Announcement: I won a second award for my little dragon book about a kingdom upended by a tyrant, an unexpected dragon pairing, and forbidden witchfire. The Pacific Northwest Writer’s Association awarded me second place in the YA category. Yay!

As it’s the first Wednesday of the month, time also for an Insecure Writer’s Support Group (IWSG) post. If you haven’t checked out the talented writers who participate, click on the image to get whisked away to the land of blogs. My awesome co co-hosts today are Kalpana, Rebecca Douglass, Jennifer Lane, and Cathrina Constantine!

The optional question this month is: As a writer, do you have favorite themes that you like to explore in your stories? If so, what are they?

I do have some reoccurring themes I play with regarding good versus evil and loss of innocence. The reason being is they seem part and parcel with growing as a human being. If you ask the world questions, whether as a human or a writer, it will show you the contrasts present in even the simplest of interactions, and those contrasts often center around the push to grow. To understand. Innocence can sometimes present as naivete, and naivete is impossible to maintain when you understand the variables inherent in situations. My two sense. But time for some fun.

In weird news this month, an alligator decided to test the new “everything bagels” being advertised.

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2026/11/03/alligator-bagel-store-southport-north-carolina/6751793729245

In science news, stunning space pictures.

https://www.livescience.com/space/astronomy/webb-and-hubble-telescopes-watch-ghostly-objects-appear-in-the-cats-head-nebula-space-photo-of-the-week

I leave you with a song which has been haunting my dreams. I’ll see you next month.