It never fails that I seem to wake up at 4 am with thoughts and ideas for my new book.  4 am is known as the grieving hour so I guess it's only appropriate that this is the hour that I'm haunted by the subject matter of my new book.  Each time I really try to fight it and go back to sleep and swear to myself that when I get up just a couple hours later that those thoughts will remain with me.  But for those next couple hours those thoughts nag at me and keep me from finishing a good nights sleep. 
This morning was one of those mornings. So many thoughts surrounding me, nagging at me, keeping me from going back to sleep.  As soon as I'd think of one thing, another would come to mind.  Finally I get out of bed, grab my printed manuscript, my notebook full of notes, and my red pen and I flip through the pages and write down notes of things I don't want to leave out of the book.  Thoughts of did I include this already or did I leave it out.  Thoughts that I hadn't previously thought of.  One thing this book has done is bring back forgotten memories of times when I myself had been in a dangerous situation. Thoughts of what if things had gone awry? Thoughts of the times where I could have been a flash in the newspapers.  Whether it be in headlines on page 1 or tucked away somewhere in the middle pages that people tend to just briefly scan.  
As I get ready for work and scurry so that I'm not rushing out the door forgetting something and running late, I scribble my notes down in red pen and contemplate on whether or not to call in sick and just stay home and work on the project all day. But I know the weekend is coming and I'll have time then.  For now I just frantically get all the thoughts out on paper in red pen and scramble to put my make up on, take my vitamins, make my lunch, scurry out the door, and race to work with the expectation to fully function with out a full nights sleep and so many other things on my mind.  

Like all good works just when you think you had discovered everything you wanted to discuss along comes new information.  Thursday night discovered new information to expand on my new book.   Spent the day today going over new information to include in the first round edits.  

My new book is complete!  I've finished the first draft.  Crossed that finish line and it feels amazing.  Now I'll be putting the final touches on it and then getting it prepared to send off to a publisher.  Hoping I don't get too many rejections.  But I know that patience and perseverance shall prevail.  This project has haunted me, kept me awake many many nights, broke my heart, rocked me to the core, made me sick to my stomach, and given me hope.  It's been a roller coaster and I've met some amazing people along the way that I hope to meet in person someday.  Without them this project wouldn't have been possible.  

I just completed chapter 2 of the new book tonight and I'm feeling a good sense of accomplishment and progress.   I've been busy keeping the cats from completely messing up my nice sorted piles of research which has been a full time in itself.  

I have my 7 inch stack of printed out articles and notes of research sorted by category on my living room floor.  Now is the time to re-read though, highlight, and start writing.  

I've been conducting interviews for the past 2 weeks now, and only have 2 more to do.  These interviews have been heartbreaking to hear, but much needed.  The information I'm finding out is shocking, horrifying, and incredibly sad.  It's been a heart-wrenching and grueling month and half, but very soon I'm going to be putting this all together and this subject will get more light shed on it that it so very much needs.  Stay tuned.  I know I'm being a bit cagey about it all, but pretty soon you'll all know what it's all been about.  

So far my research is leading me to places for this project that are bigger and better than I expected.  I've been conducting some interviews and have heard some incredible stories of some real warrior women.  My head is spinning with all the information coming my way.  Most of it is raw, real, horrifying, shocking, and some almost unbelievable.  But it's not.  Some of the things I've heard you would think would only occur in a Hollywood movie.  Reality is stranger and more brutal than fiction.  

​Stay tuned... 

I'd like to thank my high school English teachers for assigning me so many research papers for English Lit.  As daunting as research can be I really do love it.  It's been a week since I decided  what I want for my next publication.  I've learned so much and I've only scratched the surface.   Some of my research is absolutely heartbreaking.  Stay tuned...

After a long hiatus, I have a new project in the works.  This project is one that has been keeping me up at night.  Working on the research now.  Stay tuned....

If you are reading this, that means you have survived to live another day, which is just as I suspected and found to be the case during my 2 years of research on the Maya calendar.  As most of you have figured out, the Maya did not predict the end of the world.  My research of the Maya and their ever mysterious calendar that we all have been told was the meaning of the end of the world, was not only a misinterpretation of the date the Long Count Calendar ended (just as our Gregorian calendar ends every Dec 31), but also a misconception of the meaning of end of the Long Count Calendar days.  

If you are still curious as to why the world did not come to end and why fire and brimstone was not sent to destroy us all, it's not too late to order my book and learn the facts behind the myths.   Just click on the links to order your copy today! 

If you did believe the hype of the end of days, and wake up tomorrow feeling slightly foolish that you were hoodwinked, purchase a copy of my book and learn why you really had nothing to worry about in the first place. 

Happy Winter Soltice everyone!