Hey, friends! I do in fact LIVE. And I’m poking my head in from my hiatus for a little life update and to announce some exciting upcoming things.

Whew. It’s been quite the past couple of months.

In my last post, I mentioned that I needed mitral valve replacement surgery. I am very happy to say that is over and done with! I had surgery on July 19th and have been recovering ever since. It wasn’t all smooth sailing, but God was so good through it all. Strangely, the surgery itself was the easy part. I felt so much peace from God for the build-up and as I was wheeled out to the surgery room. So really not strange at all. Just God. 💛 It was the recovery itself and many days in the hospital that wasn’t exactly a walk in the park.

The hardest part was, due to complications, I had to get a pacemaker put in a few days after the initial surgery. It was very unexpected and discouraging news, and it’s taken some time to adjust to. I’ve had to process the fact that I have a pacemaker, but slowly it’s setting in and I’m learning to be friends with the thing instead of being grumpy about having it in there. 😅 It should enhance my lifestyle a lot as it does keep my heart beating the way it should and really isn’t that invasive. It’s just taking some time to adjust.

I’ve also been having symptoms of afib which was worrisome news. BUT these things do sometimes happen after this kind of surgery and the doctors suspect after some time it will all straighten out. So just been praying extra hard that that will be the case.

Complications aside, the mitral valve itself is repaired and my heart is doing much better. That poor mitral valve was severely damaged and had to be fixed, no matter what else. And I’ve been told I don’t have to limit myself. Though recovery takes time, nothing I do should harm my heart and I can be as active as I wish once the initial first few weeks of healing are past. Being as how I’ve been somewhat told the opposite all my life, that was incredible news to hear.

I’m still processing that fact, quite honestly.

I’m still processing quite a lot. This entire experience has put my emotions through the wringer. Really, this whole year. I’ve been navigating the curious space between mourning and praising. There is so much to praise right now, and on the hard days, I kept feeling like I was ungrateful. What right do I have to be sad when I’m here and it’s over with? But the fact of the matter is, it was hard. It still is. I’m still recovering, still experiencing complications, have no certainty they’ll go away, still having to limit myself and rest a lot while healing. And though things are much better, that doesn’t mean I have to just discount the difficulties.

I’m realizing it’s so important to allow ourselves tears. To grieve and mourn and process through whatever emotions come. This whole thing put my emotions on a rollercoaster, and I’ve been feeling things I never expected. But if I don’t let myself just feel it all (as I’m wont to do), they’ll only build up.

Through all of this, I’ve learned that it is okay to mourn and praise at the same time. The days of mourning do not take away from the gratitude. They can co-exist.

It’s been a hard year, and it’s okay to mourn that. But there have been so many miracles and healing, and I will continuously be praising God for all of it.

I’ve still got a ways to go. Healing from this is slow, but I feel stronger bit by bit. And that I am very grateful for.

I’m excitedly looking to the future, friends! 🙌

While we’re on the subject of the future…

Fall is rapidly approaching (and I’m not sad about that fact one tiny bit), and with fall comes some exciting thiiiings.

KNOW THE NOVEL

I absolutely plan on hosting Know the Novel again this year. It’s one of my favorite things I do here on the blog and couldn’t possibly miss a year.

If you’re new, Know the Novel is a 3-part blog tag for writers I host for the final three months of the year. Each month I post ten questions for you to take and answer on your blog or other social media. The first month’s set focuses on what your WIP is about, the second on how the writing is going, and the third looks at the results of the writing and what’s next.

Since many of us are tackling new writing projects around this time of year with all the writing challenges that crop up, it’s a super fun way to share your current/upcoming WIP with your followers.

The first part will be going up at the beginning of October, so keep your eyes peeled for that!

And speaking of writing challenges…

Fall’s Fiction Frenzy Writing Challenge is Returning!

The Fiction Frenzy Writing Challenge a.k.a. FicFrenzy will absolutely be happening again this fall. I know I’ve been woefully absent lately, but never fear! The big fall event will be running as normal.

What is FicFrenzy?

I’m so glad you asked!

(Please just humor me and pretend you did ask.)

FicFrenzy is a seasonal virtual writing event that takes place over on its designated Discord server. The spring, summer, and fall events each run for about a month and encourage participants to set their own writing goals, with the Discord group there to gather together and encourage one another, do wordsprints, talk all the ups and downs of writing and everything else under the sun, and take breaks to share cute pictures of our fur babies (because sometimes you just need a picture of a cat when you’re in the throes of the writing woes, it’s science).

Though there are only three events during the year, the Discord group itself is open year-round! So whether you want to join in on the events or are just looking for a fun and motivating writing group, we are here for you!

Fall’s event is quickly approaching! It runs from…

OCTOBER 15 – NOVEMBER 15

And I would be thrilled to have you along. Just click the button below for the easy instructions on how to join the Discord group! 👇

MY FALL PLANS

What are my plans this fall? That is the question.

Due to life and my physical health taking a hit, last year I didn’t heavily join in on FicFrenzy like I normally would. It was the first time in 14 years I didn’t write the whole first draft of a book during the fall. At the time, it was needed, but goodness…I miss it. I miss that crazed rush of writing like mad and far too late nights and too much caffeine and questioning my life choices and then collapsing in December and seeing that I had a novel. It’s insane. And I love it.

So this year? This year I’d like to try.

Since I am, in fact, recovering from surgery, I maaay need to take it a bit easier than I usually do. 🙈 But I am feeling that drive to create again, and right now while life is slow, this seems like a great time to get some words down as I can.

And I just so happened to be attacked by a novel idea literally a couple of weeks ago. I haven’t had an idea come to me this fast and easily in…a long time. And it just feels like it can’t be ignored, especially not when it appeared right at the cusp of FicFrenzy season.

So I hope to write this fall.

I may still not be quite as active here on the blog and Instagram as I usually am during this season. I do still need to take care of myself. 😅 I haven’t fully decided how I’ll handle it all, but regardless, the hopeful goal is to just get some words down, whatever that looks like.

And I am very, very excited.

With surgery behind me and my heart healing, as I said, I’ve been really looking to the future, and it is an amazing feeling.

I feel like there is so much I can say. I’m still processing. Still healing and growing from it all. This has been quite the growing experience, I will be honest, and sometimes growing is painful. 😅 But it’s good.

As things settle in my mind, I hope to share what I’ve been learning here or on Instagram, but I have been opening up more in my newsletters. That’s usually the first place I share news and get more open and vulnerable, and I in fact have August’s newsletter going out Thursday (September 5)! So if you want a deeper look into my journey (plus regular writing updates and recs from what all I’ve been watching and reading!), you can sign up HERE! I’d be honored to have you along. 💛

And before I close this random post, I have to give a giant THANK YOU! My goodness, guys, the love and support I have received during this difficult journey has blown. me. away. The messages, the cards, the prayers, the care packages—I cannot even begin to express how deeply it has all touched me. One day fairly soon after I came home from the hospital, I was just sitting on my floor crying as I opened cards from people and had the dearest messages waiting for me in my inbox and DMs and texts. I was just overcome with how loved I felt.

Thank you all, from the bottom of my (newly repaired) heart. You have each lifted me up when I was struggling to stand, and I cannot thank you enough. 😭💕

Goodness, have I missed you all! I know I’ve been pretty much non-existent lately (for a while there, using a screen for long really wiped me out physically, alas, but that’s finally improving), so TALK TO ME. How are you? How was your summer? Are you excited about fall? Will you be joining FiicFrenzy or another fall writing challenge?? I want to hear all about it!