Last night I was visited by an old friend. Well, actually she’s been staying with me for three days, or should I say nights. Insomnia. As a result, today will be a truncated post. You don’t mind, do you?

First up, let me give my deep appreciation to Steph over at “A Dream Within a Dream” for sharing about my book. As always, take a look to enter for that gift card, as well as an e-copy of Southern-Fried Woolf.  Thank you, Steph!!

Insomnia not only leaves me exhausted, but she also causes me to doubt everything I’ve said or written. That blog post I wrote? Maybe it was too long, or boring. That email I sent? That was beyond dumb. No wonder it didn’t receive a reply. Why do I bother? That pitch I wrote? Useless. I should give up. (I rarely think like this when I’m not sleep-deprived. Then again, maybe I’m sleep deprived because I’m thinking of these things. Chicken/egg?)

Why can’t insomnia remind you of all of the fun, pleasant things in life while you writhe in bed watching your 200th (I’m exaggerating) YouTube short? Why can’t I write when I’m experiencing insomnia?

Anyway, as a result of my grogginess, today I’m just going to share some fun photos.

First up, here is a photo of two incredible gifts one of my writing besties, Cindy Lane, sent me. We’ve gone on several group trips abroad together, and we were roommates on the organic farm our group visited in Italy. I always wished I had her measured, careful approach to life and writing.

Cindy is an incredible writer. I’ve often begged her to finish her book that I helped workshop in Ireland. I know she’s a busy person, but here’s hoping this is the year! I need that completed novel. (Did you hear that, Cindy? Did you? LOL.)

When I opened the box that Cindy she sent me, I couldn’t stop touching the books. And when I looked inside Lighthouse, I couldn’t help but weep. The first is a holograph draft of Lighthouse including Woolf’s notes. Did you notice that Cindy has reading tabs in Lighthouse! I mean, that’s like being able to discuss a book with a friend when they’re not even there, isn’t it, seeing what they marked?  I was incredibly excited to see those. And A Writer’s Diary is a dream for writers. As a fan of Woolf, I cherish it, but also as an author: I can read her thoughts on her writing. Ah, Cindy, you’re the best!

Also, Hubby and I were playing with AI-generated artwork, and asked it to create a country-themed Virginia Woolf. See what it created! Fun! Do you think it looks like her at all? (The program cut the top of her hatted head off, not me.)

Yesterday was Woolf’s 141 birthday, so no wonder I wrote about her in my post then, though I hadn’t intended to!

Happy Belated Birthday, Virginia!

Drēma