Introducing Life's Laundry Pile

Back in January, I promised to use this space for more personal musings only to fall silent in the following months. Part of it was because I was waiting for something to say. But the other part was fear...

Fear of judgment.

Fear of saying too much.

Fear of saying too little.

Fear of backlash.

Being authentic on the world wide web takes courage.

This isn't a small town coffee shop. Not everyone joining you at the table is a friend.

Even strangers are willing to approach you with ill intentions, but there is kindness here, too.

Since I've started transitioning back into the digital world in preparation for The Rogue Trilogy's rerelease, I've reconnected with some old friends and made some new ones. Many of them are writers in some capacity, so I've had a chance to "talk shop" on a deeper level with people who understand what I do.

Today, I stumbled upon a post on Threads that reminded me of what drew me here decades ago as a blogger with so much to say. Written by an acquaintance that I started following for his authenticity, he described social media as a place to fulfill the need to express himself openly and in a vulnerable way.

More often than not, I find that well-meaning authenticity attracts the good in humanity. It's why I started blogging in the first place. There was a time when I wasn't afraid to be vulnerable and honest, and I'd like to get to that point again. So this is me dipping my toes into the water in an attempt to embrace that authenticity, one keystroke at a time.

Life's Laundry Pile

It's been a giant bag of mixed goods.

Let's Start With the Messy Stuff...

Since January, we've been running Hinata (my Siamese) through a gauntlet of tests to uncover what's wrong with her. She wasn't able to keep anything down and was withering quickly. There were moments when I thought goodbye was just around the corner and—to be honest—I wasn’t ready for it.

We've been doing everything we can to help her, and after a mountain of tests and medications we think we have an answer and a treatment plan.

But man, it has been a rollercoaster of emotions. These last few years have been rife with unexpected and tragic losses. I wasn’t willing to add Hinata to that list. Not without a fight. I’m used to taking life's punches in stride, but sometimes when life takes a swing, we have to swing back.

Hinata is doing well so far. The life is back in her eyes. She’s happy and adorably derpy, and that alone is worth every penny spent. However, it's still a long journey ahead, and we're accepting all the love and good vibes in the hope that she stays on that track.

Now, On to the Good...

I'm finally nearing the end of The Royal Rogue's rewrite. My deadline for prepping the manuscript for distribution to early readers is the end of April—a task that I'm currently on track to finish early.

I also just received the mock-ups for the trilogy's new cover designs and they are breathtaking. The artist's illustrations and the graphic designer's magic have brought the characters and spirit of the books to life in a way that matches the changes made. I know saying it without showing it isn't very enticing, but trust me on this...it's worth the wait.

"Elli, when are we actually going to see these new books?"

I wish I had a clear date, but it all depends on how long it takes for me to make the final adjustments to Chivalry's Code and Lost Prince of Nevaharday. These changes will be light in comparison to The Royal Rogue. Just a few adjustments to names and terminology to align with the first book's rewrite, and a few extra scenes to entice readers to revisit them.

But I have a few mini projects in the works leading up to their release:

• Character bios will be making a return so you can learn more about the main characters and which books they appear in.

• Cover reveals will be shared on this site, in my newsletter, and across social media once all three books have gone through proofing.

• Changes will be made to ElliWrites.com to incorporate the new character illustrations from all three covers into the website's layout.

• A rerelease stream will be held on YouTube to talk about the making of these new versions of the books and what's changed. We'll also do a few giveaways.

I'll keep folks up-to-date on Facebook and Threads as these things unfold. In the meantime, I'll be nose-deep in these manuscripts as I push forward.