Consider the Punnett Square

Am reading

Unfortunately, I just conceded to my first DNF of the year—I loathe a half-read story—so I’ll share a “recently read” of mine instead:

The Wild Truth: A Memoir by Carine McCandless

Carine has some tea to spill…

If you, like many, read Jon Krakaur’s Into the Wild (or saw the film) and left with the impression that doomed outdoorsman Chris McCandless was little more than an inexperienced wannabe Thoreau who died due to his own arrogance, you’ll want to pick up this memoir for a new perspective. McCandless’ sister, in an effort to atone for keeping secrets that she feels contributed to the common misinterpretation of Chris’ story, opens a Pandora’s Box of family secrets in this memoir. In doing so, she shows us the Chris she knew and loved; not a spoiled rich kid with delusions of grandeur, but a capable, confident, and incredibly strong-willed big brother attempting to start afresh after a lifetime of horrors. If that sounds appealing to you, I highly recommend giving this a read—after you refresh your memory with Into the Wild.

Am sipping

Longjing with a hefty does of ginger root. I don’t know about your area, but here at the Raven Tree, the weather has been pure chaos. It’s 70! Now it’s 30! Have a thunderstorm! NOW A METEOR! My sinuses are struggling and nothing helps more than a steaming cup of the classic Longjing (aka Dragon Well) with a heaping helping of ginger.

Writerly updates

My 2026 plan had me simultaneously doing a developmental edit on Book 2, Draft 1 of my impending series and, well, taking Book 1 from “impending” to “upon us!” Ah, I love how ambitious and confident I am in January. Unfortunately, March slapped me with some hard truths: Namely that I don’t have the time or mental bandwidth to deep edit one project while self-publishing another. A self-published author—well, a broke-ass one like myself—is not only writer of the book, but editor, promotor, platformer, cover designer, formatter, etc. All the hats are mine. I still haven’t given up on my ultimate goal—that of releasing Book 1 around October and having Book 2 release-ready this time next year—but I’m definitely having a humbling moment regarding my multitasking skills. If I have to edit Book 2 in 2027, così sia. I’m not quite ready to surrender yet, though. Please send productive vibes!

Expect not only more frequent update from me as the release date nears, but snippets from inside the world I’ve been building! Subscribe for a first look at the great city of Ironshore: Where the weather is erratic, the football team sucks, and the veil is thin.

FAQ

-How do you work through writer’s block?

If I’m ever stuck while working on the story proper, I set the story aside and do other tasks that keep me in the story’s world. For me, that looks like worldbuilding, exploring a side character or fleshing out someone’s backstory, and allowing myself to tumble down research rabbit holes. Breaking writer’s block, for me, is less about forcing words onto the page and more about completely immersing myself in my book’s world. If my book is on my mind, eventually I’ll find a path forward in the narrative.

Current Rabbit Hole

Snakes!

…again!

Circa 2014, back in my performance days, with my sweet precious angel baby, Prometheus.

I’ve had an affinity for snakes my entire life. I had at least one pet snake from the minute I left my parents’ house and all through my twenties. I volunteered at the campus herpetology lab in college, feeding and breeding snakes and teaching visiting elementary classes about them. I’ve belly danced in crowded bars with them coiled around my body. My love for these sweet sentient noodles runs on a spiritual level. So, naturally, when one of my children revealed their own snake obsession, I immediately began to plan for a future pet. It’s been a decade since I’ve had a snake (long, sad story) and now that I’m ready for one, it’s all I can think about.

Mom Corner

Nothing reminds you that most of us only have a very basic understanding of genetics and biology than looking at your children. I fully expected my swarthy Sicilian genetics to stomp all over my partner’s fair Northern features. After all, consider the Punnett square! Dark dominant features! …something about pea plants!

A nerdy deep cut from the incomparable video essayist Lindsay Ellis

Well, with three spawn produced, the scoreboard tells a different story.

One—count them, one—of my babies emerged with the dark hair and olive skin of my bloodline. A second has my exact face writ in my spouse’s coloring, and the third…I’m fairly certain my third is just my spouse’s clone and I didn’t contribute to them genetically at all. Their dimples might be mine?

Anyway, parenting is a humbling experience on infinite levels, and it’s both beautiful and terrifying to confront just how little you understand about being human.

Until next time. See you soon, and keep reading.

Alice