Sunday Smatterings
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Happy Valentine’s Day, friends!
I don’t usually name these Smatterings essays, but this one I am calling Scatterbrained.
Y’all. It has been a frustrating week. I’d feel sorry for myself if it was just me, but wow, I am hearing from all corners of my world that EVERYONE has been struggling. It’s like we’ve all been gifted with a kind of myopia that only lets us see half the picture. Half of email headers. Half of file generation. Half of uploads. Half of, well... everything.
I’ve been having computer issues on top of it all. While I have a nice but old iMac, for years, I’ve done the vast majority of my work on a laptop. Over the summer, because I had to do a massive edit on HER DARK LIES that needed a large screen with the two manuscript files open side by side, I set up the iMac on the kitchen table and dang if I didn’t get used to the big screen. Now the laptop feels cramped, but it works lightyears faster. Problem is, my poor iMac is acting up. Dragging. Lagging. Freezing. I’ve run every diagnostic in the book, updated every bit of software, but it’s still unable to do more than one thing at a time. I’ve lost hours these past few weeks trying to nurse it along. I’m going to pop in some extra memory and if that doesn’t work, it’s to the refurbished Apple site I go.
I think what’s happening is bigger, though. It’s not only our electronics or personal distractions.
We’re coming up on a year of COVID restrictions. We are not creatures meant for extended isolation. Our bodies can’t cope with a constant state of fight or flight. Our minds can’t segment themselves properly to pay attention to the myriad issues we’re trying to handle every day.
This is bigger than stress. This is an unprecedented shift in our day-to-day lives. Evolution is just that— evolving. By its very nature, it is a slow-going process. It’s part of why there are so many food allergies now— our bodies haven’t evolved as quickly as the technology that alters much of our food base.
This Valentine’s weekend, I highly recommend everyone take a breath. Take a step back. Take a few hours to yourself, if at all possible. Do something you love. Do something that makes you happy. Do something from “before” that you haven’t allowed yourself to indulge in because you’re too busy and stressed dealing with the demands of “right now.”
Wishing you a lovely holiday and a better week ahead. Give that To Do list a rest for the day, okay?
Onward!
HER DARK LIES IS COMING MARCH 9!
Did you see the news? I’ll be seeing you virtually for the HER DARK LIES bookstore tour! I can't wait to hang out with my brilliant friends Allison Brennan, Lisa Unger, Helen Ellis, and Lisa Gardner. These incredible women are going to shepherd me through release week and I could not be more grateful and excited. Many thanks to Parnassus Books, Writer’s Block Bookstore, Murder By The Book, Mysterious Galaxy, and Page 158 Books for hosting us. It's going to be a blast!
Be sure to keep an eye on the Events page because there’s more fun stuff ahead.
Preorder your copy of HER DARK LIES today!
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Related: 15 Of The Best YA Thriller Books To Read.
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That’s it from me. Here’s a big fat virtual hug from me to you. I’ll see you next Sunday!
Peace and hugs,
J.T.
