The Flex
March 2026 Recap
Welcome to the first edition of The Flex, a monthly roundup of publishing, reading, and workout news, along with anything else my curated tastes and I have decided I must share.
Publishing News
Things got very real this month for my debut book launch. I got my first proof copy:
You are more than welcome to judge this book by its cover, because as you can see, my cover designer absolutely knocked it out of the park. I formatted the interior myself and am pleased with how it turned out. Right now the book is available for preorder on Kindle only, but once I’ve gone through another round of proofreading I will be able to set it up for preorder on additional platforms.
I also sent out ARCs (advance review copies) and received my first review on NetGalley and Goodreads! If you didn’t know, reviews are a powerful way to support authors writing in the current algorithmic hellscape. So anytime a book really speaks to you, give it a review online. Especially if that book is Birdy Cleary in the future!
Workout Wins
After 11 years of home workouts, I’ve been back in the gym this year and have been very slowly expanding beyond the dumbbell work I’ve been doing all this time. This month I succeeded in back squatting my body weight for the first time! A mere 9 days later, I succeeded in hurting my back while deadlifting for the first time! After meeting these milestones, I believe I am now a true gym rat. And don’t worry, my back was fine after 24 hours.
Great Reads
This has not been the best month for me reading wise, because all my reading time has been at night, and night is when I sleep. But I did finish American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins. It is an unfortunately relevant book and it made me tear up multiple times. So read if you need some emotional catharsis about the state of things, I guess. I started reading a novel about Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton working together on a murder trial but then I stopped. “I did not connect with the style,” as a literary agent might say. Now I’m reading Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury, which is weird, creepy, and fast-paced. Obviously I love it.
Writing News
I’m still revising my new novel, although it has been slow going this month. My goal is to release it in May of 2027, so I want to finish my current revision by the end of the school year and complete another revision over the summer. It’s a domestic suspense book about a mom on a treacherous road trip with her kids, so every drive to and from school can be filed under “research.”
Next Week:
Next week is the first edition of Strong Writing Lessons. Next week is also Easter, so great timing on my part. Paid subscribers can take a break from their chocolate bunny and ham consumption and get behind the scenes information on writing a novel. Or, you can read while consuming your chocolate bunny and ham. In fact, I encourage it.
Leave me a comment and tell me your wins for the month! Or your losses. Or your back injuries. It’s all welcome here.