Southern Discomfort has arrived!
A note out of hiatus
Hey y’all! I wasn’t expecting to send out a newsletter for Southern Discomfort’s release, but I thought I’d use it to check in.
Grab your copy of Southern Discomfort
It’s still in the process of publishing to all retailers, so check back at this link in case your preferred retailer isn’t live yet.
While it’s showing up as published on Amazon, last I checked it’s being a little wonky for some reason and not displaying the cover.
Reminder that only the ebook will be available for Southern Discomfort.
You can also add it to your Goodreads here!
Not purchasing books right now but read Southern Discomfort in The Tales of the Scorned? Sharing about it on social media and/or leaving a review on any platform would be super helpful and appreciated!
How hiatus is going
Honestly, I’m so relieved to have formally announced a hiatus at this time. It’s given me the brain space to think, journal, and rest. Focus on my health like I wanted. I have so many doctors appointments between this month and next that I’m sick of ‘em. But it means I’m getting things done and taking care of myself, and we’ll count that as a major win.
I’m still working on writing projects here and there, per usual. Since hanging up the business hat, I had a sudden surge of old ideas percolate to the top and finally making sense when they hadn’t previously. I wrote the first few paragraphs of a brand new story and I’m playing around with it here and there as I’m inspired. I reread Nobody’s Darlin’ by Sarah Blue, am at the tail end of a Sons of Anarchy rewatch, and have an insatiable itch for MC omegaverse that can’t be scratched enough right now, so I’m stoked to finally have a solid omegaverse idea to play with since omegaverse is one of my favorite genres to read. Granted, my version of an MC for this story isn’t anywhere near violent or dark since I prefer my omegaverses fluffy, but still – tattooed dudes on motorcycles and lots of sex soothes the soul.
I’ve had a few realizations as I’ve let Aurora lie dormant. I’m not the same person I was when Aurora Graves was birthed, so a lot has changed and her skin feels restrictive, like I’ve outgrown her.
Southern Gothic will always be home, but I’m not much of a horror person anymore (I’ve been avoiding horror altogether for the past two plus years). It’s no secret I don’t like dark romance, and it bothers me being lumped into the genre and I guess writing it when I don’t like it, nor read it. It bothers me trying to force myself to write within genres that I’m no longer interested in because, while it’s hella nice to make a few bucks from my writing, money isn’t my motivator to put ideas on the page. While I can consume and write dark fiction… I don’t want to, and I haven’t wanted to for a very long time now.
Long and short of it: a new pen name is in order. Not to say I’m abandoning Aurora Graves entirely; she’s still gonna be here in a better-fitting genre (paranormal romance – many of my best ideas are PNR!) and in case I ever come back around to writing more on the dark side. However, I’ve always said to myself that if and when I start a new pen name, I’d take the time to do things right, have a few books lined up first before going all in.
I’m not too sure if any of this will matter in another year or two, anyway. How can I think that far ahead when our sense of normalcy has been obliterated for the foreseeable future?
Because real life can’t be ignored…
Straight up: shit is scary right now. Downright terrifying.
I might live in a red state, but the national death squad is still present here, and detention camps are nearby. I think there’s a new one being built within San Antonio city limits. A friend of mine literally sent me a fresh video of someone in our hometown being “detained” as I wrote this newsletter. There have been checkpoints and reports of abductions all around me and way too close to my friends and family.
The law of the land is clearly being ignored, but I think it’s still important we know and review our constitutional rights to keep them fresh in our minds.
I implore y’all to get familiar with your state laws, whether you live in a stand your ground or duty to retreat state (do your due diligence and crosscheck legislation directly with state government; this link is simply as a starting point for reference). Do what you can to protect yourselves and your loved ones. It is your right and obligation.
Privacy is paramount. Pay very careful attention to the terms of service and privacy policies you agree to when downloading apps and using websites and software. Research ways to improve your digital privacy and determine what your priorities are with it because you can’t do it all without losing your mind. Take time to review your social media usage, see if there are better alternatives or if you can skip it altogether. The more analog or offline we can get with our lives, the better.
Double and triple check information and its sources. There have been instances of AI creating false videos, bots being used to sew further discord online.
Report sightings and let your loved ones know. This website, Facebook groups, and local subreddits all have folks reporting in.
Perhaps most importantly, figure out who your local community is and become friendly and familiar with them. It’s become very clear that now, more than ever, we need to rely as much on ourselves as we possibly can. I know this line item can be difficult for a lot of us who have moved away or cut ties and may have our most substantial relationships online, and that’s valid. I think humanity has come to a crossroads with the internet, however, and it’s becoming important to connect with our immediate locale.
What helped me being far away from my main community was shopping locally, checking out local farms on Local Harvest and signing up for a community-supported agriculture membership, and signing up for my local library’s email newsletter and checking out what events were happening. These were an “in” to my new local community without feeling hella awkward or like I didn’t belong because we all need to shop for necessities, we all need to eat, and the library serves the community. It surprised me how much the library had going on, including events and classes on stuff that I’ve been interested in picking up like sewing and gardening!
Thank you for being here and supporting my author journey through its highs and lows. No matter where you are, I hope your belly is full, your home warm when it’s cold outside and cool when it’s hot out, and that you’re staying safe. Next time I check in, I hope I’ll have some good news for y’all with my next pen name and/or book.
Stay fucked, y’all.