It’s officially been a full week since my book was released into the world, and I just wanted to check in and say…wow. Thank you. Truly. The support, the messages, the shares—it’s meant more to me than I can put into words. Seeing something that lived in my head for so long finally make its way into yours has been equal parts surreal and incredible.

Now, you’d think after months of writing, editing, overthinking, re-editing, and questioning every life decision that led me to this point, I’d take a nice, calm break, right?

No.

Instead, I apparently decided it was the perfect time to bring home a puppy.

At first, she was an absolute angel. Sweet, sleepy, adorable…a literal living teddy bear. And then, almost overnight, she transformed into what I can only assume is a genetically modified mini Cujo. Tiny, fluffy, and fueled entirely by chaos. There are teeth involved. So many teeth.

So if I seem a little quieter than usual, just know I’m either:

A) chasing a very fast, very determined ball of fur

B) trying to figure out what she’s chewing that she definitely should not be

C) questioning my sanity

Or D) all of the above.

That said, my brain hasn’t stopped creating. If anything, the madness has probably helped. I’m hoping over the next few months (assuming I survive the puppy uprising) to add a few more short stories and put together a collection with a strong Twilight Zone–style vibe—dark, twisty, a little unsettling…you know, my comfort zone.

Thank you again to everyone who’s supported me, read the book, shared it, or even just cheered me on from the sidelines. It means everything.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I think the tiny beast is suspiciously quiet…which is never a good sign.