February 2026

In addition to my visual arts, I've found myself reading voraciously. I can't get enough, and by the end of February I will have finished reading over a dozen books. I don't have a set number of books I want to read each year and it's not a competition. Most are audiobooks (which is why I release my own books as audiobooks) although I have read two ebooks and even one hardcover (with REAL pages) this year.

My preferred genre is fiction, specifically fantasy, and even more specifically romantasy (romantic fantasy.) I don't mind a little spice, but I want character development, world-building, and plots even more. 

I've also been writing more under my pen name, D.C. McAndrews. I've got over 35,000 words written on my first full novel, and have also been working on another short story that takes place after the novel (so far, the two I've released happen prior to the events in the novel.)

All of these are fine stats, but why am I bringing it up?

I'm trying to escape.

My home life is fantastic. My husband is amazing, and my children are thriving. Even our house plants are doing extremely well (except for my hibiscus, RIP.) My job has been a bit chaotic, but delightfully. So what's the problem?

Everything else. The wrong things are being focused on. Violence against innocent people (including children) is rampant and unchecked, misinformation and blatant lies are call truths, and it all makes me sick to my stomach. I try not to get political when it comes to my art, but those who know me personally know I have strong opinions. 

I thought we, as a country, were better than this. 

I believed that good would triumph over evil.

I am extremely disheartened that I was wrong.

I crave a happy ending, because I'm afraid we might not get one. Yes, I still have hope in my heart, and it's that hope that mourns every time I watch the news. I had to take a break from social media at the same time as I was releasing a new book - it's the absolute worst marketing strategy ever, but I desperately needed the break. My algorithms were betraying me. So I immerse myself in worlds where the hero struggles but wins in the end. Good defeats evil. I write my own stories in such a way, control my own made-up world, because the real one is out of control. 

And each day, I continue going through the motions, trying to raise kids and stay positive and sane in an unstable and terrifying world.  

"What are we holding onto, Sam?" "That there's some good in this world, Mr. Frodo... and it's worth fighting for."