December 2025

Hey Friend!

Can you believe that it’s December already? I can’t. It feels like just yesterday that we were starting this year with big dreams and hopes and getting to know each other. Now here we are, nearly finished with another year. Goals finished (or not), dreams achieved (or not) and hopeful (or not). And we do know each other a little better. Just a bit. However you’re feeling at the moment, is totally valid.

I find myself waffling. Some days I feel good and hopeful and ready for the next step. Other days I feel hopeless and bad about myself, like I’ve failed.

The truth is, no matter what we do. No matter how much we succeed, we’ll probably always be waffling. It’s human nature, we don’t go into true stasis for the rest of our lives, things shift and change, like the seasons. And we do what we can to help these little shifts to make us a tiny bit happier. Or just a bit more ready.

I, for one, put up my holiday lights and tree on November 1st (yes, I’m one of those), and I’ve been enjoying the bit of magic this season has to offer. The glittering lights. The happy music. The ornaments that remind me of the year gone by. As we head into December and begin to set goals for 2026, I hope you take a little magic with you. The spirit of hope, gratitude and care is with you.

Wishing you a quiet and restful December.

Resources:

• Mutual Aid Hub

• Find Help

• Fridge Finder

• Free Formula Finder

• 988 Crisis Hotline

It’s tiiiiiiimmmmmmmme…nearly. I’ve spent November focused on line edits for WSMS. I’m getting pumped about querying in January. I still need to get my query letter, synopsis and crystalized pitch together but I’m still excited.

I’m also being haunted by what I hope will be my next long form project. I’m envisioning two women who grew up together until they were about 15 and then had separate lives coming back together. Not sure where it goes beyond that.

Goals Review:

• Write Shorts/Novelettes: 5/5 ✅

• Write novels: 1/1 ✅

• Edit shorts/Novelettes: 5/5 ✅

• Edit Novel: 1/1 ✅

• Beta Novel: 1/1 ✅

I wasn’t anywhere recently lol but making plans for 2026!

See above. More to come!

Reading

	I wasn’t expecting to like this so much. Appalachian white witch? Doesn’t read like me. But I actually really enjoyed it! First off one of the main characters is black and I love the queer relationship that is always on the edge of becoming something. An interesting tale about what happens when a mountain turns on the people mining it.
	Freya Marske is one of my favorite current writers. She writes great queer stories and Cinder House is no different. It’s a different take on the Cinderella story with more magic, a haunted house, a curse and a psychopathic sorceress. It’s a tidy little novella and a great read. Perfect for the dark cold nights of winter.

Are you on StoryGraph? That’s where I’m doing all my tracking. Come find me.

Looking for a new audiobook platform that’s not going to support B*zos? Check out Libro.fm (this is a referral link).

Watching

	I was nervous about this movie. I like Cavill as Superman, I enjoyed the Snyder movies. But you know what…I liked this a lot. This is the Superman of our childhood: caring, optimistic and just wanting to save people. I saw a meme that said that Corenswet’s Superman saves people like a firefighter and Cavill’s saves people like a cop and man did that unlock something in my brain. This was fun and silly and stupid and still emotional and tense and feeling. I really enjoyed it. Absolute recommend.
	I’ve waited a long time to watch this, not for any good reason really. Just cause. And honestly, I wish I’d watched it sooner. The movie deals with your usual superhero stuff, saving the world and all that, if the people you asked to save the world happened to be a ragtag group of criminals. Florence Pugh is still incredible as Yelena and I wanted to hug Bob within two minutes of meeting him. The movie is heavy though. It’s dealing with grief and depression and how you keep going when you’re not sure you want to. I know folks feel over the MCU but I’m still glad to see what’s coming.
	I started watching the court videos when court went to Zoom during the height of the pandemic. It wasn’t deep or anything but the clips could be funny or interesting. Well I’ve been down the rabbithole lately and OldSquishyGardener has been helping.

Listening

The Winter Playlist has arrived!!!! Still lots to add but this is the playlist so far. I’ve moved to Youtube cause…ya know.

• Stone and Steel

• My other work