Still here. Just about. An update.

Wellity wellity. Look at you sitting over here all neglected. Poor blog. Poor liddle bloggy.

I’ll be honest LadyNicci.com – you were nearly for the chop. No beating around the bloggy bush. I grew tired. Meh. Not into it anymore.

There were so many more important things to be doing, like making tea, and cleaning up another piss stain on the sofa and ignoring my mouldy bathroom, because if you close the door, it’s totally fine to just use the other toilets in the house. No one sees your en suite anyway.

And then I put the finishing touches to book two. And within the hour, the urge to blog came back again. It seems I have to be writing something and if it’s not a novel, then it’s a post. So here I am, back again, LadyNicci.com, comin’ at ya.

A few minutes ago, I got an email to tell me that LadyNicci.com was actually down. I forgot to pay the hosting fees. Bluehost are feckers like that, whatever way their email system works. It seems the website was down FOR A WHOLE DAY. Can’t be having that. How could t’internet survive?

So I maxed everything I had to get it back up and running.

Seriously though, I have been thinking of calling it quits with this blog over the last few months. I’ve pulled away completely from social media, from Facebook and groups I’m involved in – from everything really. I burrowed into my little cave.

Booky Wook
Taking a break has done my head the world of good. For one thing, it allowed me to focus on writing my new book. I knew from the last time writing December Girl that once I got into it, I was ‘into it’. In that it’s batton down the hatches, full steam ahead, nothing else matters kind of way.

This time round I spent longer on research, writing and editing. I took my time. I allowed myself time to perfect. I think having gone through one editing and submissions process, to the point of publication, I’m more aware of the standard you need. I wanted to get this new manuscript to that point before it goes anywhere. And I have thoroughly enjoyed the process, way more than book one. People talk about the difficult second book, but for me, I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed working on a project as much. I’m actually at a complete loss as to what to do with myself now that it’s pretty much ready to go.

So stay tuned to see where that one goes. The other thing I’ve learned with publishing is that you need a lot of patience, so it might be a while before there’s any news, if any news at all. Fingers crossed. Pray to the publishing Gods for me!

Being a SAHM
What else has been happening in LadyNicci (nearly axed)’s life? Well I’ve been adjusting to life not working outside of the home. I’ve had some tough days health wise, suffering a number of issues related to meniere’s disease, which comes with lovely symptoms like severe tinnitus, dreadful fatigue and brain fog.  But, because it’s a disease for life, I try not to let it get me down, otherwise I would be depressed everyday for the future. I’m still waiting for medical appointments to see if I’ll be looking at any treatment for it, but six months since my last ENT appointment and five years since I first started seeking help for the issue, I’m no further down the line. I can’t imagine actually suffering an illness where I’m in pain and waiting this long to be seen.

I’ve gotten better at taking the medication now and I’ve introduced some much better lifestyle choices, including at the moment, cutting out booze completely (amazing – never felt better!) and eating better. I’ve still yet to jump onto the exercise bandwagon, but it’s calling me. Maybe soon I’ll get out the runners and go out and move my flabby self. We’ll see. (Don’t count your (KFC) chickens).

Author Events
Last week I gave a talk in Drogheda Library, as part of the Bealtaine Festival. It was my first author event and I really didn’t know what to expect. I’m not used to public speaking really and because I was talking about something quite niche – researching and using local history and landscape in your writing, I thought the turnout would be quite small.

I couldn’t have been more wrong. I was thrilled to find 30 enthusiastic writers and readers who turned up to hear the talk. Everybody was hugely engaged and I thoroughly enjoyed discussing the process I use for coming up with story and plot ideas and encouraging aspiring writers to use our local Boyne Valley as inspiration. I might put some of it into a post as the feedback was very good.

Next week I’m hosting another author event in Waterstone’s Drogheda at 6.30pm on Thursday 31 May. Crime writers Sam Blake and Catherine Ryan Howard will be talking ‘How to get Away with Murder’, and I’ll be asking the questions – a brilliant event for readers and writers and it’s free. Follow it on Facebook here or see you on the night.

What next?
I like to be a busy bee and even though some days I have to rest because of the fatigue and continued batterment from my small kiddies, I like to set out plans and goal lists. I keep threatening to look back on this post about changing my life from back in January but I’m kind of afraid to in case I have failed. Kon Mari has gone out the window. Well kind of, some of her ideas I’ve kept but the little foldy clothes thingy happens no more. Ah well.

I recently read that very busy and successful people don’t have a ‘to do’ list, they have a schedule. I’ve tried it and it is incredibly powerful at getting things done. So, instead of your list of bullet points, you assign your tasks straight to your calendar with an allocated time and it means by the end of the week, you’ve actually gotten your things done if you stick to the plan. Genius!

Ignoring that very good piece of advice, my current to do list hasn’t been fully developed yet and I don’t really want to plan things out as being a SAHM now, life is a lot more slow moving and I like the flexibility to complete the tasks when I feel like it, rather than on a corporate schedule.

I’ve great plans for the house and garden, including a lot of upcycling, painting and sanding. Oh and building treehouses and flowerbeds, which will never happen, but I can but dream. I’ve a lot of work to do on my websites and social media to improve them all and bring them up to a 2018 standard, but I can kind of take that or leave it too. Especially since my social media ban recently.

I want go get fit and really try to lose the last of my baby weight. I want to get through my massive TBR list including loads of fiction I’ve been dying to read and a fair few research books.

For the kids, I’d like to go for walks, days out, teach them patience, how to play and stop weeing in nappies. The atmosphere in the house and the time I’m getting to spend with them is pure gold. People have been asking me if I miss work and the truth is, no.

Things are quieter, less stressed, more relaxed. Some days I get a little bored, but walking my three year old to playschool yesterday morning, pointing out different tress, birds and weeds (mind the thistles!) I felt incredibly lucky and blessed to be in that position. I am blessed. And I want to make the most of it.

Because before you know it, it’ll be time to start book three : )

You can follow me on Instagram where I’ve been most active lately, on Facebook, which I intend to start u sing more now that I’ve had a break from the corporate data stealing b*****ds and on Twitter, which I still love – all  @LadyNicci.