Quick Update
As many of you reading this know, I recently had to leave London and return back to the States. Between Brexit and Teresa May in general, finding a job after my student visa ended was impossible. My mentors told me that it wasn't anything I was doing wrong. I had done the internships, networked like hell, and done everything I could to stay. In all actuality, that made it even more painful, knowing it wasn't my fault.
I've been home for nearly two months. I've had to adjust to living at home with my parents again, being jobless, being away from my friends and support system. All of that is guaranteed to have a negative impact on one's mental health. And it did on mine. I wish I could say that things have been great since the move home, but the fact of the matter is, it's been hard. I've gone from being completely independent to completely dependent and it sucks.
The hardest part, without a doubt, is that I miss my friends. It's doubly difficult, since I have groups of friends who only knew me by my real name, and then I have my author friends as well. Without being plugged in to the amazing community of M/M authors in and around London, I've found it nearly impossible to write. Impossible to do anything, really. For a month and a half, I've sulked and stewed and stayed locked in my room, in one of the worst depressive funks I've been in for ages.
Making it even worse is the novel I'm trying to bang out. I thought after releasing The Viscount and the Artist that writing would somehow become easier. Much to no one's surprise, that isn't the case. It's still just as hard, or harder. That, coupled with a depressive episode, means that I had to push the release date back. Originally, I had hoped to have the novel out by 26 May, as a sort of birthday present to myself. I can safely say that isn't going to happen.
The good news is, I'm starting to feel myself coming out of the fog that I'd been trapped in since moving home. I can write and enjoy what I'm writing again. I can research and not want to just scrap the entire thing. I have an adorable little Yorkie who gives me reasons to smile every day. Sure, there are rough days, but everyone has rough days. I've also stopped beating myself up for not having a book out as soon as I thought I would. Sure, writing is important to me, but so is taking care of myself. And if I can only do one, I know which one I'm going to do.
Some upcoming funsies: I'm going to be at GRL this year as a supporting author, so you can come find me and say hi! Also, in a few months, I'm going to be making another blog post (there will be more in between) about an exciting new project I'm going to be working on. Keep an eye out for that!
