about the themes, imagery and characters in my stories with people who are both inside and the culture and not. It was a good but surreal experience. I am grateful to them! Here’s a picture of us!

If anyone out there would like to talk to me about my book(s), I am always open to sharing space with you!

This week my braided flash “Grogu Doesn’t Need a Sippy Cup” was published in Cotton Xenomorph! I am so happy they accepted it. I think it’s the perfect home for it. It’s a mix of my styles of writing… a little bit of pop culture, a little bit of my current life, a little bit of Hawai’i. I am so grateful for its publication.

Finally, I want to talk about my burnout.

I have mentioned before that I take on a lot of challenges and daily tasks. The ukulele challenge in September and the summer workshop I was in both left me feeling like I was just tired of writing and of playing the ukulele so as a treat to myself I took a break from both during October.

Then, November rolled in and I couldn’t bring myself to participate in NaNoWriMo or Flash Nano (even thought I know Flash Nano is definitely doable). Something inside me said no so I decided to listen to that voice and honor it.

So, I decided to replay Read Dead Redemption 2. I needed to be immersed in someone else’s narrative, and honestly, it’s a gorgeous game with interesting character development. The side missions are by far my favorite - so I like to push off the main narrative for as long as possible.

I will write when I feel the urge too but right now I need space, hopefully riding my white Arabian through rolling prairie lands, swampy bayous, and wintry mountains (and eventually sandy deserts).

I would also like to celebrate my recent acceptance at Parentheses Journal!! Thank you!

I leave you with light and love and rest. Take care of yourselves!