The Anxious Author

      'I have read and agreed to the terms and conditions' is probably the most told lie in our world. How many of us actually read them? I swear companies could have us selling our souls to them without us even noticing. If the devil ever needed a new way to collect souls, that would be the way to get them.     Adults are guilty of this lie as much as teens are. We don't want to take the time to slow down and read through pages upon pages of legal jargon related to whatever app we're trying to download. We just want to play our games and forget about reality for a bit.      In the young adult reading community, there is another lie being told just as much as the first and it is 'I am at least 18 years of age'. Don't lie, if you've ever read fanfiction in your life you've clicked on that little button so you can have access to all the stories that are rated M (mature) and E (explicit). I'm guilty of it too, it's nothing to be ashamed of.  ...

          In the world of romantic literature, there is not a very good representation of individuals who do not feel sexual attraction as frequently (if at all) as others. Asexuals and demisexuals tend to get left out of the mix, but it's understandable in a genre that heavily focuses on sexual relationships. Romance is more than sex, though, and a good romance writer can reel in readers of all sexualities.      I don't talk about my sexuality often. I avoid the topic in order to avoid an argument. I despise confrontations. I don't hide it, though. There's no point. I've been this way for a long time and we could devel into why I think I'm this way, but we're not going to. That's a trauma I'm still working out for myself with meditation.     Being demisexual means that I don't have romantic relationships in the same way others do. In order to feel a sexual attraction towards someone, I must first have an intense emotional bond with them...

      It's February first! Congratulations on making it through the first of twelve months. Only eleven more to go. January flew by for me. The first couple weeks I had COVID, then things were busy at work, and I've been planning a ton of author stuff.      This month I'll be visiting a book event in Kansas City, MO to support another author and to make some new contacts. We'll also have our second author spotlight.     Goodreads informed me this morning that I am four books behind schedule for meeting my 2022 reading goal. I haven't been behind schedule in years. It's semi-frustrating. It makes me want to do nothing but reading. I have to keep reminding myself that I set a high goal this year. 200 books is a stretch compared to the 145ish I read last year.     In January I read a total of thirteen books, eight of which I gave five heart reviews. Each of the five hearts were written in my planner/semi-journal to be in the running for Jan...