The goddess says....

Stay focused and centered. Don't let the news get you down. Let your mind wander but not into negativity. Pause before acting, speaking and thinking.

This message resonates with me. I've been too immersed in the news, which can make us all crazy. It's geared to get us riled up. The 4th of July, a holiday I've never been fond of, broke me apart this year. Since moving back to California I've had many of these moments, but yesterday made me realize a fundamental truth. If we come together as community to watch a funny little parade, there is no separation. This supposed separation is created to induce anger and chaos. And in many cases it has succeeded. But if we step back, take the pause, there is no difference between us. We are all human beings on the planet struggling to find our place and learn why we are here.

Making judgements about others is folly. We can never know what it is to walk in another's shoes. And this goes for everyone, even the ones we want to hate. But yesterday I thought to myself, 'what if you just concentrate on where you are?' There is no point in getting lost in causes that are beyond our ability to change. But locally we just might have a voice. And like noticing the bee on the lavender plant, there is so much around us to consider.

My heart is full right now. I live amongst the redwoods. There is fog nearly every morning, the mist that feeds them. It comes from the ocean a mile away. And when the sun appears it is soft, not harsh like the light from the sun in Tucson, from where I moved. Tucson has its own beauty but I needed trees, fog, the sea air, for my body and my soul--And I just realized that I needed community.

Thanks for reading!

The goddess says...

Breathe. Let the light of this time flow through you. Everything is in flux. Energy abounds and can feel overwhelming at times. Plant your seeds, water them and watch them grow. If you read anything about this time astrologically you will hear that the old ways are failing and the new ways are just beginning. Doesn't it feel that way? The shifts are coming faster now, causing disrupted sleep, brain fog and a feeling that nothing is real. Hare in the Moon is a good place to start if you haven't already been following the major shifts going on.

I, personally have been in a stuck place for several months. I'm not interested in writing the same stories, but the goddess has yet to tell me what's next. I unpublished one book and stopped working on another. I'm redoing book covers. Patience seems to be the word of the hour. And patience is not my strong suit! If you have begun a new project, good for you. And if you have yet to decide your future, don't push it. (advice to myself on an hourly basis) We can rest in the knowledge that the chaos we're noticing is a part of the change. Because there are those who fear it and resist. And if you resist a tidal wave you can get swept away.

From my own perspective my marketing has suddenly gone belly-up, my books not selling. Any of the old ways that have worked in the past do not work now. And if I'm faced with anything tricky to navigate, say putting an ad up on amazon, I end up walking away from it. My mind simply refuses to go there. And so I wait, wondering what will come next. A few new things have begun--the one I mentioned in my last blog about the YouTube videos I'm currently doing. My plan is to not only read from my books but to also talk about the goddess and how she figures in my writing and the mystical experiences I've had in the midst of writing certain books.

Remember who you are and ground yourself in earth energy. Try not to be carried away by negativity. Believe in yourself and what you know to be true. The divine feminine is alive and well and will prevail.

Thanks for reading.

Marketing!

This is a topic that all writers cringe about...but I'm writing to YOU, my readers. I have recently begun showing my face and voice to the world. It took me several tries before I could actually face my face, and not stumble over what I was saying or attempting to read! Here is a YouTube video of a reading from one of my Summer McCloud murder mysteries:

I would love any and all feedback! Does it entice you to read this book? I decided that I didn't care to look professional because I knew that looking professional would never happen for me. I can barely read without a stumble here and there.

In any case, working on this project has buoyed my spirits...have lost my muse in the past few months, so doing videos is taking the place of any substantive writing...hope this lifts soon because how many videos can anyone stand to look at? I'm not on TIKTOC.

In the theme of marketing I am considering selling from my website...haven't gotten all the details figured out yet, but...it sounds easy but nothing is ever as easy as it sounds. And big question--is it worth it? I definitely need everyone who reads this to send it to a friend. Maybe I can get more subscribers? There is a free book involved...one other bit of news: I am updating several book covers, and the new ones are SHAZAM! I've uploaded two of them to the website already...see if you can find them.

Thank you for reading and don't forget to check out my YouTube channel!