On a Clear Day

The view is blurry. Summer is here. No exclamation point. For most people, summer arrives when the last bell sounds on the last day of school. Me, I try to flow with the seasons as indicated on my calendar. The exception being that I cut summer short to usher in the fall as I feel fall gets neutered right after Thanksgiving. Fall. It’s my favorite.

I know I’m not alone. My Instagram is curated to reflect folks who favor fall, bookish friends, and horror lovers. There’s a dose of self help and women over 50 in there too. Which brings me to a “please allow me to introduce myself” type of rant. This morning, I was watching a video on how to market books. Frankly, I’m not good at this. I heard (and I already knew this on some level) to find your audience. Putting it simply, I write horror from a female POV. But there’s more …

I am originally from the south, Louisiana specifically. God knows I’ve tried to deny it over the years, but I am what I am. Saying this though, I’m not your typical belle. Which was very apparent at the last southern gathering I attended. As an introvert, I don’t like going to big events. But I have to say at southern events, boy, do I find fodder for stories. I keep my mouth shut for the most part and my ears on high alert, filing tidbits away for future use.

For many years, I lived in northern California. But I didn’t fit in there either. In the south, people think I’m Phoebe. In California, Monica. IYKYK. Too much, too different to be the belle of the ball and not enough to let it all go and follow The Grateful Dead around. Some people see me as a rule breaker. That’s just a façade. I am a rule follower, probably more like Monica than I want to admit. It’s one of the reasons I write. I get to live through my characters, take risks, enact revenge, exist on and over the edge.

Let’s talk mental state.

I was raised to worry (a lot) about what people think. A worrier raised another worrier. I fight this every day. And I fail. But I try. I was raised to think love came with conditions. My shadow self is fearful, wonders why people would want to hang out with me. I worry about making mistakes. I feel guilt. Lot’s of guilt. I feel bad for not doing things. That’s that love with conditions thing. I suffer from bouts of melancholy. On those days, it’s hard to find motivation. But I try. It’s just sometimes, I can only live in this day, this moment, and focus on what I can do in my own little world. As I am too much for some, this world is often too much for me.

So, who’s my audience?

I think my audience may be like my Instagram feed, the fall folks, the horror lovers, the women trying to figure themselves out. The women who are trying. My characters try. Sometimes they fail. My main characters are very square peg round hole. That’s the main theme you will find in my stories. Will they love, lust, stumble and fall? Yes. Will they cast spells? Sure. Will they kill? Sometimes. Blood makes everything better, stronger, yes?

This summer, I’m reaching into my bag of tricks, seeking clarity, finding presence. I listened to a meditation on being boundless. Wow! Did that scare me! I pictured myself floating, falling, no strings attached. Then I thought just maybe all of the carefully constructed boundaries I’ve built, maybe they are too much. Too much. Not enough. What if I just freed myself? If I dig down deep, I may find I’m in a prison of my own making. Shit. I know that’s true. What is the saying, get out of your own way? Hmm.

Anyway, I hope you got something out of my ramblings. Skipping the blog post for the summer. I’ll be back at it in August (my start of fall.) I’ll leave you with some dates to remember. My goal is to book 6 author events this year. I have 3 for sure and 2 up in the air at this point. Next month, look for a new publishing announcement! And the big date, July 21, 2026, the release of my latest book, Spare Nothing.

Thanks for reading my work. Writers need readers.

I be the witch of the words,

Greta

July 21, 2026 Spare Nothing released into the world!

August 14, 2026 The Haunted Book Shop, Art Walk, Author Event, Mobile, AL

October 1-4, 2026 Horror on the Mississippi, Horror Reader Weekend, Author Event, New Orleans, LA

October 22, 2026       Ocean Springs Library, Author Event, Ocean Springs, MS