I haven't felt much like a romance author this year. I published Designed by Destiny in November of 2022—hence the big birthday celebration this week—but for most of 2023, I've been MIA. Well, not exactly missing... but definitely out of the action. For 17 days in January, February, March, and May, I attended my Canadian Human Rights Tribunal (CHRT) Hearing.
January 17, 18, 19, 24, 25, 26, 31
February 1, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 21
March 28
May 19
After eight years, I finally got my hearing. And it was tough. The toughest thing I've ever experienced, and I had two babies without drugs. << lol >> Even when the hearing was over, and it's been almost 6 months now, I couldn't write. I had this horrible stomach issue (which started during the hearing) which was later diagnosed in August as ulcerative colitis. I was really sick. I had to lie down almost all the time. I couldn't eat and lost a ton of weight—not the way I'd recommend going.
Then, I decided to get serious about my non-fiction—the memoir I'm writing about my ten-year ordeal, including the hearing. It's in progress, currently at about 80k. Working on my non-fiction is therapeutic in processing the trauma that was the hearing and the re-traumatization from participating in the hearing, but working on the non-fiction means I'm not writing romance. My hope was to finish at least the first draft of my non-fiction so I could get back to Fairy Godmothers, Incorporated, but the going is slower than I'd like—even writing about it is super stressful. Re-reading the transcripts is re-traumatizing. I have a lot of "that happened?!?" moments; it seems so unreal. How could this happen to me? How did something so simple end up getting so complicated? For those very reasons, I am writing my story.
In the meantime, I'll switch gears for a moment. First of all, to wish my book Designed by Destiny a Happy Book Birthday! Designed by Destiny is my 7th published book and the first in the Fairy Godmothers, Incorporated series (that I intend to be a trilogy). Secondly, Designed by Destiny is on sale, just 99c until November 17, and RABT Book Tours and PR is running a blitz and giveaway for me tomorrow.
Now, I feel a bit more like a romance author. I wrote this book (Designed by Destiny), and it's on sale. It would make my day (my week, and my year—get the reference?) if you bought a copy. Stay tuned for the Book Blitz happening tomorrow... there's a $25 Amazon Gift Card up for grabs!
