Today’s the day! The sun is shining, the tank is clean and I COMPLETELY FORGOT IT WAS THE FIRST WEDNESDAY OF THE MONTH. The first Wednesday of the first month of 2022, which actually somehow makes it better and worse at the same time?

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Regardless of the fact that SE has a terrible working memory, it is indeed IWSG day. The day when we insecure writers can release our troubles into the ether like creepy, jerky, cyborg butterflies and our fellow writers will say, ‘ooh, aah’ at the display, because this really is normal for us. There is a monthly question to get you thinking, if you’re so inclined, and wonderful co-hosts to keep the discussions flowing and the support moving freely.

Our awesome co-hosts this month are Erika Beebe, Olga Godim, Sandra Cox, Sarah Foster, and Chemist Ken! Make sure to stop by their blogs and leave a comment for these kind volunteers.

First I want to wish everyone reading this a happy, healthy, successful, gorgeous 2022 full of good things and perfectly timed green lights. (Everyone not reading this, as well, but since they won’t know I wished them anything they’ll have to just *feel* a general sense of cheer, or something. This is why you should still read blogs, people.)

I’m starting off the year with some excellent news. In the last few months of 2021 the IWSG opened up submissions for a romance-themed anthology and despite a very real sense of insecurity about this, I told myself, “SE, you WRITE ROMANCE. Write. It. This anthology is LITERALLY made for you. If you don’t clench up and submit something you will be letting your insecurities WIN after writing many, many posts for the IWSG calling them demon trash pandas and giving other writers tips on killing them medieval style. Don’t let the demon trash pandas win. Submit something.”

This story has a happy ending, because those self-doubt demons didn’t know what they were talking about and my short story was accepted for the upcoming IWSG-FIRST LOVE ANTHOLOGY. The title of the anthology is “The Art of Making Donuts” and I am thrilled to be included. Congratulations to the other amazing authors included in there, I can’t wait to read your stories and get a big dose of my favorite happily-ever-afters.