Something a little different from me
Featuring some personal updates
📝 CURRENTLY WORKING ON…
Just sent in the final draft of DAUGHTER OF WOLVES, my next book. Now she’s off to copyedits and I can work on Other Things, like DOW2 or maaaaaaybe something new and shiny. We’ll see how I feel 🙂
A YEAR IN REVIEW
I…don’t even know where to begin. A lot has happened to me recently, specifically in the last 12 months or so. Some of it good, some of it great, some of it bad, some of it terrible. Most of it personal.
It’s not in my nature to share that kind of stuff. Just ask my closest friends. I don’t mean to withhold things or be secretive, rather, I have a strong dislike for talking about myself in any capacity. I am also someone who processes things in solitude.
That’s me in regular life, but online? The last thing I want to do is walk up to the microphone and talk about myself. Be vulnerable. Ick.
BUT, but I think because of life stuff, I’ve withdrawn even more than usual lately. It was likely a form of self preservation, and the internet in general is something I avoid whenever I am busy or stressed because it is 100% guaranteed to make things worse. However, I have been missing my community. Missing my First Riders and engaging with readers and writers online. This life I have, this career that is a literal dream come true, is thanks to my readers. It’s thanks to YOU. It actually makes me emotional. It warms my cold, dead heart. You have read my words, loved my characters, followed me online, posted pictures and reviews and gushed and pushed my books on others. What a fucking gift. As the publishing landscape shifts, as it seemingly gets harder and harder to sell books, to be successful, I am more grateful than I can possibly express for the life you have given me.
And so, even though you didn’t ask for it, I’m going to try my hardest to be more open here, in this space. And so, without further ado…the last twelve months (or so):
End of 2024
On the heels of winning my first author award for BONESMITH, I also had a 15 year-ish relationship come to an end. I’m not going to get into details but it was a really, really hard time. It had been for months and it would continue to be for months. I moved into my friend’s basement and just tried to get through my deadlines.
Before the end of the year, I also found out my dad had stage 4 cancer.
January 2025
I went to Mexico with a writing friend for a much needed escape, and started drafting DAUGHTER OF WOLVES. It’s based on Portuguese folklore, and, since I am Portuguese through my father, it felt like the right time to work on it.
May 2025
After a few months of writing and preparing my proposal, my agent sold DAUGHTER OF WOLVES to Saturday Books. This was a new chapter in my publishing career, and it feels like it really kicked me out of limbo. I now knew what the next couple years would look like. I had some guaranteed income. I felt like I could breathe a little.
June 2025
For most of the year, I’d been looking at Nova Scotia real estate. I live in Ontario, where housing is astronomical, and my mom lives out east. I fantasized about buying a beachside house and running away to write books. It was extremely appealing to me…until I realized that I might be lonelier than even I liked to be. I showed a listing (with it’s own private beach!!!!!) to my sister-in-law, who show my niece, and she cried. She didn’t want me to move away 🥹 And of course, even though both my parents are living elsewhere (mom in Nova Scotia and dad in Portugal) my brothers, my nieces and nephews, my closest friends, all lived here, in Ontario. Then I thought maybe I could rent a new place instead, but rent in Ontario is higher than most mortgage payments. I met with a mortgage broker (university friend and reader of my books from the beginning—hi Sunny!) more out of curiosity than anything else. To my surprise, I was approved for more than I expected—me as a single, self-employed person. Long story short, I made an offer on a house in my hometown where I grew up. Literally 3 minutes away from both my brothers and their kids and my best friends. A month later, I was a first time home owner. By myself. I did this. Or rather, you, my readers, did this. I can never thank you enough.
July 2025
I turned 40 on the 14th and took possession of my house on the 25th. My friend Jessi threw me an amazing party, and it’s one of the best nights I can remember. It was sweltering, and we all wound up in the pool at 2am. Epic. Amazing. A birthday to remember.
I spent weeks on home renovations and moved in September 1st, though I’d continue to work on it for the next month or so. I’ll have to share a house tour sometime, but this might be one of my proudest moments ever.
December 2025-February 2026
I worked hard on revisions for DAUGHTER OF WOLVES. I started coaching my nephew’s U15 rep basketball team with my brother, which has been such a blast. Basketball was one of my first loves, and I played competitively for years before injuries sidelined me. I still watch the NBA pretty much every night, and love going to games. It’s been such a joy to see my nephew excel at it, to get to shoot around at practice with my brother like we used to when we were kids.
I hosted family Christmas. I cut off all my hair and I’m obsessed with it. My mom now has a place to stay when she comes to visit. Life is good.
February 7th, 2026
My dad died.
Death is hard. It is final. Our relationship was never great, but we had our moments. We didn’t have a lot in common, but we both loved good food, hot weather (the hotter the better), and sweeping, epic movies. Some of my best memories are him teaching me how to clean a sardine fresh off the grill, which parts of the crab had the best meat, or how to properly use a knife and fork. We both loved the beach in Portugal, the sun and the ocean. The heat. We also loved stories. He never read my books, but he’s a part of them. He is Veronyka’s lost father. Wren’s distant, disapproving parent. He is Vin’s search for acceptance.
And he is all over DAUGHTER OF WOLVES, in the orange roof tiles and port wine, the familial legacies good and bad.
I wish we had been closer. I wish he’d understood me and I’d understood him. I wish things could have been different.
I wish, I wish, I wish.
Now
I hosted a Galentine’s Party last Friday and boy did I need it. I needed to be around my nearest and dearest. It was medicine.
I handed in the final draft of DOW today, and I am so ready for this next year. I’ll be working on DOW2, and trying to get something else ready to sell. I’ll continue working on my house, spending time with friends and family, and being so fucking grateful.
I feel like I am more myself than ever before, and it is making me feel bold. Fearless. And excited for what’s to come.
Thanks for being here. For caring. For coming along for the ride.
📚 CURRENTLY READING…
FABLE by Adrienne Young because I needed some sand and sun this winter, and it did not disappoint! Definitely Pirates of the Caribbean vibes, and the audiobook was fantastic.
I have been extremely lucky to read some books pre-publication including CAPTIVE TRAITOR KING by Brigid Kemmerer (SO. GOOD.) and THE DARK IN HER VEINS by M. K. Lobb, whose writing I adore and this is no different.
📺 CURRENTLY WATCHING…
Heated Rivalry, which I’ve watched TWICE, because HOLY SHIT was it ever good. Such an excellent adaptation of a book I really enjoyed. If only all adaptations were done this well.
I saw Predator: Badlands in the theatre on a whim with my nephew (we love stupid monster movies) and it’s one of the best movies I’ve seen in ages! It’s an epic journey with a grumpy x sunshine dynamic, found family, and excellent familial drama. Highly recommend!
Thanks for reading! Please drop any questions or comments you have below!
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What a year. Your resilience and strength through everything you’ve faced is incredible. It’s not easy, and I feel honoured that you trusted us with your story this past year. Huge congratulations on the wins, and I can’t wait to read DOW!
Oh, Nicki, that must've been hard to share. So, thanks for trusting your first riders so much. It's refreshing to see someone you admire admit they've been through shit too. But 2026 will be our year!! So excited for everything you'll do next!! Much love