Well, that was longer than I thought it had been!

It’s rather shocking to notice how far I’ve fallen behind on updates. Between work and home, life seems to be never-ending juggling act—or fighting match, depending on the day.

That said, just in time for the first snow where I live is the arrival of my second volume of poetry on November 22nd, Poetry in a Pandemic, Volume 2: Home.

It always amazes me how long something that has already been drafted can take to write. Especially nonfiction!

For many reasons, I find it harder to finish compared to my fiction novels, despite technically containing fewer words.

One could argue coming up with an original storyline is equally, if not more challenging, than rewriting memoir-style pieces, but for me that’s not the case.

While part of every book I write includes my personality in one form or another, fiction is far enough removed from my daily life I don’t have to look at myself under the microscope in the same way.

Why is it like that?

I know many other authors who’ve expressed similar sentiments.

Is it because we’re afraid of what we’ll find when we look back? Partly, I’m sure. But for me, it’s hard simply because it’s personal, and there’s still a part of me that worries I’ll be judged for being myself.

It also causes me to re-experience many of the emotions I felt at the time of the original writing.

A bit like sandpaper for the soul, perhaps? Smoothing out the rough edges so a new coat of paint will make it shine?

But I digress. This particular volume is the second in a three part series of life during the pandemic. Composed of my morning poems and reflections over the course of 2021, there is one entry for each day.

As a coworker and friend once said, it will be a time capsule for me to look at decades down the road. What a brilliant observation—one that has stayed with me throughout the process.

I’ve seen many other author’s versions of life over this time period, and I find each one as unique as the voice of the writers themselves.

My voice is my own; mother, wife, writer, neurospicy, rural family physician, sister, daughter, friend.

And as such, my writing reflects these aspects of my life and emotions I’ve dealt with through the course of the year. A daily poetry practice has been my way to both cope with the stress in my life, as well as showing gratitude for the good.

I hope that in my efforts, my writing touches others and lifts them up instead of dragging anyone down.

There’s enough negative voices in the world, so I try to focus on the good whenever I can, even on days when I struggle to find what to be grateful for.

If my words resonate with you, it would mean so much if you purchased a copy for yourself, and if you are moved to do so, please leave a review.

Each and every review can help other readers find me, which is deeply appreciated.

I am so grateful for all my readers, and amazed at how blessed I’ve been to have this opportunity to share my words with others.

You can find the links for all the online retailers here:

https://books2read.com/poetryinapandemic2