This weekend, we went for a drive. We didn’t get out of the car, we just drove. It had been so long since I’d been out of the house, I almost felt weird leaving. Which got me thinking. (In my head, I hear Lefou singing it’s a dangerous pastime.) But I’ve realised I’m one of those people who would easily become a recluse, and it scares me. Much as this staying home thing is beginning to drain my energy, it has also reached that point where it’s too damn easy.

Anyway. We saw the mountains. Waterfalls, deer, frozen lakes, thawed rivers, and an abundance of trees–both snow-covered and otherwise. It was needed. It was beautiful.

Since then, we’ve had some (touch wood) glorious, sunny days. Even if I can go no further than my porch to soak up sun, I am content. The weather really has been helping my mood, and this feeling of helplessness has abated somewhat.

Am I over this strange pandemic/weather-caused depression? No. But it seems more bearable when the sun is out.

Here are some other things that make my mood bearable.

A Study of Ash & Smoke has been nominated for a Nommo award. The Nommos are hosted by the African Speculative Fiction Society, and I’m just blown out of the water to have made the long list.

If you’d like to know more about my little book, do check out its page here on my website. You can also see the book trailer, maps, and pronunciation guide over on the Extras tab.

Another thing helping my mood is Maggie Stiefvater’s Raven Cycle. I’m on the fourth and final book now, and I don’t want it to end. Heck, I might even read all four again once I’ve finished this one, just because it’s helped me cope with the madness that is 2020.

Of course, all this reading means I haven’t been writing as much, but that’s okay. I started rewriting Book 3, A Curse of Venom and Scales (yes, that’s the title. My newsletter peeps have known it for a while! Subscribe if you want to know stuff sooner, too) when I’d penned 70k words, and I’m back up to 29 chapters and 65k words. I wrote this scene the other day that seriously drained me, but I’m so proud of it. I hope you’ll like it too.

Things I learned about myself in the last few weeks:

• I can no longer type ‘point’ without adding a ‘y’ at the end, then going back to remove it. (If you don’t understand this, read my book. 😛 It’s been nominated for an award.)
• My hair has grown long enough to make a spiky, anime-ish ponytail. The kind that sticks straight back and looks totally ridiculous. I’ve been wearing a ponytail every day since I made this discovery.
• I really, really, should not be left alone with candy-coated chocolate eggs. Meh, maybe I’ve known this all along.

Anyway, that’s all from me for now. I hope you’re all doing well in isolation.

For once, I have a book to read instead of write. I mean, I have that too, but you know what I’m aiming for here. 😛

Yolandie.