Progress! (+ a couple new poems I wrote)

 

I am so excited! I have four more sections to write and create in Saturday Morning Tarot: Tarot Spreads for Your Inner 90s Child. And then it's on to phase two, testing the spreads! I originally was going to test all of the spreads in the book, but decided against it. I'm going to have sample readings from one spread in each section. After testing the spreads will come writing the introduction and formatting the manuscript. After that, comes editing. I'm excited to announce that I will be working with my editor from the first Saturday Morning Tarot, Lauralyn Kearney. I like her work because she doesn't try to change my voice. And that's important to me. I also felt that she was easy to work with and affordable. 

I've currently have the following sections completed:
- Rugrats
- Doug
- Rocko's Modern Life

- Hey Arnold!

And I have started on Tiny Toon Adventures as of this writing!

It is to be noted that there will be no art work used from the cartoons themselves. That would take a longer and headachy process with Paramount, Warner Brothers, etc. But I have used clip art in Canva that represents the cartoon or theme of the spread. 

This book will be in color again and be available in 8x10 and 6x9 versions. The 8x10 version is for those who need larger text. The 6x9 is what I want the book to look like. I decided, why not do both?

In case you missed it, I revealed the cover, which I got design help from Sarshi Hamilton, an independent artist from Nebraska.

I am so excited for this book! I am looking at a Fall 2026 release date and I hope to make both copies available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble somehow. And of course, there will be an ebook version as well, which will be available to read for free on Kindle Unlimited (I still get paid!)

This is the soundtrack I am listening to as I work on Saturday Morning Tarot: Tarot Spreads for Your Inner 90s Child. Summer Hits of the 90s!

In other works in progress, I've made 0 progress on the Autumn poetry book. I'm afraid I may have to wait until 2027 to release it. I try putting myself in an autumn mood, but nothing is working! I guess I just need to be in the season in order to write. And that probably doesn't make me a good writer/poet. 

I just finished chapter 10 of my romance novel. I also came up with a title for it for now. It is titled The Breaking Strain. My characters, Sarah and Sam, are about to have their first date! I'm excited! I feel like I've been in character develop mode for a long time. I also entered the first few chapters of the novel into the Novel Beginning writing contest at ProWritingAid.com. I'm hoping it places, but it will be no big deal if it doesn't place at all. Although the grand prize of $50,000 and representation and editing services are a dream! A girl can dream, right?

One of my favorite things I've written in my romance novel is this texting response from Sam to Sarah when Sarah is angry about her therapist telling her that she needs to get rid of all the alcohol in her house and her parents have to lock up the pills.

"Sarah, I have a confession. I’ve only been sober for three weeks since leaving the hospital. I’m sorry I have been a terrible accountability buddy. And honestly, you sound like where I am with alcohol. I’m mad that I’ve had to empty $30 worth of beer as part of my treatment plan. $30 that could have gone toward actual food, instead of my dis-ease. And it’s all because I am a ticking time bomb. And you are also a ticking time bomb. People in recovery are ticking time bombs. Anything can set us off track. But it’s up to us not to light the fuse.”

I love, love, love this! Because it is raw and carries a heavy sense of personal responsibility. It's also a high-pressure way to view oneself. I think it captures the hyper-sensitivity that often comes with early or difficult recovery. You expose your "nerves" when you strip away a primary coping mechanism. Minor inconveniences can feel like existential threats because the emotional skin is thin.

It also rejects the idea that a person is a passive victim of their triggers. It places the matches firmly in the individual's hands. It's an assertion of willpower and ownership.

Of course, there are two sides to this coin. There is the stress of vigilance. If you constantly see yourself as a "time bomb", you are living in a state of perpetual high alert. That kind of stress can actually shorten the fuse you're trying to protect.

And then there is the "explosion" myth. Framing a relapse or a setback as an "explosion" makes it sound final and catastrophic. In reality, recovery is usually less like a bomb and more like a car. Sometimes you stall, sometimes you get a flat. But you can usually get it back on the road if you don't walk away from the vehicle.

This is a great quote for accountability. It's a "no-excuses" mantra. Which is how I have viewed my recovery from bipolar disorder. I know I am in charge of letting what situation or person light my fuse. I decide to "explode" or I decide to hold the matches and use a coping mechanism such as journaling or creating. 

I feel like a lot of people in recovery can relate to this feeling. I'm sure  I'm not the only one who feels this way, I'm sure.

Now that I've shared my excitement over my projects. I'll treat you all to a couple of poems I am proud of that I've written recently.

Noise
By: Samantha Jean Tate

The constant yelling. The screaming. The sirens blaring. The fireworks booming. The constant mouths running. Every opinion not wanted. It's all noise. Noise I can't stand. Noise, noise, noise. No one knows And will never understand. All the noise I've got To put up with.

Masks By: Samantha Jean Tate

Wake me up When the world peels off Their masks Wake me up When we hold politicians  Accountable For sex crimes they commit

Wake me up

When the world is not

On fire

Where power is restored

To the people

And the average Joe,

Aquafina,

Valentina,

and Betty Sue

plus Rainbow, too

are free.