Now that the clocks have sprung forward, I find myself constantly looking back. The early hour at which I drag myself out of bed for work each morning—4:40? It used to be 3:40. The early hour I sit here writing this—5:15? It used to be 4:15. I used to have 25 blissful minutes left in bed.
But the wildlife does not seem to be looking back. Nor do the maple tree or the forsythia bushes in the backyard. The birds forge forward, looking for nesting sites. The forsythia bushes just this past weekend have transformed from spindly, sparse gray and brown winter branches to a vibrant yellow burst of color out the kitchen window—full throttle into spring with the time change.
It seems far easier to see the beginning of spring than the end of winter. Beginnings, perhaps, often easier to see coming than endings, the latter usually more noticeable in hindsight, and sometimes hard to pinpoint even then. Or maybe it’s not so much the endings we don’t see coming as the repercussions, what the endings will mean.
The past couple weeks, winter’s end began creeping up on me, daylight hours slowly stretching into spring, one season yawning awake as another winds down. It was light out before I left for work—no longer true this week—morning bursting with birdsong. Now, it is dark when I unlock my car and turn the ignition. But at 7:30 in the evening, light lingers, tempting me to believe it is earlier than it is, cajoling me into staying up later than I should. Extended daylight, extended exhaustion.
I love all the seasons, though. I do. The problem is that they change. (I particularly detest the time change.) I settle into one and get comfortable, and then it ends and a new one begins and I’m not quite ready. But the birds and the trees and the bushes know better. They keep moving forward. They don’t look back. Because they know it’s all just a cycle, and in a cycle, there’s not so much difference, really, between looking forward and looking back.
What I’m Working On
My Current Work-In-Progress: The Good Curse
This time 334 years ago marks the beginning of the Salem witch trials. I’ve started working on a graphic organizer to help myself draft a document that could clarify for readers what in my manuscript is historical fact and what is fiction inspired and informed by fact.
Wild Senses: A Mindful Creative Writing Workshop
Dawn Deiman of Rising Dawn Yoga Studio and I are excited about our next mindfulness creative writing workshop at Possum-Bilities Gift Shop and Gallery. Our second workshop, which will focus on the sense of touch and feature reptiles, is scheduled for April 12. Registration is already open! We’d love for you to join us. As with our first workshop in January, a portion of the registration fee for this workshop will be donated to wildlife rehabilitation.
Outdoor Writing
Next month’s issue of Cooperative Living Magazine will include my article about possum yoga. I’m already working on my next piece, an article about a local reptile natural history museum.
Volunteering
I think one of my favorite things in life might be when my writing contributes to a good cause, so I’m happy to share that both Chicken Soup for the Soul: Pets, Pets, Pets and An Expected End sold for over their minimum bids at the silent auction held during Henrico Humane Society’s annual Pet Expo, contributing a little bit to the nearly $90,000 (a record amount!) raised for the animals in the shelter’s care.
This summer, I’ll be serving as a judge for the Page Turner awards.
Writing Community
I had a great time celebrating the release of Joyce Miller’s latest work of historical fiction, Mrs. Gari Melchers, at Shop Two Three on February 22. Joyce’s reading of an excerpt from the book was followed by cake, cookies, drinks, and mingling. I particularly enjoyed catching up with Gigi Howard, who hosts one of my favorite podcasts, Drinks in the Library, and who will be doing a live show at the Bon Air Book Festival next month (more below).
Prose and Cons will meet next week at the VMFA. Somehow, it feels like far longer than a month since last I saw my writing buddies, and I’m eager to discuss their creative endeavors and spend some time together (even though it means staying up past my bedtime).
I’m looking forward to sharing details later this month about a workshop I’ll be teaching through James River Writers this summer.
Mark your calendars for April 18, when several fellow local authors and I will be delighted to see you at the first-ever Bon Air Book Festival. I’ll be signing copies of both An Expected End and Chicken Soup for the Soul: Pets, Pets, Pets from 10am to 1 pm. See the Literary Calendar below for more details.
What I’m Reading
On February 21, my niece and I got together for one of our special Reading Days—a day we set aside solely for reading, taking only two breaks, one for lunch and one for an afternoon walk with The Littles. It was during our last Reading Day (in November) that I started reading Brandon Sanderson’s Tress of the Emerald Sea, and it was during this most recent Reading Day that I finished it (I only had about 50 or 60 pages left). We still had hours left to read when I closed Sanderson’s book, so I had the luxury of starting a new one: Juneau Black’s Shady Hollow. Anyone want to place bets on how many weeks (or months…) I’ll need to finish it?
Links to My Latest
A recent episode of the Chicken Soup for the Soul podcast with Amy Newmark, “The Joy of Rehabbing a Pet,” features a reading of “Welcome Home,” a story I wrote about Archie, which appears in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Pets, Pets, Pets.
The cover story in the January/February issue of Cooperative Living Magazine is one of my outdoors articles, “Walking in a Winter Wonderland: What to know and where to go for wintertime hiking.”
Archie and The Littles
I realize I might be biased, but The Littles are irresistible as they stare at me from their place on the couch.
Soda and Nacho share a fluffy down comforter on a winter’s afternoon.
Not one to miss out on Reading Day, Archie reads over my shoulder.
The Littles and I were delighted to get back out on the trails again after a month of poor conditions relegated us to mere pavement and asphalt.
What I Saw Outside
Crocuses bloom in my neighbor’s front yard.
Bright forsythias bloom against a blue March sky.
Newly opened camellias in our backyard bend under the weighr of a March snowfall.
Literary Calendar
April
Wild Senses: A Mindful Creative Writing Workshop
April 12, 2026 | 10am-12pm | Possumbilities, Fredericksburg, VA
This second class will focus on the sense of touch and feature reptile co-hosts, with future workshops featuring each of the remaining three senses. Awesome Possumz will be in attendance with several of their Reptile Ambassadors. Registration is $30, plus an item for the rescue.
April 18, 2026 | 10am-4pm | Brighton Green Community Center, North Chesterfield, VA
Set aside intentional time and space to build community with folks who share a love of reading. The curated vendor market will bring the best of local bookish crafters, book sellers, and nonprofits together, bringing with them new and interesting offerings for festival goers. Some vendors include Clay Julrie Co. and the James River Writers. Youngest guests will enjoy a fully decorated storytelling tent, crafts, and playground and playing field. The festival will conclude with a live recording of Gigi Howard’s ‘Drinks in the Library’ podcast with her guest, author, Meg Medina. The recording will take place in the Brighton Green community building at 3pm. Tickets for the podcast are available here: Bon Air Book Festival Live Podcast with Meg Medina and Gigi Howard from Drinks in the Library | Brighton Gatherings - Event Planning
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