Hello fellow readers!

Today was originally going to be my March TBR but after much consideration I decided I need to take a step back and reevaluate. Not just my reading, but my everyday life as well.

Hitting A Reading Slump

I am currently finishing up My Favorite Cowboy by Donna Grant. I was invited by a publicity agent (I think?) to read this back at the end of 2018. This book was actually published at the end of February. Big oops on my part, and I absolutely can’t stand missing a deadline, but alas I have only myself to blame. The few times that I am able to sit down and read, I feel like I’m rushing through it now and it’s affecting my enjoyment of the book.

There are a couple of NetGalley books that I want to read this month. With that missed deadline haunting me, I’m going to be prioritizing those books, including the books that have deadlines in the far future.

Upcoming Writing Projects

Once again, I’ll be submitting some of my writing to Z Publishing House for their 2019 Emerging Writers of America series. I worked with them last year and I had a small piece of my writing published in their Pennsylvania’s Emerging Writers: An Anthology of Fiction. This year, they upped their maximum word count to 5,000 words, which is definitely more helpful when you’re trying to make your submission as amazing as possible. Last year I only submitted a single piece. This year, I had promised to submit 3 different pieces.

If you or anyone you know is interested in submitting, be sure to check out their website from the link above. I can honestly say that working with them was amazing and fun. Just seeing my name, my author bio in print was like winning the lottery. So, again, click that link above if you would like to submit your writing for your state. Deadlines vary for each state, so be sure to check yours! If you are in Pennsylvania, like me, our deadline is April 7.

Feeling Overwhelmed With Nothing To Show For It

While my work load has gotten bigger, my mental and physical well being has taken a hit and I need to take care of myself. I was down for the count a few weeks ago and that broke me down in so many ways. I stopped eating healthy because I was just so hungry from not eating anything for so long that I binged on anything I could get my hands on. That week off from work affected me financially big time, and to make up for it I’ve been working every single day since, often volunteering for 12 hour shifts on days I should be home resting. Waking up at 3 in the morning for 2 weeks straight takes a toll on the body.

It’s kind of a no brainer, too, that when I was at work nonstop, the messes at home slowly piled up. I’m the type of person, I can deal with it for so long, but then after a while, seeing a sink full of dishes and an overflowing trash can stresses me out and sends me into a tizzy. And I would put the blame on my husband and step-daughter. You know, it doesn’t take much to put dishes in the dishwasher, or put tissues in the trash can instead of dropping them on the floor next to a chair.

And I know I was doing the same thing of leaving little things laying around, because at the end of a long day, the last thing I want to do is clean the house.

Tie all that together, and the mental effects are disastrous. It’s made me body conscious once more, obsessed and stressing over money, and taken a toll on my relationships with people. Right now I feel that I’m trying to juggle 50 balls in the air and their falling around my ears. My reading is suffering, my writing is suffering, this blog is suffering. And it kills me.

Taking A Step Back

Seeing it all laid out like this, I definitely see that I need to take a break. I need to take care of myself for a change. Stressing out about not uploading a review, or not posting on Instagram, while trying to keep my everyday life and health in balance is just nuts. I need to change to be able to grow. My time is now. My journey starts today.

I want to thank you for reading this and pray for me……