IT IS 2026.

Ahoy! Whew! I'm gonna apologize in advance for the random chunks of information I throw into this one. Katrina's the name, chaos is the game.

I ended 2024 with an agent and getting my novel out on submission. Having a book on sub in 2025 has taught me so much about how I spend my time. There's almost nothing I can do except keep moving (or do nothing besides constantly refresh my inbox, but I chose to keep moving). I've also learned a lot about what it means for me as a writer to play a long game. Meaning: 2025 was the best writing year I've ever had, the words were flowing, my drafts are cleaner, the process is more intentional, and yet I have no book deals (yet!), no new publications, no awards eligibility to share. Absolutely nothing to show for it. *Unless you're my beta readers then you have seen A LOT lol

Instead of agonizing over the stillness of my inbox, I enjoyed my summer with my family. Tinkered with writing two novels simultaneously. Devoured 84ish books of all genres. Called my reps. Got involved in several community events. And straightened my priorities out.

The end of 2025 didn't show up with a tone of finality. Moving from 2025 into 2026 is more of a smooth curve into another lap rather than the start of a new race for me. Even though I've gained some personal momentum, 2025 was a doozy and it's still a fuckin' doozy. I don't know anyone who doesn't feel completely exhausted and emotionally wrecked. The news cycle is something I don't shy away from, and to balance the onslaught of information I consume everyday, reading and writing are a vital part of my routine. The world is a mess. People are hurting. It's such a privilege to wake up everyday and even consider pursuing this dream. I don't take that for granted.

Once the cold months hit (which happens quickly up here in Maine) I got back into a serious writing rhythm (like 35k in 2.5 weeks) and managed to get one of my novels done and out to beta and sensitivity readers.

I hate to admit that I have to contribute the success of my new writing rhythm to an absolutely absurd investment. One day, I scrolled past an ad that made me LOL. A compact stationary bike, complete with a desk so you can work AND exercise! I laughed because the woman in the photo was wearing HEELS on this bike, so naturally I took a screenshot and sent it to people so they, too, could have a laugh because who works on an exercise bike in HEELS?!

THEN...I clicked the link. And checked out the reviews. And noticed it was on sale. Suddenly, I was assembling it and putting it conveniently in the tiny remaining corner space of my living room.

Apparently, I am actually capable of intense focus when my body is moving while I type. There's probably a diagnosis in there somewhere but who needs an official diagnosis when you've tapped into a lil hack?! So, I'm working on the second novel now that all my feedback has returned, next week I'll send it to my agent, start finishing the second, then move onto writing the next two books simultaneously because I have an abundance of ideas and have figured out the key to my personal success/process. I've always known that I thrive well under chaos and this should have been obvious to me a long time ago.

Not only has the bike been helping the actual flow/word count, being able to focus and get a fairly clean story down on the first go has also pushed me to really go for the jugular of my personal experiences. I've gained a ton clarity about what I feel I really need to say when I'm writing a novel. Apparently, it's A LOT. It might even get me excommunicated (fingers crossed!).

And, I think it's safe to say I'm on the right track. I've had SEVERAL encounters with random ass strangers lately pushing some religious shit on me out of nowhere. One was a man at the library where my attempt to be kind to him resulted in me finding out he was Mormon, then he proceeded to ask me why I left the Mormon church and also (on brand and expected) bear his unsolicited testimony to me. AT THE LIBRARY DURING THE KIDS STORY TIME. Then a random woman approached me in the toy isle while I was Christmas shopping and offered me a gift card with the obvious catch that I check out her church, and I had to politely deny her Jesus money and also remind her that Jesus probably wouldn't have ever offered a kindness with a catch. THEN...this one really got me...I ordered hot sauce from Ebay (HOT SAUCE) that came with a card taped to the bottles that said "God loves you." They also came for my kid (When he was just out trying to enjoy some holiday festivities!) with a little booklet about how God sent his son Jesus to die for all the naughty things we do so obviously kids owe Jesus everything.

WHAT IS HAPPENING?! (I mean, I know what's happening)

But either God is real and he's personally instructed his minions to descend upon me to try and thwart the publication of these books, or he's not real (Just as I suspected!) and the Universe knows that someone else needs whatever I have to say and so it's keeping that fire lit under my ass so I stay mad and motivated as hell. Either way, I'll be working as hard as I can.

Side tangent: When I was 7, which is the age I was being prepped for my Mormon baptism scheduled promptly after my 8th birthday, I remember thinking it would be easier if I died before I turned 8, that way I wouldn't have to worry about not making it to heaven. That's wild. No little kid should be thinking about wanting to die to avoid committing a sin. That missing out on earthly experiences would be okay because heaven would be so much better anyways. I can't wrap my brain around it sometimes. I didn't buy into a lot of the bullshit the religion sold, but I was part of it for a long time. Memories like this are shooting to the surface as I write these books. It's cathartic and exhausting.

On a lighter note (sorry for the whiplash! Also, when I say "lighter note" I mean that I'm about to talk about books instead of personal trauma, but that does not mean the books mentioned contain light subject matter lolsob) my first read of 2026 is a bangin' 5 stars. Junie by Erin Crosby Eckstine. I've had it on my TBR for a while, then at the end of the year I saw it was on a few horror lists which made me extra curious. And while I can see why that is, and I personally think fans of both horror and historical fiction will love this. The writing is sublime and super atmospheric. I was constantly whispering "Oh Junie" or literally feeling my jaw fall open. It's a stunning coming of age story, really heartbreaking at times, and had so many layers that kept getting more and more complicated, especially in the final chapters. There's a scene that literally made me sick to my stomach. I would recommend that everyone read this.

I'm currently reading Bad Mormon by Heather Gay. It's phenomenal. I can't say I'm a fan of the Real Housewives of SLC in that I don't really watch the show, but I think Heather's voice and delivery in this memoir is pretty fuckin' great. It, too, is bringing up a lot of memories I'd totally repressed, and I decided to read it after watching (and sobbing through) her new documentary called Surviving Mormonism, which I think is a must watch if you are able to check it out.

I want to shout some good news! The kick ass horror anthology Of Dread, Decay, and Doom by Stars and Sabers Press is on track to be published in June! My most personal story ever (about...you guessed it...my Mormon trauma! heh) will be included in the lineup of awesome authors. It's still funding on Ko-Fi so if you are able and would like to support real humans trying to get tangible art out into the world, please check it out this page for the funding link and info re: donation tiers. I'm really honored to be included in this and can't wait for it to come out.

Finally, I find that when I'm anxious about what's going on in the world, it's because I know deep down that I'm not learning/doing enough. So:

Book Riot put out a list of 60+ Small Tasks to Defend the Right to Read.

Call your reps, here's a script. If you're upset enough to post about it on socials, pick up the phone. If you don't want to talk to a real person, call after hours and leave a voicemail.

ACLU always has loads of info and actionable items available as well. It's worth it to connect with your local/state ACLU to stay on top of issues that are happening in your area.

Tubby & Coo's Traveling Bookshop - their website's main page contains links to several Bookshop lists (keep scrolling, there's more!) of books to further educate yourself on several important topics. They're a wonderful store to support.

I also turn to lists like this one on Libro.fm called Reading is Resistance, even if you don't use Libro or listen to audio books, it's worth looking through.

This is the stack I'm currently working through.

Not pictured is Playing in the Dark by Toni Morrison, which arrived after I took this pic and I forgot to take a new pic. I've been seeing conversations online that a lot of texts like these should be covered in a class, and I really wish I had that option, particularly with the bell hooks book. But, I'll just go slow and do my best.

Ok. That's it for now. I think. Take care and be kind!