March Recap: Nora, a Book Launch, and a Change of Plans

March was full in the best way.

It started out with a bang when I published my first book on March 3rd. I started You Don’t Have to Stay after crying on a plane home from Paris, dreading the return to a job I hated. A couple of days before the book went live, I realized the publish date was exactly one year after that fateful plane ride. It felt like a meant-to-be moment. It was huge.

Once my first book was out there—and with it, my heart on my sleeve—I thought I’d feel more different than I did. But mostly everything felt the same. Except for the huge cold sore on my upper lip that took two weeks to heal. My body knew I’d taken a leap.

After the excitement of the first week of the month, I was able to slow down and enjoy a visit with my parents. They flew down from Montana for their yearly visit. I love when they come to town. Not only do I get to see my parents, but we always find new discoveries I didn’t know about. It’s fun for me to transform into a tourist in my own hometown.

This time, we found a remote desert oasis, the Francisco Grande Hotel & Golf Resort, where the San Francisco Giants held their first spring training decades ago. The same place that John Wayne lived part time for many years. We also discovered a lavish Greek monastery, complete with buildings and artwork transported all the way from Greece. We spent our last day at the magnificent Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, with flowering cacti everywhere, giant Saguaros, and local wild animals. Each of these places were a first for me, despite living here almost four years now.

St Anthony's Greek Orthodox Monastery in Arizona

After their visit, I had a little time to write on the next installment of You Don’t Have to Stay before a premature heat wave chased me out of town. With my birthday in a couple of days, I had been planning a spring training game to see my favorite team play. This year, at 105 degrees, it didn’t sound very as appealing.

In the spirit of my book title, I decided that I didn’t have to stay in the ridiculous heat. I drove to Carlsbad, CA instead and found perfect weather. Not only that, but I realized my sister and her family would be in the area at the same time. I spent a wonderful birthday beach hopping with them and even did some body surfing with my 11-year-old niece.

The ocean was the perfect place to begin another year. I’ve always loved the renewing energy of the beach. Listening to the thunderous waves and feeling the warm sand beneath my feet are food for my soul. And swimming in the refreshing saltwater, feeling like a kid again on the waves, was an unexpected gift.

La Jolla beach in California

Despite a busy month that pulled me away from Nora’s world, I did manage to work on draft two of my historical fiction novel a few times—though not as much as I would have liked. When I started my novel, I had every intention of finishing it within the one-year deadline I gave myself. And I stayed true to that schedule through the end of 2025.

But life throws curveballs and I got one straight out of the majors. I was unexpectedly laid off from my job at the end of last year, and that changed the pace of everything. It led me to focus more on my nonfiction work, which I’ve loved almost as much as working on my historical fiction novel.

Going into the new year, I imagined I would be able to keep up the pace on both. But the reality is, it’s different now. Nora and her story aren’t going anywhere—they just no longer have a fixed timeline. I’ll keep working on her story each week and let it unfold at the pace it deserves. I’ve learned that rushing it only does it a disservice.

I’ll also continue sharing monthly updates here, and I look forward to bringing you along as the story develops.