Changes

There's the old saying, "The only thing that never changes is that everything changes." Well, that's true. Another one I like is, "Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end."

Last year, a lot of things changed--my dad had bypass surgery, my beloved PaPa died, we bought a house and moved, friends and family from the PNW came to stay with us, and my biological father died. It was a mixed bag of good and bad. More bad than good, so I was happy to see 2017 go. Buh-bye.

Some days life feel like this...

And this year is starting out with changes too. BookFish Books, the small press I've worked for since 2013, is closing its doors. It's a bittersweet thing for me. On the one hand, I'm sad for the authors, sad the business wasn't able to stand the test of time, sad because these beautiful books won't be in the world, at least temporarily (I hope some of the authors will sign with other presses or self-pub). And on the other hand, it gives me more time to focus on my writing, build my editing business, and work with new authors at Tenacious Books Publishing.

But still, it's hard to say goodbye. Some of the BookFish people are like family to me. Thankfully we live in a digital world where everyone is just a text or email away. And yet...it'll never be the same.

In general, I would say I roll with change quite well (except for the season changes because I abhor winter), so I consider myself pretty adaptable. But I still haven't accepted PaPa's loss, and I'm still puzzling out the situation with my biological father's death. Deek always says I'm a deep thinker with a huge brain. While I suppose that's good in a lot of ways, it can make letting go of deeply important things that much harder.

His BabyDoll forever...

At the same time, change reminds us to be thankful for the times we had and the things that are the same. I'll always have my memories of PaPa, and I'll be his BabyDoll for the rest of my days. I'll always be proud of the BookFish team and the amazing books we unleashed upon the world. Some of these things may fade in my mind over time, but the imprint they leave on my heart will last forever. 

So as things go away, I'm focusing on what's still here. While Deek and I will grow and changes as people and as a couple, we'll stand the test of time. That knowledge brings me great comfort in these moments when changes overwhelm me. I glance at my husband, and a peace comes over me. He's my rock, my happy place, my calm in the storm. When my heart aches over PaPa, or when ponder life because of what happened to my biological father, or when I choke up working on the final paperwork for BookFish, Deek is there. He's there to hold me when I cry, discuss my many random and varying theories, and tell me everything is going to work out fine. He's full of life, joy, passion, and humor. I adore that about him!

This man, y'all! This man makes my world so bright!!

In times of change or uncertainty, grab on to what is real, loving, and tangible. Remember the good times from the past, but step boldly into your future.

Erin and Deek forever!

Tenacious Books Publishing

Molly and Ryder, my YA sci-fi novel

The New Normal

Wow. So, we moved across the country, found a place, found a job, and now we're settling into life. It's kind of amazing how you get into a routine, but when you move, it's all upended. Now, Deek and I have to establish the "new normal."

Queen Trinity was ready for everything to be put away. ;)

Dinner of champions

Otherwise known as "moving in survial 101"

Examples of our "new normal," Deek used to work from home on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but now he's in the office all week. I miss him terribly when he's away. But we've worked out a plan where I meet him for lunch every Tuesday and Thursday. It's not the same as having him here all day, but at least I get to see his handsome face in the middle of the day. :)

Here we are taking a walk during lunch. Deek works near a gorgeous lake, so we take a nice stroll around it sometimes.

Also, necessity requires that I wake up much earlier than I used to. It's a blessing and curse. It's a blessing because I'm like a super productive little tornado but a curse because I'm sleepy as I don't know what all the time. In fact, last night, Deek and I planned a nap date for today. LOL!

Sleepy all the time...

But I've FINALLY found time to read for pleasure instead of work (notice the coffee cup because...sleepy).

Since we traveled across the country and lived in a hotel for weeks, we haven't been as keen on doing adventures. We're enjoying the comforts of having our own place (in a complex that has a saltwater pool, state-of-the-art gym, 24/7 FREE Starbucks, and more--who would even WANT to leave??). But we have managed to visit a few local goodies.

We went to see Star Trek Beyond with my soul sister and her hubby. They even sprung for us to go to a recliners-and-food movie theater. It was my first time in a joint like that, and wowsa! 

Free posters!

Ginormous "Tower of Fries." Oh, so good!

Deek and I had a mini-date at the local stores.

Datin'

Doesn't this hat look like the lady in 101 Dalmatians?

World Market's version of the Iron Throne!

We attended the local Harry Potter event when the Cursed Child released. 

