Tough (self) love... and some doona dives

Dear friends, creative souls, and fellow book devourers,

Easter / Spring Holidays are coming up fast over here so I thought I’d better sneak a newsletter in before I start spending significant chunks of my days down at the Dee Why Rockpools with a beloved paperback or ereader while the kids go fishing.

For the most part, hosting this newsletter on Miri and the Muse has been an absolute joy these past few years. At other times, it’s also been a literal kick up the pants. Today is both a bit comforting and confronting. I’ll fill you in on what’s been going on for me, including the reasons behind my latest fashion accessory—a walking stick—in the writing cave update below.

In today’s post at MIRI AND THE MUSE—which serves as both my indie author newsletter and a personal journal into living a creative life filled with delicious glimmers—you will find:

• What’s in my Writing Space? + Cheeky Creativity Poll: What level of chaotic mayhem works best for you?

• Writing Cave Update: including an explanation for why a family heirloom from NZ has suddenly become my constant companion.

• Doona Dives: three fabulous books / series which have stolen my sleep while I stretch, do my physio, rest and recover.

Keep scrolling to find out more but first… check out my cute set up for the day.

Knowing I was overdue to post an update, I decided the first step was to make my space more inviting so I could get jiggy wid y’all.

Oftentimes before I start work or get writing, especially if I’d had some sort of break or disruption in my home life, the first step is to clear away the clutter so I can think.

My essentials to keep close at hand are—

• Laptop (surprise!)

• Writing Notes (usually in one of my 1000s of notebooks for morning pages or series notes… but sometimes they are simply scrawled on a piece of notepaper, the back of a receipt or a handy envolope)

• Glass of Water

• Cup of Something Warm and Inviting—often paired with a chocolate, a favorite biscuit or even something healthy like hummus and veggie sticks

• Sentimental It Factor (an object or visual aid that brings back memories or the last book in the series will be sitting beside me in paperback form)

• A Few Knickknacks.

These smol but mighty trinkets keep me on track and help quirk a smile to my lips.

Do you create best in utter chaos or orderly mayhem?

Leave me a comment or reply to my cheeky poll below to let me know.

Leave a comment

Hello my lovelies,

Sometimes your “rest and recovery” alert is sent by Mother Nature as an annoying but necessary insect that won’t leave you alone. Other times she decides to wholesale kick you in the n*ts and make sure you sit back down on your arse.

(Who can tell I’ve been reading one of my all time favorite series again?!)

March—ironically—was the latter, not the former.

The short story is that plantar fasciitis is no joke. I have it in both feet and it’s caused me to hobble my way through most of this month using a family heirloom.

(Fabulous walking stick pictured below).

The pain, at times, has been so intense I just haven’t been able to do anything but rest, stretch, and attempt physio exercises. The good news is my physio is confident that I can make a full recovery. One day, I’ll be back to enjoying a barefoot walk on the beach again. The bad news is the pain cycle and energy required to keep trucking on as a writing mamma pretty much took the writing out of that equation during March.

Still, after a month or so of rehab, I have started to notice that some of the debilitating brain fog is lifting and breakthroughs like today’s newsletter are happening.

Huzzah.

It’s going to be baby steps—literally and figuratively—for a while but I know my WIPs are right there at the tips of my fingers so long as I take this recovery process slow and steady. See you soon, crazy KNIGHTS OF DESTRUCTION gang. I can’t wait to dance with you again.

In the meantime, after being so brutally cut off from my daily walks, my family and I are getting much more creative about our wild time. It turns out I can kayak quite comfortably so we’ve been heading up to Narrabeen Lake for R&R.

Last weekend, I got to witness this incredible natural phenomenon—

A breathtaking circular rainbow created an orb of colored light which seemed to envelope me and my kayak. It was so close that it felt like I could just reach out and touch it… but by doing so the portal which had just opened might suck me into another world. Pure magic!

With love,

M.S. xox

Given I haven’t been able to spend much time in the writing cave this month, I’ve been using this downtime to binge watch some TV shows and to devour books. Without further ago, may I introduce…

HOW TO HELP A HUNGRY WEREWOLF by Charlotte Stein

This slow burn paranormal romance paired a return-to-your-hometown-roots and try to avoid your hot-ex-best-friend-now-nemesis vibe with an inner journey of magical self discovery which was a pure delight. It was also written in third person point of view. My long term book devourers may have already picked up that 3rd person POV is not my favorite for a romance journey. But, when it’s done right, holy guacamole the voicing can be so much fun. This one felt like being dragged into a bestie’s head and then being told to hold on for dear life. Also, the slow burn was absolutely worth it—wink wink nudge nudge—good times. I nabbed my paperback copy of this one off the romance shelves in Big W.

ACTS OF CUPIDITY by E. S. Drake

Oh, I adored this book. I discovered it in the library and once I got started I fell hook, line and sinker for the incredible world building with a refreshingly unique take on a magical afterlife. It’s urban fantasy with a strong unrequited romance / love triangle / found family through-line which ultimate resolves just how you need it to go. It doesn’t get very spicy but by gods does it make you yearn, tugging on those heart strings all the way. I honestly don’t want to say too much and ruin it so just trust me… Pick up a copy. You’ll be glad you did. I’m planning to order one for my book hoard and to keep an eye on the release of E. S. Drake’s next book in this world.

LEVELING UP series by K. F. Breene.

If you’ve been following me for a while, then you’ll know K.F. Breene is one of the authors I make a fool of myself each and every time I fangirl when bumping into her at a signing. It’s embarrassing and yet I cannot seem to do a thing about it. So I’ll just be grateful that she writes such inspiring worlds so that I can not only swoon and be thoroughly entertained, but also learn from her storytelling mastery.

The LEVELING UP series if my all-time favorite of hers. It’s quirky. The heroine is in her forties and suddenly thrust into a magical world. Jessie—a rare female gargoyle—absolutely kicks ass while still holding onto her humanity and kindness while trying to wrangle an impossible team of dangerously over-powered misfits. It’s freaking hilarious. I just re-read from the big battle book through to her latest new releases so I could fully soak up the weird. Next, I’ll be listening to them again by audiobook because she gets them done by an incredible narrator, Nicole Poole, who brings these vibrant characters to life with her excellent voicing and performance skills. Highly recommend the LEVELING UP series in any format you can get it. I’m already saving up to get this series as a special edition box just as soon as it becomes available.

Thanks K.F. Breene for keeping it classy and making me laugh-snort-spit in public. Can’t wait to devour more of this world. <3

Happy reading, friends and fellow book devourers!

With love,

M.S. xox