The Dreaded social media return

I have a top secret project coming out.

But before I get to that, I have to explain how we got here.

Every few months I realize how much I loathe being on social media. 

Perhaps loathe is too strong a word. 

I loathe the performative nature of social media, the way it sucks me in and bleeds me dry. The balance between subscribing to the brutal landscape that is competing with everyone else’s parade of success and trying to be both authentic and yet disgustingly catered to what the algorithm wants. None of these things are inherently natural. To share every aspect of our lives, but again, only certain things that will be well received to maintain followers and numbers. 

And then at the end of the day, all I end up doing is scrolling mindlessly. If you’re someone who doesn’t doom-scroll, you’re a better person than I. Before I deleted the Instagram app this time, I realized I was coming home and sitting on the couch, scrolling. Then, it would suddenly be 10PM and I needed to get to bed. Nothing had been accomplished, which is fine, because in this world we must often remind ourselves that we do not always need to be accomplishing/doing. However, it feels like a void of falsities. 

Like this post, share this reel, respond to that message,acknowledge, engage, acknowledge, engage. It never ends. 

It’s in those moments where I realize how much I hate it. 

And unfortunately I do have to return, because in this world, you must always be part of the turning gears of the ever-changing algorithm. I think I speak for most creatives when I say that constantly coming up with witty one-liners, captivating posts, and churning out utter tripe effectively slaughters the creativity within us. How can I find time to submerge myself in writing when I am worrying about having posted enough this week to keep the algo happy? 

It’s a balance that this libra has yet to figure out. So I throw myself into it while I can, then when I find myself drowning in the bullshit, I leave completely. 

And while things are not perfect in my life outside of the IG/Internet space, they got better while I was off Instagram. So, to end this in a positive (and yes, I’ll probably download the dreaded app again soon to market Blood Queen), I’ll tell you what I’ve been up to over the past few weeks.

I worked out almost every morning. Rather than losing track of time to scrolling, I put my body and health first. And god damn it feels good to do that again. 

I insured my motorcycle (Green Bean ™) and then it rained for fourteen days straight. 

I read the following books: The Tongue is Sharp (an anthology of feminine rage, features my short story “This Foul Heart”), Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins (utter heartbreak), Yellowface by R.F. Kuang (omg so meta, on brand for sure), Wool by Hugh Howey (hard sci-fi, not usually my thing, but I will probably read the rest of the series out of completist behaviour), Milk and Honey by Rupi Kuar (love love love, please recommend me poetry books), Until The World Falls Down by Jordan Lynde (buddy reading with Kate, my love).

I spent time with friends and family, I attended morning farmer’s markets, I wrote. My god it’s been a while since I felt the ability to write. It’s utter tripe, but at least I’m writing again. Something about publishing and marketing and being a face rather than an isolated feral creature with a laptop really kills the desire. 

Which leads me into my secret project, sorry it took so long. No, I will not be telling you the title or revealing much at this point. This year I will be shifting gears, as I mentioned in a previous blog post. But it’ll be a whole new branding for me. Later this year, sometime in the summer, I will be publishing a chicklit/romcom - currently it is a standalone, but with the novel I’m actively working on, there will likely be some crossover with characters going forward. 

But the biggest thing with this change is that I will be self-publishing. I want to take back the autonomy, allow myself to work at my own pace, market how and when works for me. Having a few friends in the romance game, I’ve had a slew of support (looking at you, Dove Cavanaugh-King), that has led me to understanding some of the more difficult parts of self-publishing. Finding covers, editors, support groups, formatting programs. Too often in this world of writing, everyone is hush hush about their process. They’re scared of sharing in case it helps someone else become successful. But one person’s success does not mean another’s failure. I never understood the gatekeeping…

So, this chicklit/romcom will be coming out this summer. I have an amazing cover (stay tuned, reveals will come in June), my editor Nicole Simpson did a stellar job, I’m working on formatting and interior design right now, and of course I’ve adjusted my website a bit to find a balance between dark fantasy and this new trajectory. 

I will be seeking ARC readers in the future, so if a romcom with a focus on sexual health sounds like your thing, reach out. 

xo