These are our "nice wizard" pictures. We have some "crazy wizard" ones too, but we look a bit deranged in them. LOL!

And, of course, we worked on decorating our room some more. My soul sister took the photos above our headboard, and she and Deek conspired to frame them and create an amazing Christmas gift for me. But we needed a little something below them to fill the space. When we saw the Mr. and Mrs. stickers, we knew we'd found just the thing!

In other news, we live next to a used bookstore. I *may* be in trouble...

And Deek's work bought him a pair of headphones for the office. I think he likes them. LOL!

I adore this man!

Now that we're starting to settle in, we're thinking of adventures we can go on, but for now, we're enjoying the calm of home and our new normal.

In our years together, Deek and I have been through a lot of wild rides--some good, some bad, some just plain crazy--and we've not only survived but grown stronger and flourished. I am beyond fortunate to take this life journey with a man as wonderful as Deek. There aren't adequate words (and I'm an author!!) to describe just how great his is and how incredibly much I love him!

I wish this kind of mind-blowing love and happiness for all of you! 

Until next time, catch some extra zzzzzz's for me. ;)

We did it! The Rhew 2 Rhew Tour!

We did it! The Rhew 2 Rhew tour is complete and was a smashing success! Deek and I wrote posts for over 50 blogs each, and we got the word out about us and our books. We'd like to thank all the amazing bloggers who participated. Your support means the world to us! <big round of applause for the bloggers>

via GIPHY

Thank you as well to all the readers, fans, and friends who read our posts and promoted us on social media! We wouldn't be anywhere without our readers! <big round of applause for readers, fans, and friends>

via GIPHY

Deek and I are just stoked with how well the tour and the local signing went. And for the icing on the cake, a magazine editor (who will feature us next month) called us a "writing power couple." OMG! <jumps around and flails>

In other big news, I FINISHED MY HISTORICAL FICTION NOVEL! This beast has been 7 (yes, 7!!!) years in the making. I spent 4 year researching and the other 3 writing and rewriting. Now, it's in the hands of my beta readers, critique partners, and the lovely and talented Anya Kagan. I'm going to try for agents on this one, folks. Eep!!! Regardless of whether or not I get one, I feel a great sense of accomplishment to have this story completed. 

Since I posted last, I've turned another year older. And boy did Deek make the day SO special! I awoke to notes covering our bedroom, telling me things he loves about me. Then, he came home for lunch and cooked me a special birthday meal. That evening, he took me to dinner at one of my favorite spots and presented me with one of the most thoughtful and awesome gifts ever. In other words, he spoiled me rotten. He said he wanted me to know how much he loves me, but I told him he already shows me that every single day! 

One of the notes. <heart eyes>

Men who cook = smexy

Getting silly when we try to do a birthday selfie. 

This weekend, Deek and I headed to Portland to support our friend who's been featured in a children's book! Since the book is about a therapy llama, the event took place at a pet fair! We got to see all kinds of fun things like a pet fashion show!

Rojo the Llama and his adorable sidekick, Napoleon the Alpaca!

Our friend Becky is FEATURED in the book! 

She signed our copy! WOOT! 

Then, we decided to go explore some of the sites featured in the show Portlandia. We haven't watched it yet, but we plan to once we move. Kind of a reminiscing about our old home thing. But we wanted to be able to point to things in the show and say we'd been there.

We already have a pic under the main sign, so we thought we'd take a pic underneath the sign on the side of the building. Plus, I wanted to snoop and get a peak at the Prince doughnuts they'd been making.

Keep Portland Weird-- 'nuff said

The famous Portland food carts (well, one set of them). 

You have to look REALLY hard to see the tiny dots that are us in front of them.

Gorgeous tree-lined streets.

City Hall. We've got our coffee too. So Portland.

Here's the tiniest garden in the world. I'm not even kidding. It's the Guinness Book of World Records! And yes, it's practically in the road! Eep! 

We're still getting prepared for the big move coming up this summer. I moved to the Pacific Northwest during this same week two years ago, and it's been fun looking at pics of our first cross-country trip on Facebook's "On This Day." While I'm sad to leave this area, I'm excited to go on another cross-country adventure. We've almost officially decided to take the Southern route this time and explore places we've never seen but have always wanted to! 

Here are some pics from our last cross-country-by-car adventure: 

My friend decorated my vehicle. While I'll miss the Pacific Northwest--all its beauty and our friends and family here--I'm excited to see my friends and family back in the South too! And go to a WARM beach. I can't get used to the cold beaches here. 

