Last night I took the trash out well after dark, and did not get attacked by a werewolf, Bigfoot, or other unknown cryptid, and I'm mostly relieved but also a little disappointed.

Found evidence of Muffin secretly making ramen in the middle of the night. The same child who leaves his socks in the middle of the floor rinsed out the pan and tidied up the counter. HUH?!

There were holes in my toast. Making it...wait for it...holy bread.

Also cheering for myself because I HAVE MY OWN SHELF at the local indie bookstore.

Hear ye, hear ye, I went to the bookstore to order a lot of manga for the child and did NOT buy a single thing for myself, PLEASE CLAP.

Did you people ever consider that Bigfoot WANTS to be alone in the woods???

Welp, I accidentally disappeared from here again. In my defense, I did have surgery. (Doing pretty well healing up, btw.)

Cat: "Mrrow?" Me: "Alex!" Cat: "Mrrow??" Me: "Alex! Over here, baby!" Cat: "M-rr-oww?!" Me: GOOD GOD. FOLLOW THE SOUND OF MY VOICE, CHILD. I AM LITERALLY ONE ROOM AWAY FROM YOU.

Me: buys parfait from cafe for later Parfait: hangs out in my bag Me: Panickedly throws parfait into fridge Parfait: layers begin to congeal, then separate again Me now: opens container, frowns at results Me: stirs parfait a lot Me: frowns at new results Me: stirs MORE

Holy cow, Del Toro's Frankenstein is so good. The only version I've seen that actually follows the book. (Yes, I have read part of the book; I went to high school.) The author's intended sympathy for the creature absolutely shines through.

Wow, I really haven't been here much! Gonna try again to expand my SM circles, so...if you're into fantasy fiction, cats, lighthearted silliness, and the occasional scream into the void, say hi!

Hey, @adamholcombe.bountyink.com, I just finished Nugget's Tenth Life, and holy wow and unexpected tears! For a little story about an undead street cat, it sure packs a punch! 10/10.

@tonyfleecs.bsky.social, my 10-year-old started Feral Volume 1 GN a few weeks ago rather uncertainly, but I encouraged him to keep going, and after finishing it, he has declared, "We need to order Volume 2!"

Muffin's screen name for YouTube is Wolfking. There's a new kids' show on Netflix called The Wolf King. My child is not amused. 😂

"Life is just a series of endless loops." - White Fang, 2025 (We drove straight past our last stop on errands, and I had to make a sudden left turn, sending us back the way we'd already come.)

So...I did a thing...

So...I did a thing...

Since January, we've been using an old towel as an extra (for snow and grit) doormat. Alex the cat has decided it's his personal security blanket/toy/way to prevent the apocalypse. What is he going to do when spring arrives and I stop setting it down???

Some new people are finding me lately! Thank you! I'm not here super a lot, but I still aim to engage and be kind!

After an unexpected expense, I am back to square one on saving up for bucket-list concert tickets. 😓

As a former library aide: If you're showcasing books for Black History Month, PLEASE make sure the authors you feature *are* POC, especially when it comes to non-fiction. Just a tip for building bridges for the next generation.

I need you to know that you are loved even when you feel like you’re best isn’t enough. You are doing the best you can with with the energy you can muster. Just don’t give up. Look for the light in the darkness.

Good grief, are CSAs normally so expensive? I can't afford $400 ($200 up front!) for one bundle of vegetables every other week!

I don't know if I can say it out loud yet. Maybe I can type it. My dad passed away on Friday. I am not okay. But I also...sort of...am? I'm a work in progress. And a mess. Tell your special people you love them.

So... Yeah. The end came early this morning.

Happy Caturday from Alex the black cat, who wants you all to know that he beat my improvised doormat into submission, and successfully averted Towelgeddon.

Instead of making resolutions for next year, I'm going to revisit the "Renfield" support group mantra. I am enough. I have enough. I deserve happiness.

So, yeah, I've been quiet here (again). The short version is my dad has entered what will realistically be end of life services. His health - which was never great - took a definite turn for the worse a couple of weeks ago. So, yeah, I'm kind of quiet here right now.

This is a complicated year for me, but I do hope all of your holidays are fun!

Narrator: Although she knew it was ill-advised, she decided to wait until the Saturday before Christmas to go back to Target. Me: "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH" Narrator: She couldn't have put it into words, but this was exactly why she'd been saving that bottle of wine.

New blog post! Some excellent TBR material on this list! daleydowning.wordpress.com/2024/12/19/a...

Yes, I have slipped away from here again. The short version is my dad's in the hospital again, and I found out in the midst of an already busy week with many scheduled things, so the brainpower for posting witty and engaging words vanished. I'll be back, I promise.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA *deep breath* HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

If you need a holiday gift for the cozy fantasy reader in your life, digital editions of my series is available for the price of two fancy coffees! asapimagination.com/collections/...

Honestly, I don't want it to be December. Right now I am not feeling much holiday spirit. Unless, by spirit, you mean bah humbug.

Me: "I swear I will post about writing today!" My brain: "But what if no one wants to hear about a non-violent vampire character snapshot that's been interrupted 17 times by appointments and holidays and cat?" Well...I posted about writing.

It needs to be said over and over because it’s really important: if you read an indie novel/comic, play an indie game/visual novel, etc. and you enjoyed it, one of the best ways to help the creator is to tell people about it! Leave reviews, tell your friends. Every little bit helps us so much!

Is there such a thing as a December 1st resolution? Because I...think I've just made it.

To everyone celebrating a holiday, or just trying to survive a we-do-this-every-year-so-why-not-I-guess today, you got this.

Does this place throttle links the same way the other place does? This is a show that I cohost and we just released a new episode! youtu.be/mC8iKTkkyfg?...

When life gives you cheesy hold music... Make up a cheesy hold music dance.

There is no power on earth for authors like word of mouth. Especially with the death of Twitter, so many of us have lost huge chunks of our reach. So please, if you love a book, tell your friends and talk it up on your social media. No voice is too small, every single word counts. And thank you!

Hey, everyone, if you've read my books and post reviews, I'd really appreciate you considering doing that! (I did a quick check on GR yesterday, and my most "recent" reviews were from, like, 2021.)

To the snarky college student DJ who put "Friday I'm in Love" on the radio station at 8 a.m. on a Monday... YOU. ARE. AWESOME.

Can I interest you in some cozy fantasy with non-dysfunctional families, talking animals, and benevolent secret organizations? asapimagination.com/collections/...

I may look normal on the outside, but inside I'm just 17 primal screams swirling within a barely contained void.

First snow day of the season. Muffin has gone out to play. I am trying to relish in the soft quiet of the gently falling white stuff.

I will never not cry at the end of Supernatural Season 2, Episode 17, "Heart."

Seriously, I am trying to post more here. One of these days, I swear I will post something writing-related. There are plenty of times, unfortunately, when the right combination of witty, charming, and humorous words just won't come.