Book three is jogging along! I estimate there are four chapters left, unless the story surprises me a lot somewhere on the descent. So yay! The light at the end of the tunnel is getting closer.

In this story, we’ll finally get to spend more time with Summer and Lia’s friends. I’m really excited for you to meet them. I like them a lot.

Writing about them though, I can’t help but think of the people who’ve inspired them.* It’s my personal belief that we need four types of relationships in life:

Someone who thinks we’re wonderful just as we are. 
Someone who challenges us to become something better.
Someone who can share in the activities that speak to us.
And someone to be naked with, in any or all forms of the word.

It’s possible to find one person who does all of that for you, and when we do, we call them soulmate. But we are social creatures. Most people spread this out in different ways, and if you’re exceptionally lucky, you’ll be able to count more than one person for some or all of these categories.

I am pretty freakin’ lucky. Not only do I know I have a soulmate, I have a large group of people among whom I can split up my various hobbies, and a support team like you dream about–people who text to say how proud they are of me with no need for vagueposts or milestones in my career, and who patiently help me craft email after email even though I know their opinions so well by now I already know what they’ll say to me. I have brilliant minds and hearts so big I don’t know how ribs can contain them that push me constantly to think bigger thoughts and speak kinder words. This is what I want to share with everyone.

The friends in my books are the hand in the darkness that has been extended to me, and the boot up the ass when I needed it. I hope I can honor those who’ve encouraged me all this time and give everyone a taste of the glorious connection, the safety net that is a friendship which asks nothing but to be included in your life.

March is a big month for my friend-family. Between birthdays**, annual vacations, and the resurgence in social activities as winter thaws, I always greet the spring first in the smiles of the people who, inexplicably, miraculously, with no ulterior motives or thoughts of personal gain, call me friend. I write about magic a lot, but none is more precious than finding people who want to share in your triumphs and murderate everything that annoys you even in the slightest.

Thanks, friends, for all your support, offers of violence on enemies and rogue chair legs, and the way you make me laugh. I look forward to hearing each of you ask “is this me??” as you meet characters in the future!

*No, everyone, the mean people in the books are not you. Only the nice people are people I like, promise.
**Happy Birthday to you all! I don’t know what I did that everyone in my world is a Libra, Pisces or an Aries, but you do keep life interesting!