What even are these?

Beautiful bridge

Yes, we went all the way to the top!

Nothing like going three hours of our your way to see the future birthplace of Captain Kirk. LOL!

Colorado

Utah had some dinosaurs.

Snow covered mountains! 

Rhewvians, stay tuned for a message from our fearless leader, Trinity! She's been on more adventures and is anxious to tell you about them! If you're not a member of Rhewination, you can sign up on the site www.rhewination.com. You'll receive secret messages from Trinity and be privy to information the rest of the world isn't! 

Until next time, live out loud!

via GIPHY

Things Change

A week ago today, I got the call that my grandfather was being rushed to the hospital for complications from pneumonia. I'd heard the day before that he'd come down with pneumonia but seemed to be doing fine, so the news shocked me. I know my grandfather is 83, but he's always been such a rock to me. More tests revealed he'd suffered a mild heart attack and may have a heart condition. He spent nearly a week in the hospital and has to go back to see a cardiac specialist after Christmas. But he's home and alive. I'm grateful.

It's so crazy to think you can just be living you life one day and then have something snatch the rug out from under you. For those that don't know, my mom was a single mom for quite some time. She met my stepdad (whom I call my dad) when I was little, but they didn't marry for a while. So, my grandfather, PaPa, has always been one of the most important men in my life. He's generous, loving, and hysterical. From the time I could walk, I followed him around, and he proudly took me places and bragged about his "Babydoll." 

And now he's sick, and I'm 3,000 miles away. I can't really describe how that makes me feel. Heartbroken. Terrified. Like I might cry at the drop of a hat. Like I'm willing to overcome my fear of flying for the chance to wrap my arms around his neck one more time. 

But I'm beyond thankful for modern technology. When my parents visited him yesterday, I got the chance to FaceTime. My gaze darted all over his face for evidence of injury, yet he looked fine. He told me he felt weak and tired, but he still made jokes and made me laugh. 

I know people don't live forever (much to my chagrin), but the world needs my PaPa's light a little longer. My family needs his light a little longer. I need his light a little longer. So, if you don't mind, I'd appreciate if you'd send up a prayer or good vibe or whatever you believe in for my PaPa. He's an incredibly special man who'd give you the shirt off his back. Thank you!

 My PaPa

Despite everything, Deek and I have been trying to get into the Christmas spirit (though I must admit I'm still not quite there yet). Here are some pics of our latest adventures...

We celebrated Deek's birthday earlier this month!

We went to the tree lighting ceremony in our little town.

Had a date to finish up the last bit of Christmas shopping. We got it ALL done the first week of December (and came in under budget--Yay, Dave Ramsey!), so we're just chillin' the rest of the month. 

Got a free Christmas tree thanks to our old realtor and got our "ornament of the year" to go on it. It says "Best Friends" because that's truly at the core of our marriage. 

Deek snuck a kiss while we waited for a Christmas performance to begin.

We had some of Deek's college friends over for dinner, and they brought 15 (!!) books for me to sign. SO thrilled and so thankful to have supportive friends!

I also sold out of all the copies I have at home of The Fulfillment Series, so THANK YOU to everyone who bought signed copies for Christmas!! 

Even though our trip to San Francisco got cancelled, I still decided to go with the silver and black hair! Experimenting with hair color is so fun!

Surprised my hubby at work with his favorite blend of coffee. People, I am truly married to the greatest man alive, and I always want him to know how much I love and value him.

Found this little princess under the tree. Awwww!

Went to see Star Wars The Force Awakens the night BEFORE its official release. Deek and I braved the torrential rain and flooded roads to behold the greatness of the force.

Since we don't have the stress of shopping hanging over our heads, we can take our time and enjoy the sights and sounds of the season. Here's Deek with these creepy mannequins. LOL!

Fa-la-la-llama socks...just what every girl needs. 

It started snowing...IN the mall! 

We went to see the ZooLights with Deek's family. They rode the public transit with us--their first time! Such a fun-filled, memorable family night! I love my family, and boy do I love my husband. #LuckyWoman

Trippy!! The lights display transported us to Star Trek's warp speed AND gifted me with creepy vampire eyes. Winning! LOL!

This post may be my last before Christmas, so let me take the time to say Happy Holidays to all my readers, friends, and family. I hope your holiday is filled with laughter and love. I'm thankful that my grandfather will celebrate this Christmas at home with the rest of the family, and I'm excited to start another new year with Deek by my side.