February is the shortest month of the year, and holy shit did it feel like it. I swear I looked up from my keyboard and it was half over. And the weather seemed really pissed at me as well.
(I was iced in for 10 days, which stretched my love of hermitdom to an unexpected breaking point. Though in deference to my family and friends in the American Northeast who are dealing with six-foot-high snowdrifts, “iced in” for North Carolinians means we’re just waiting for the sun to come out and melt two millimeters of snow.)
Anyway, I am happy to report that I feel like I’ve made good progress on book four.
I’ve slowly made the transition to dedicating half-days to writing. I won’t lie: working with a therapist has been a godsend. It’s not a little ironic that here I am in therapy for the first time, while writing a book all about healing PTSD and trauma. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it’s been a lifeline. It’s really helped me get back to being creative and settle the sudden transition from fluorescent-cubicle-9-to-5-living. It’s deeply personal work, but extremely effective.
Some cool things that happened this month…
We had the amazing Rachel Gold on the Arcana patron Zoom on Saturday! I’ve been beyond impressed with her extensive tarot knowledge since we met at Gaylaxicon last fall. Find her directly at www.rachelgold.com. (If you’re ever interested in watching a special Zoom like this after the fact, but you’re not an Arcana patron, it is possible to sell access to just a single post or video. I just tried that option out, and set the cost for this recording as low as I could—$3 is the minimum.)
I attended an Ash Wednesday service for the first time in years, because the world needs a lot of fucking prayer and goodness and decency. It wasn’t lost on me how much of a privilege it is to openly wear signs of faith.
I am confirmed for ConCarolinas and Dragon Con as a visiting professional! As a reminder, ConCarolinas is a mid-sized Con with a ton of interaction between me and readers/friends. Dragon Con is a massive multi-hotel sprawl of programming—less time to see individuals, but such a chaotic and amazing, and fabulous event.
ConCarolinas: May 29-31, Charlotte NC
Dragon Con: Sept 3-7, Atlanta GA
I also may be traveling to a completely new location this year outside the U.S. It’s too soon to reveal any details, but it’s a very exciting development. More to come…
The Early Adventures of Rune & Brand approaches!
The Early Adventures of Rune & Brand approaches! This will be a serial installment of novellas—a chapter a month—based on my Patreon site. My Arcana patrons will get bonus content and immediate access; and my Principality patrons will also get access as the story develops! Micah Epstein begins working on cover art in March, and I hope to launch the series as early as May or June.
March 10th: Save the Date! I’m doing a release party and author talk for the brilliant Jordon Greene!
What: How (Not) to Conjure a Boyfriend Release Party & Author Talk (with Me!)
When: Tuesday, March 10, 2026 @ 6:00pm – 8:00pm
Where: Editions Bookstore (217 South Main Street, Kannapolis, NC 28081)
You can preorder Jordon’s book right here to support him and the shop. It’s going to be a fantastic night. Jordan has shared a lot of love for my work, and I can’t wait to give back in return.
Thank you for being the community that keeps me afloat.
KD
PS – Hope to see you in Kannapolis! Or Charlotte! Or Atlanta!
PSS – Our country needs so much fixing right now. Please GO VOTE in the primaries. There are no elections we can skip anymore.