Battles In and Outside the Mind
State of the Library #17
In this post, you will find:
Update on my husband’s physical therapy and what I’m giving up for Lent.
The Battle has begun in the Forgotten Library.
A wee reminder about the Forbidden Section and “In Case You Missed It”.
An excerpt from this month’s story, “The Bell of St. Teresa”.
We’re hitting that time of the year where the weather swings from winter to spring and back again. That’s not keeping things like redbuds and daffodils from blooming, though. It’s as if they’re saying, “Who cares about the weather? It’s my time to shine!”
My husband’s physical therapy has begun. Everyone seems really pleased at where he is physically, which says something about being in good shape before an injury. If you’re in good physical condition before you do something like rupture a quadricep, then you’ll be able to recover from it more quickly. At least, that’s how it looks like from where I’m standing.
He’s still not driving, but that doesn’t keep him from telling me what to do from the passenger’s seat.
Other than my husband being his own chauffer again, there something else I’m looking forward to: Lent. Specifically, what I’m giving up for Lent, which begins on March 5th. Normally, what a person “does for Lent” is kept under wraps. Some of the power is lost if you stand on a rooftop and yell, “I’m getting up fifteen minutes early every morning for more prayer time and am refusing to eat meat on Wednesday AND Friday!”
However, I’m sharing part of my plan with you all in an attempt to have some accountability. Like the majority of people, I spend too much time on my phone. Recently, I’ve admitted to myself that it has devolved into an addiction. My attention span is absolutely shot, and I struggle to stay on any task longer than a few minutes (it took me way too long to write these five paragraphs because I kept distracting myself).
I remember a time where I could look out my window, or read a book, or handwrite in a notebook for hours. Now, I feel crippled. This year, I’m going to take my brain back by restricting phone and Internet use. To help me, I’m utilizing the book Media Fasting by Sr. Nancy Usselmann, fsp.
Hopefully, by Easter, I will be in command of my attention again. Which would also mean more output, so you’ll get more stories! See! Everyone wins as long as I don’t give up two weeks in! On to the news!
The Battle Has Begun
Sardis and the Battle for the Library debuted on Saturday, February 15, and the reception has been better than I hoped. I’ve gotten lots of great feedback. The metrics behind the scenes tell me that lots of people are tuning in. I’m so excited! I hope that you all continue to follow Sardis, Drusilla, and Malo on their adventures.
If you don’t know what I’m talking about, click here to find the description and Table of Contents. You won’t have much catching up to do! (Don’t let the word “chapter” worry you about length. I’m calling each part a chapter to keep with the “book” theme.)
In the fourth chapter, there will be aliens and sketchy humans, so be sure to tune in for that!
The Forbidden Section Alert
This alert is to remind you that, next month, two stories are going behind a paywall. So, if you’re behind on reading my short stories, then be sure to catch up! Or, you could just pay for a subscription and not have to worry about it all.
Also, I would really appreciate if you helped me get the word out about my stories. Please take the time to share this post!
ICYMI: February 2025
The Key to Everything
Milton has spent years researching a strange box and the key that is meant to open it. But does he really understand what he knows? And can he face what lies within?
March Story: The Bell of St. Teresa
Madison is haunted by the sound of a bell, but when she investigates, she encounters a blast from her past.
Excerpt:
The only light in the room was the bluish glow of the computer screen.
In the chatbox, Madison typed, What’re everyone’s plans for today?
She waited, watching the flutter of usernames as people responded.
First up was chathambloke79: On the bus, going to work. Me and some mates are going to the pub afterward, tho.
Madison imagined taking a bus through a small British town, grey skies looming overhead. Wasn’t it always raining in England? She imagined looking out one of the windows at the stone, red-roofed buildings and watching people in raincoats walking down the sidewalk.
Other people checked in, mostly from the UK, though there were a few Americans working graveyard shifts. Those ones complained about how bored they were and how much they were looking forward to their beds.
She should be in bed, but it had been another restless night. Her boss expected her to put in a full eight hours, but Madison wasn’t sure how productive she was going to be. Maybe she could take a sick--
Ding. Dong.
Madison jerked upright in her chair, her whole body tensing. A cold sweat covered her skin as the bell’s deep notes reverberated through her.
“The Bell of St. Teresa” will publish on Saturday, March 7 at 10 am Eastern.
I hear you on the attention span front. I've been considering paring down my socials (e.g. limiting myself to Substack, Pinterest, and Discord and cutting out everything by Meta) so I can devote more time to writing poetry, playing music, and sketching.
I'm glad to hear that your husband is doing better! His recovery is yet another testament to the benefits of staying active for overall health. Years ago my mom was in an awful car accident where she got t-boned, and was in physical therapy for about a year. The therapists credited her physical activity for her relatively speedy recovery process.
I'm looking forward to the next chapter of the Forgotten Library and "The Bell of St. Teresa!"