The universe stopped me in my tracks!

G'day, ,

The universe definitely wanted me to STOP.

You know how you just keep showing up, doing all the things, working, hustling, household chores, etc. etc. even though you're exhausted.

Well, that was me ... until it wasn't.

Now, you have to promise you won't laugh.

Promise?

I was walking back to my car after visiting my mum at the nursing home, lost my footing and fell.

Not delicately either.

I went down to my knees, then landed heavily on my side.

Cracked my phone screen protector and almost broke the arm off my glasses, which were tucked away in the pocket of my slacks.

As I lay on the bitumen, attempting to catch my breath, embarrassment flared hot and bright. And don't think the irony of the location was lost on me either—outside an old people's home. Really? 🤣

At least no one was around to witness my humiliation.

WRONG!

As I lay, grimacing up at the bright blue sky, preparing myself to move, a large 4 x 4 truck came barrelling towards me.

You can imagine my panic. As quickly as I could, I rolled to my side and pushed up onto my knees. The truck came to a screeching stop right next to me, and a young guy leaned over to call out to me. "Are you okay? I saw you lying on the ground. Do you need a hand?"

Firstly, I was relieved he didn't run over me. Like, that's all I needed. Secondly, I was embarrassed that I had a witness, so I waved him off and thanked him, but told him I was okay.

I was not okay. 😭

I got myself home, and when my hubby opened the door to welcome me inside, I burst into tears. Of course, once I explained what happened, my hubby and son laughed at me, then went into "doctor mode".

The next day, I went to urgent care and had X-rays taken. Nothing. They couldn't see anything wrong, which was mind-boggling to me for the amount of pain I was experiencing.

The doctor told me to follow up with my GP on Wednesday, which I did. She took one look at me and asked, "Why aren't you in the ER?"

I explained everything and said that the X-rays showed that nothing was broken, but I felt like something was definitely wrong; that it wasn't in my head.

She sent me for an urgent CT scan that day.

And guess what ...

There was definitely something wrong.

The CT showed two broken ribs and a hernia in my diaphragm.

OUCH!

At least I knew I wasn't just being a sook.

Every movement is painful. If I sit too long, it hurts. Walking hurts. Sleeping hurts. Breathing hurts.

So, as a result, I've had to STOP.

Time off work. Unable to do simple tasks around the house. Unable to concentrate. Mahjong is now my best friend. 🤣

0 STARS, DO NOT RECOMMEND.

I've also been thinking about plans for my newsletter for 2027.

Yeah, we're at that time of the year that plans need to be made.

Already!

I was wondering what you'd like to see from me next year in terms of making my newsletter something you'll look forward to receiving each month.

If you have any opinions, likes, dislikes, or wishes, reply to this email and let me know.

I'll see what I can do about incorporating them.

>>> FOR MY AUSSIE READERS <<<

I’ve joined Australian IndieVerse in celebrating the founder's 40th birthday with an epic community giveaway!

Head over to the Australian IndieVerse Instagram page and join the fun. https://www.instagram.com/australianindieverse

One lucky winner will take home an incredible prize pack featuring 40 prizes generously donated by Australian authors and bookish businesses. Don’t miss your chance to discover amazing creators, support indie books, and enter to win!

GOOD LUCK!

Well, I had a better reading month than I've had in a while, and that's because I went back to some of my favourite authors. There's nothing better than losing myself between the pages of authors I love. It's really like catching up with old friends. I know I can relax and enjoy the story because I know they always deliver.

I binged the entire Haven Brothers series like I was under a deadline to get it finished. It was such a great series. If you like a little suspense with your romance and big families, then I think you'll enjoy the Havens. I especially love the fact that every single one of the brothers are walking green flags. You know how much I love Heroes with green flag energy.

Then, I was fortunate to receive an ARC of T. Maree's latest offering, Fated by Design. This is an adorable Cinderella retelling with a side of texting her late father (who, surprise surprise, was not her late father but a hottie millionaire). This book had me swooning, my stomach swooping and me rooting for them to find their happily ever after.

My Kindle app kindly recommends series I might like to finish, and lo-and-behold, Everlasting Vows was front and centre. 🤣 So I figured, why not? Let's see how Debra St James completed the Everlasting Series. I hoped that by reading it, it would help the dreaded Amazon algorithm. I'm not sure if it worked, but it was great to read my book for pleasure, even if it did bring forth a few tears.

After seeing Swati M.H.'s latest book everywhere, I've decided to go back to the beginning of her career and read each book in her catalogue. I love seeing how an author grows over their career, and I'm looking forward to reading her collection.