The Oddity of the Inner Life of the Author: Post-Publishing Discoveries

See, my muse is like a rather messy apothecary with my current WIPs simmering in cauldrons clustered together in the corner. The Woven Throne (possible title) is the front and center cauldron, merrily bubbling away and hopefully getting closer for my co-author to start taste-testing. Nearby is my HearthKeeper cauldron, filled with the studies of home and homemaking. I dip regularly into this cauldron. Hanging from rafters, stuffed in mislabeled drawers, filling shelves of glass jars, going cold in forgotten mugs, poking out of vases, and collected in bowls are all the things I love: military history, family, nature, Tolkien, Lewis, theology, coffee, trees, chickens, children, warriors, fairy tales, Vikings, cowboys, home, and more. Because this inner apothecary is so unorganized, things tumble into my cauldrons that I didn’t necessarily intend or even notice. My homemaking boils over into The Woven Throne, making a cottage a cozy respite. A bit of military history drops into my HearthKeeping cauldron and changes the flavor of my group. (Sorry, ladies! Yes, I’m talking about Navy SEALS again.) Something I don’t even remember knowing I know gets stirred in until it’s perfectly blended. The soups and tonics that pour forth from this delightful chaos are impossible to explain or repeat.