Two and a half years ago I was diagnosed with lupus. It was a shock, but also a relief. I had been having lots of unexplained symptoms: extreme fatigue, kidney infections, hair loss, and the skin on my feet and hands was cracked and bleeding every where. I wanted answers, but not necessarily the word “lupus” to be among them.

When I started writing Threadkeepers, I knew that I wanted a complex villain. I am slightly er…extremely bored with villains who are one dimensional. They want power, they want fame, they want money. They know they are evil and they embrace that. I am far more intrigued by a villain who thinks she’s the good guy…er…lady.

Before anyone gets this idyllic vision of our home life, just know that my youngest daughter came inside crying because her shoe fell off. There are dishes in my sink, and a pile of laundry on my bed. So if you’re here for some kind of ideal, Instagrammable, Pinterest-perfect family aesthetic, or parenting advice from a mom who has it all together, keep on looking. ‘Cause this ain’t it.

I started querying agents this month. It has been the most exhilarating, exhausting, uplifting, humbling experiences. On any given day, I will receive an email saying, “thanks for the query but your project isn’t for me” and then five minutes later, right after I have sworn off all forms of writing including that grocery list that I need for the weekend, I will receive another email that says, “thanks for the query, please send over your full manuscript”.