The Heatwave, the Packing Boxes, and Miss Maple: A Late-Summer Update

If you’ve stepped outside lately, you already know: summer is in full force. And honestly, I'm sick of it! Bring on the cool, crisp fall air, the colorful leaves, and pumpkin-flavored everything! I feel like the Wicked Witch of the West who screams: "I'm melting! I'm melting!" When Dorothy throws a bucket of water on her.

Between sweating through packing up our home, hitting major writing milestones, and taking care of my sweet Miss Maple, this summer has been a delicate balancing act of hustle and necessary rest.

I wish I could say I've been so busy writing that I've had time for nothing else, but it's actually the opposite. Miss Maple has taken up most of my time in the past couple of months. Unfortunately, she hasn't been feeling well, and as anyone with a beloved pet knows, everything else takes a back seat when your furry family member is off. I’ve intentionally slowed my pace and taken a step back from my usual writing routine to give her extra attention and care.

She has somehow developed bilious vomiting syndrome--a fancy way of saying when she has an empty stomach it makes her sick. And this syndrome seems to be triggered by stress. It took several vet visits, a bunch of meds, and a highly structured feeding regimen to finally get her back on track. She seems to be stabilized now, but it's a delicate balance with our preparations for changing preparing to move.

If you've lived in a place for a long time like Brack and I have, then you know what a massive ordeal it is to prepare a house to move. Even in the best circumstances, it's tough, but doing it in late-summer humidity while keeping stress levels low for the household is a whole different story.

Sorting, purging, cleaning, taking care of maintenance issues, laying new carpet, and painting in this heat feels like a marathon.

But taking it slow for Miss Maple’s sake has actually been a silver lining—it’s forced me to break up the packing into manageable chunks rather than pushing through to exhaustion. And I'm so deeply grateful my mom is able to travel and to help where she can because the job is enormous.

Amidst the boxes, decisions, and vet check-ins, I reached a huge milestone: I officially finished the manuscript for the last Hazardous Hoarding book which is also the end of the series! Once that book is published it will be three completed series!

Bringing this series to a close has been a long, incredible journey. While this final installment won't hit shelves until December 2027, getting it wrapped up and off my desk now feels like a weight lifted off my shoulders, giving me much-needed breathing room as I prepare for both our move and a new publishing chapter.

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Meanwhile, Killer Cache, the second book in the Hazardous Hoarding series has racked up two awards! It's become the finalist in the Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award (like Dumpster Dying had for 2025); further, I found out today that Killer Cache is also a finalist in the American Fiction Award. So I'm pretty happy about this bit of good news.

When I do find a quiet moment to write, I’ve been diving into a fun new project that has been a great escape and will be my first release as an indie author.

I’m working on a cozy mystery set in the glitz and glamour of 1920s Hollywood, featuring the original "It Girl" Clara Bow as an amateur sleuth. She will be joined by her loyal, fluffy red Chow Chow sidekick, Ginger.

Thank you as always for your patience and support through this crazy time. Send some good vibes and gentle hugs Miss Maple's way, and let me know in the comments how you’re staying cool and taking care of yourselves this month!