Goodbye, Oklahoma. Hello, New Chapter.

IMG_20181115_153602_102.jpg

Hello readers, and greetings from the beautiful Arkansas Ozarks, which is where we live now! How we ended up here is a long story, and I may tell it some day, but I can tell you that this particular corner of North Arkansas is not somewhere either of us ever expected to end up. Be that as it may, I’m kind of loving it here.

Here is a modest home on nearly 40 acres, most of which consist of a heavily-wooded side of a small mountain (my husband, who has spent considerably more time in the Rockies and the California mountains, insists on calling the Ozarks hills, but whatever), miles and miles from civilization unless you count a tiny post office and volunteer fire station up the road. Since moving in we’ve seen about a dozen deer in our yard and about half as many wild turkey, as well as a ‘possum and a couple of chipmunks. We have NOT seen any bears, but they supposedly live around here, so we don’t go outside without pepper spray, and we don’t let our tiny dog roam off leash.

IMG_20181117_143956_193

As for the great indoors, I’m back to having my very own office (and craft room) again. This week has been the first time I’ve had the mental wherewithal to actually put it to use getting any writing done, and so far so good. My hope is that living here will provide some badly-needed stability, especially following a crazy couple of years that included three moves, and I’ll be able to focus and get a ton of writing done.

1126181325.jpg

Which would be great, especially seeing as how my writing projects have been on hold since we started prepping for this move. It’s hard to believe that was back in October. It feels like much longer. It feels like my last post here, which was on Halloween, was posted approximately 93 years ago, and it hasn’t even been a whole month.

At any rate, although the holidays aren’t making it easy, I’m slowly but surely getting my writing life back on track. I’m back at it going over my editor’s edits on Dominion, the new version of which I want to get published ASAP, and then I can get started on revising the sequel I wrote 350 years ago–or this summer, I guess, if the calendar isn’t lying to me.

I also wrote a non-fiction book and most of an e-course shortly before the move, so I’m juggling my fiction projects with those right now. The unpredictability of this year has made me wary of boldly stating my plans, or even my hopes, but I’m crossing my fingers and praying that 2019 will be free of major setbacks and I’ll be able to finally complete the Damned trilogy, as well as another short story collection, and also draft a YA gothic horror that’s eating my brain.

Of course, I’ve got to do all of this while helping my husband sloooowly unpack and maintain this house and property, and maybe possibly actually attempt some of the more domestic pursuits I keep pinning on Pinterest (like making soup, which I’ve actually done! Twice, even!), because somehow I’m not happy unless I’ve got too much to do and I’m driving myself insane.

IMG_20181113_163518_308.jpg

In other news, the pets are adjusting well–our kitty, Boudicca, is probably the happiest of all of us to be out of the travel trailer we lived in for the last eight months. Pete, our Chihuahua, is also adjusting well, although he’s still being a little extra-needy. Thankfully, the stress of this move doesn’t seem to have placed any added strain on his health. We got him a full checkup shortly before we moved, and all things considered, he’s doing well. All of his meds are doing a good job of keeping his heart and lungs functioning properly. We still need to find a local–“local” in these parts being within a 50-mile radius–vet and get him established there in case of any emergencies, though.

IMG_20181116_091908_790.jpg

1124180817b_Film1.jpg

This is a big adjustment for everyone, and I think it will take me a while to get used to the idea that I don’t live in Oklahoma anymore, for the first time ever. Does that make me an Ozarklahoman? I guess we won’t be official Arkansans until we get our driver’s licenses switched over. Is that how it works? Like I said, minus the last few weeks, I’ve lived my entire life in Oklahoma, so I don’t know what all is involved in setting up a new life in another state. Although I guess I’m gradually finding out.