You know those people whose Facebook profile pictures are just their kids or grandkids? And you’re left wondering for several years if this friend of a friend who’s commenting on your posts is in her seventies or in her twenties? And this mystery burns at you for four or five seconds at a time before you forget about it because you don’t care enough to figure it out?

Then one day, you learn the truth. And you realize it didn’t really matter that much. All those mysterious, burning seconds wasted.

…okay, maybe this is just me.

I’m not one to talk about profile pictures—mine is from our wedding over seven years ago, and my personal Instagram account pic still has the “Song of the Month” overlay I used for my ill-fated Patreon musical journey pre-COVID.

But let me tell you about my phone background.

We’re at the beach. I’m lying on my back, holding Baby H so he can stand on my chest. I’m supporting his torso with my hands, and as Charis snaps a picture, he gives one of those impossibly adorable wide-mouthed grins. His world is happiness; therefore, so is mine.

You better believe that became my phone background before day’s end.

Every few days, I’ll get Charis’s attention and show her something on my phone—but it’s just my phone background. Our hearts melt every time.

Baby H is a year old now. And the tears are swelling even as I write this, because this year has contained multitudes. Two months in the NICU. Four ER visits (five, if you include mine) and a two-night hospital stay. Over a hundred hours on the phone with insurance and healthcare providers. Dozens of specialist and pediatrician appointments. Nose cannulas and pulse oximeters galore. The odds have been stacked in favor of despair.

Yet he smiles.

And I realize those statistics don’t really matter that much.

Because today and every day, I get to hold my baby. All those awful, terrifying, exhausting moments are worth it.

The struggle is real. So are the blessings.

Writing Updates

TAMELANDS // The scene weave, where I sketch the skeleton of every scene based on the intersection of plot and character development, is almost complete. This cozy fantasy is shaping up to be something special!

SPOOKY FINALE // The beat outline is done.

I don’t think you heard me—it’s done. All 16,238 words of it.

I take everything I’ve worked on—scene weave, character web, symbol web, moral argument, plot steps, and so on—and use it to craft the play-by-play of each scene. For example, one scene that will likely be 2,000–2,500 words has a 772-word beat outline. This is probably the closest I’ll get to a “zero draft.”

How do I feel about it? Well, the culmination of these characters’ journeys is wrecking me, and I haven’t even started writing the book. By the time this book comes out in 2027 (which isn’t a real year, I’m pretty sure), I’ll have known these characters for six years.

If all goes well, I’ll begin drafting in April or so, after I get my editor’s feedback for SPOOKY THREEQUEL.

KICKSTARTER // Lots of progress happening! By the end of today, all digital rewards should be out, including eBooks of Marrow and Soul, Threads of Light, and The Sun and the Shade. On the physical side, I’m just waiting on hardcovers and limited editions. Fulfillment will kick off over the holiday season and culminate in January!

THREADS OF LIGHT // If you’re one of those wonderful backers who bought this eBook, let me know what you think! I’m so excited to share this installment of Safran’s story with you.

As always…

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