Greetings, all! It has been an eventful couple of weeks since my last post. I have been working tirelessly on my newest piece, Mother Mine as well as reading pretty steadily. I’ve gotten through some good books, and have also hit a string of rather “not for me” DNF titles that went straight to my eBay store (https://ebay.us/m/9MEKYC for anyone who wants to check out my long list of titles and merch). That’s one of the things about thrifting and being addicted to buying books and giving them a new home – sometimes you can’t tell they aren’t quite for you based just on the description on the jacket.

In reality, a lot of life is like that. You look at certain experiences, foods, events, places to go, and so on, and think “man, this seems right up my alley.” Then, once you get there, once you have your hands immersed in that thing or event you realize that it isn’t all you thought it would be. It’s hard to accept that something you thought you wanted is not quite it, but sometimes it really is for the best.

I’ve had plenty of things that fit that bill. Getting closure on my dad’s abandonment, working in the theatre program at my school, and going to bed early, to name a few. The thing about diving into those things, or at least the search for them, is that I allowed myself a chance. Just like reading those books that might sound cool on a whim, trying new things is important. Giving yourself over to new experiences, getting a bit of vulnerability in the day-to-day, is irrevocably important for personal growth.

What it really boils down to a lot of the time is a mix of being willing to admit that you are not already at your absolute best (who among us has no hopes of a better job, more travel, a better salary, etc.) and being willing to leave your comfort zone to get to that higher level of existence. It’s wild when you think about it. Waking up in the morning and knowing that you want to do something new, even if it may not necessarily turn out to be “better” is beautifully freeing.

You have to be willing to turn things around in life. Read the book that may not be in your preferred genre, travel to a new place or in a new way, break into new experiences and new modes of life. Don’t ever limit yourself to what you know, or what you already have. That’s not to say that you need to dig into your subconscious and find things to be unhappy about. If you can’t think of anything new you want, even if it’s just a new recipe or a new pair of pants, then maybe you HAVE already reached that new level of personal enlightenment. And that’s nothing to turn your nose up at.

As mentioned before, I’ve been working on Mother Mine, and it is going swimmingly. I broke into a second notebook yesterday and am in the midst of a scene that gives me chills. There’s something special about this one (which I think about all of my books/stories/poems, but that’s beside the point). I look very forward to sharing it with you all ASAP.

Regarding this entire post and the future element I mentioned in my title, we have been looking into new events to try selling my wares at. Amanda is the best manager, of course, and she has helped find tons of horror, fantasy, book, and nerd-themed events around us that look like great places to take my work. I’ve only been doing closer events, mostly themed around Appalachian crafts, etc., and, as awesome as that is, it doesn’t exactly open up the full potential for finding my audience. My hope is that jumping in on these horror-themed events will bring a larger audience to my writing and really get my name out there. As I get confirmation on these events, I will be updating my events page on my website, and I’d love to have as many people who read my blog come out and meet me, say hello, grab a book, and just chat about all things horror and awesome. Immense thanks to my awesome wife for her continued encouragement, and to everyone who has been supportive of my writing. Knowing I have people in my corner who understand and encourage my calling is something I call on any time I feel down about not riding the bestseller list yet. I know that God’s purpose for my life is writing, and the spread of my work and my name are about His timeline, not my own.

So, I am going to use the second snow day of this week to write more, to look at and apply for more events, and to write a new round of letters for my pen pal group. The group, although slowing in momentum a touch, is still a great experience. I love writing letters to people from as far and wide as possible, chatting about how life goes, and doing anything to break away from the world of instant gratification that has taken away the intimacy and importance of things like letter writing and written communication. Anyone interested in joining the group, please check us out on Facebook and write letters to anyone and everyone you’d like. You can go to the page here. If you want to allow everyone on the page to write to you, feel free to leave your address in the pinned comment at the top of the page, but if you want to be selective about who you communicate with, just look through that list and pick people who match your interests, etc. With luck, this group will go international and allow us to have real, classic pen pal communication. I’d love to reach out and talk to people all around the globe, so by all means, please help me do that. If you love literature, horror, fantasy, food, travel, photography, and life in general, write me! Let’s kick letter writing back into one of the most cherished forms of communication.

In the meantime, everyone, I challenge you all to do at least one new thing this week. Let yourself embrace the fun in life. And if anyone tries to get in the way, just laugh them off while you grow and live. It’ll be worth it.