CWs: pet loss, pet injury, blood, grief
February has been the worst month of my life, and I don’t say that lightly. It was seriously awful. This month’s wrap-up is probably going to be a bit depressing, but I think it’s important to not gloss over the times when things go horribly wrong and nothing gets done. That’s just how life is sometimes. Let’s get a refresher of what I had hoped to accomplish in February:
- Outline “An Unexpected Christmas” (TRM #4.5)
- Write most, if not all, of “An Unexpected Christmas” (TRM #4.5)
- Reread Flowers and Flourishing
- Take notes on Flower and Flourishing for the rewrite
- Read 8 books
- Send out newsletter
- Blog weekly
- Keep up with grading
- Manage my stress
Books
My goal was to read 8 books, and I read exactly 8.
- The Influencers by Anna-Marie McLemore- 4 stars, an influencer’s husband is murdered and her daughters become the prime suspects. As with all of McLemore’s books, it is slightly unsettling in the best way as we unravel the mystery along with her daughters.
- The Last Will and Testament of Wilhelmina Bruttenholm (#1) by Vivian Moira Valentine- 4 stars, a trans woman is called to a small town to be part of a will reading only to become entangled in magic and murders. Oh, and there’s a cute tarantula named Samantha.
- Ne’er Duke Well (#1) by Alexandra Vasti- 4 stars, a duke realizes he needs a wife to help him seem more appealing as he tries to adopt his illegitimate half-siblings only to fall for the woman who is supposed to be finding him a wife.
- An Afro-Indigenous History of the United States- 4 stars, I have mixed feelings about this one, but take all of this with a grain of salt since I’m white. I felt like it was really about Black history and key figures with the Indigenous bits tacked on, like a 70/30 split, and I wanted more on Indigenous scholars and figures.
- Painter of the Night (#1) by Byeonduck- 4 stars, an erotic painter is brought into the home of a rough, hedonist noble, so he can paint whatever he desires. The young painter quickly realizes he is in way over his head in regards to political maneuvering and the lengths to which the noble will go to get what he wants. This is dark romance, so keep that in mind.
- Painter of the Night (#2) by Byeonduck- 4 stars, see above
- Earl Crush (#2) by Alexandra Vasti- 4 stars, a woman goes to Scotland to propose to her penpal only to find out he isn’t what he seems. Instead, she bands together with his brother to find him and bring him to justice. There are also zebras, pretending to be married, and much more.
- Making Space by R. F. Kuang- 4 stars, a short story about a young boy found in the woods, the woman who cares for him, and the problem of outgrowing the world around you and the hope to find a new one.
Admin/Behind-the-Scenes Stuff
- Dealt with the issue regarding Kobo and TRF/my books
- Took a writing break to preserve my mental health
- Had to put Finn to sleep at 17/18 years old very suddenly and grieved him
- Less than a week later I had to rush Edgar to the emergency vet (he’s okay)
- Ruined my mental health and ability to function while waiting for biopsy results for Edgar
- Found out Edgar’s mass wasn’t cancerous (yay)
- Kept up with work stuff
- Ran an audiobook sale on Chirp
- Blogged weekly
- Sent out my newsletter
- Outlined part of “An Unexpected Christmas” (TRM #4.5)
- Celebrated my partner’s birthday as best we could with *gestures to dog chaos and grief*
Blogs
- January 2026 Wrap-Up Post
- AI Writers Think You’re a Mark
- The Reanimator Mysteries Audiobook Sale (no longer active)
- 6 More Things New Authors Should Know
- February newsletter
Writing
I wrote approximately 500 words this month. At first, I took a break after the release of The Reanimator’s Fate because I was working until the last minute to get it out, and my brain felt cooked. I had just started getting back into it when Finn had a medical emergency and had to be put to sleep. Losing my oldest dog and then immediately dealing with a second dog emergency (and waiting on biopsy results) completely tanked my ability to cope with anything, especially as I was missing Finn and worrying I would lose Edgar too. I didn’t really read, I didn’t do crafts, I didn’t write. I just stewed in anxiety. I posted a bit about Edgar’s vet trip on Bluesky, but it was a bit traumatic. That combined with worrying he had cancer (thankfully he doesn’t) wrecked me. Could I have pushed myself to get words on the page? Perhaps. We’ll never know because I chose to sit it out. I needed to just care for Edgar and Katie and deal with my anxiety and grief as best I could. I cannot thank my partner enough for her unwavering support during this incredibly rough time. She is my rock, and I love her more than she could know. Without her, I’m pretty sure I would have subsisted on granola bars and coffee. The plan is to get back on track in March now that everything is at least a bit better.
RIP Finn 2009-2026
Hopes for March
- Write the entirety of “An Unexpected Christmas”
- Edit “An Unexpected Christmas”
- Send “An Unexpected Christmas” out to newsletter subscribers
- Manage my mental health as best I can
- Juggle a bunch of doctors’ appointments
- Keep on top of work stuff
- Send out newsletter
- Blog weekly
- Read 8 books
Kara Jorgensen 