Book One is Finished

I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in His word do I hope.” (Psalm 30:5)

I’ve been living in 17th century England for so long, I’ve almost forgotten about modern technologies like blogs and internet. In fact, I think it took me longer to finish the revisions, revisions that were based on notes from my last professor, than it did to write the initial draft.

Okay. That might be an exaggeration since the book was many years in the making, but it certainly felt like it.

So, what’s next?

Books 2 & 3 of this planned trilogy, but I think I’ll let it percolate for a few weeks, maybe even months. Ivy & Moz have way more adventures ahead of them, maybe a deeper dive into the romance-y side of things, but I’ve also had a more modern Young Adult novel waiting on a back burner for me to finish Book 1, so I may take a break from living in 1683 England and move to 2019 Maine. Copies of Book 1 still have to go to my beta readers. And I’m still on the fence about whether I want to go the more traditional route of finding an agent or leveraging more modern technology by self-publishing.

I confess, I am leaning more towards the latter.

As we head into springtime, I’m also looking forward to gardening. This year, I’ve set a goal to source seeds for the herb garden. I’m looking especially for seeds, or even plants, that I use most often: coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara), mullein (Verbascum thapsis), elecampane root (Helenium inula), lobelia (Lobelia inflata), ginger (Zingiber officinale) and comfrey (Symphytum officinale) tinctured together to control my asthma; more comfrey, calendula (Calendula officinalis), St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum) and plantain (Plantago spp.) for skin care, including minor cuts and scrapes; black elderberry (Sambucus nigra) for boosting the immunity; slippery elm (Ulmus rubra) and echinacea (Echinacea purpurea) (my singer’s tea); sage (Salvia officinalis) for sore throats; more ginger, cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum), chamomile (Matricaria recutita) and fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) for digestion; yarrow (Achillea millefolium) as a natural styptic, and catnip (Nepeta cataria), also a wonderful digestive aid, but then again, I am a bit of a crazy cat lady, too.

I’m sure there are many more that I’m forgetting, and still more that I’d like to have…even if I don’t use them much. But, with the loss of my friend and fellow herbalist, Maurice “Bob” Cormier, I also loss my source for dried, organic herbs. So, it’s time to get more intentional.

And what could be more convenient than going outside in the yard and picking one’s medicine?

Some of them already grow here: yarrow, St. John’s wort, plantain, comfrey and mullein, and I planted catnip last summer; hopefully, it will come back. Some of these herbs are heat-loving: cardamom, ginger, turmeric and horseradish (I forgot these last two above!) and will require a small greenhouse to keep alive. And some, like slippery elm, I may simply have to source elsewhere.

I love a challenge.

What are some of your plans for spring?

May God bless you & keep you!