dare we have goals for the rest of the year?

Yeah! I always dare.

No, really, I just found a 'book' I made when I was eight for a school assignment and it was supposed to be all about us, and it begins: "Let me tell you about Camille... They are a kind of person who likes to talk. They always give their best shot." Not much has changed. I don't quiet down once I've decided to talk, and not only do I always give my best shot, I also choose the weirdest, often quite hard things to take a shot at. (Unfortunately, I think I'm just like that... I don't want to be so difficult, as I've said. It just happens. Must be something in my karma or birth chart.)

Case in point, the illustration that accompanies this caption is of me with a friend at a "Long Shot Ball Toss" carnival booth. The person manning the game says, in a charming speech bubble, "No one ever makes it."

My friend says, "Are you sure you want [to do] this?"

And I say, "I'll win!" (There's also a sign on the booth that reads, "Try at own risk." To really drive home what a badass I am? Maybe? I might scan this illustration one day and put it on the wall... my spouse wants a tattoo of some element of it.)

My goals for the rest of the year may not be so bold as this, as I seem to have lost some panache, but just the fact that I've made it this far is impressive. Overall, my main goals re: writing have more to do with marketing and niching to a useful degree; I don't want to court burnout again and given the general shape of things, that's still a slight risk if I'm not mindful. I've really noticed it since the beginning of this year, so I've just kept an eye to it.

As much as I'd like to press forward with more words right this second, the most I should realistically handle is my last release of 2025. Which I'm seriously thrilled about!

If you wish to help boost my morale, and bless you for that, consider leaving a review for any of my books, sharing my work with your friends, following me on socials and here on my site, or getting in touch to be part of a review/street team.

I do have an idea for a new novel looming. It's not set in Threads of Wyrd and I hope to share more soon, but I quite fancy the concept.

The older I've gotten, the no less fond of Long Shots I am... but I am more forgiving and less rigid. Goals have to be elastic and serve us! If we exist purely to serve the goals, we will break sooner or later.

If the impending autumn (in my part of the world) is scaring you because it brings on end-of-year talk, just channel a bit of Kid Camille and tell autumn you'll win.

Don't feel obligated to talk and talk about how much you'll do or be or accomplish... it works for some, but not all x