Overstimulated, overwhelmed, and still writing

Aug 04, 2026 11:31 am

G'day, ,

It's me again!

I'm not sure if you follow me on social media, but last week I shared something a little personal ...

I've finally figured out that I get OVERstimulated.

And when that happens, I need to hibernate for at least 24 hours.
I can't cope with life and EVERYthing becomes too much.

It may seem silly, but I'm finding the older I'm getting, the more I seem to fall apart when I'm overwhelmed. I've never been one to cope well when I'm tired (just ask my hubby), but I've realised it stems from being overstimulated. Over the last several months, my job has become more overwhelming and stressful, which results in me spending my time off in a kind of zombie-fied state. I really don't know a workaround for this because I can't stop working and I need to function on my days off. Gah! 😭😭😭

I used to be able to hold myself together than I do now, so if you have any words of wisdom, I'd love to hear them.

Our youngest son had a fancy-dress party to attend. The theme: Dynamic Duos. His costume: A bee because he and his friend decided to go as 'The birds and the bees'. So we spent a few days making bee wings, which required some critical thinking and lots of problem-solving. It was fun to do something crafty together and took me back to the days when I'd have to make costumes for his school assembly items.

I've been working overtime on rewrites for Everlasting Vows after receiving valuable feedback from my two beta readers. Significant changes needed to be made, and the work involved was extensive, but the changes were essential, and I love this new improved version of Nix and Abbi's story.

I'm so excited for their story to hit your Kindle. It's been a rollercoaster ride of emotions, but every moment of frustration and exhaustion has been worth it. My beta readers, Kelly W and Rachel have shed tears and fallen in love with Nix and Abbi, and I know you will too.

🎊 Bring on September 15! 🎊

If you'd like to preorder, click below

Preorder Everlasting Vows

And here's a little tease ...

2 Abbi

What have I done?

My legs shake like a newborn foal's as I climb into my car. I can't believe I asked for a divorce and handed him the papers—not that he acknowledged them. I've thought the words in my head over and over for months, if not longer, but I never imagined I'd actually take that step and tell him what I wanted, what I needed. But when he couldn't even look up from his phone to say good morning, something inside me broke. I couldn't stop the words from escaping, even if I'd tried. By the look on Nix's face, I caught us both off-guard.

I take a gasping breath and reach out to pull the door closed, but something blocks it. When I look to find the issue, Nix's handsome face peers down at me as he leans on the roof of my car. I was so caught up in my shock and panic that I wasn't paying attention.

My heart stutters at the pain clouding his eyes and the tension tightening his sharp jaw. I put that there. I hate that I've hurt him. My first instinct is to soothe him, to take my words back, especially with Prudence's upcoming nuptials, but I can't. I wasn't exaggerating when I told him I didn't think there'd be anything left of me if I stayed.

"Abigail." One word. So much pain. So much meaning. So much history.

"I'm going to be late for work. Please let me go."

He crouches low, his eyes now at the same level as mine. "I'll never let you go. You're my wife. You're the reason my heart beats. You can't ask me to let you go. I won't do it. I won't survive," he grinds out through gritted teeth, as if his words cost him dearly. His voice is full of gravel and hurt, reaching deep inside and resurrecting the guilt I'm trying to push away.

God. Where were these words before?

I've been a little all over the place with my reading this month. I've also DNFd a few books I won't show on my wrap-up since I didn't actually finish them.

If you've been with me for a while, you'll know I'm a huge fan of Pepper Winters. I patiently waited until this series was finished so I could binge-read them (because she writes one story across three books and my memory isn't what it once was). As much as I love Pepper's style, she's moving more into the fantasy realm, and I'm honestly not a fan. So I didn't really enjoy this series. I'm sure other readers who love fantasy will love them because the premise of this story is very unique.

I picked up The Hotshot by Piper Rayne because I loved the idea of the heroine inheriting her cousin's kids and the Hero helping her keep them by faking a relationship. I really enjoyed this story, and I think you'd enjoy it too.

Cora Reilly's been on my list to read for some time after seeing a booktokker constantly recommend her. These are your typical mafia stories. They follow the expectation of the arranged marriage, virgin bride, disinterested Hero. This is quite a long series, but I had to stop at book three because the premise behind book four wasn't my cup of tea.

Finally, I picked up Bourbon & Lies by Victoria Wilder purely based on the cover artwork. I'm less than 25% of the way through, but loving the story so far and look forward to completing this series.