This Week on Carrow’s Weekly Chronicle
Author Updates • Publishing Life • Personal Reflections
Welcome back to Carrow’s Weekly Chronicle, where I pull back the curtain on the creative chaos, the publishing grind, and the very human journey behind the work I put into the world. This week has been a blend of creative sparks, industry triumphs, and some very real personal revelations—so let’s dive in.
Carrow’s Author Life
When a New Idea Hits Like a Lightning Bolt
Every writer knows that moment: you open your eyes, stare at the ceiling, and suddenly a whole story arrives fully formed, like it’s been waiting behind a curtain for its cue.
That was my Monday.
I woke up with a brand-new idea—sharp, bright, and full of potential. It’s the kind of premise that feels fun in a way I haven’t let myself enjoy in a while. Low-pressure. High-spark. Something playful, something for me. A project that doesn’t need to fit into a schedule or a release calendar (at least not yet). A story that lets my imagination run barefoot again.
Between meetings, articles, and NaNoWriMo prep, I spent this week hashing out the outline. The more I explored it, the more it made my creative soul hum. I didn’t intend to pick up a new project right before the storm of November writing madness, but honestly? I’m glad I did.
Writing professionally—whether for novels, comics, or editorial content—can start feeling like a series of deadlines and deliverables. Passion projects remind us why we do any of it. They refill the well. They light up the corners of our minds we forget even exist when we’re too focused on being productive.
So after NaNoWriMo wraps, I think I’m going to sit down and let this new story breathe. No pressure. No expectations. Just joy. And I could use that.
Carrow’s Career
Two New Books, One Creative Rivalry, and a Whole Lot of Momentum
If you’ve been anywhere near the Rippaverse this week, you already know: we moved fast. And when Eric July wants to charge forward, the man charges. Monday morning hit like a rocket launch as we dropped not one but two brand-new books:
The Cursed by Jen Soska and Black Eye Club by Sylvia Soska.
Yes, the Soska Sisters are at it again.
Yes, the rivalry is alive and well.
And no, I’m not technically supposed to have a favorite.
But since this is my blog—and we’re all friends here—I’ll say it: Jen’s book The Cursed is a phenomenal read. Dark. Twisty. Emotional. Visually stunning. Everything you want in a Rippaverse horror-fantasy ride. (Sylvia, if you’re reading this… I love you too.)
On top of the book launches, I also wrote several articles this week, but my favorite by far was the Twin Against Twin feature. Something about exploring that creative competition, the narrative voice each sister brings to her book, and the dynamic between them was genuinely fun to put together. If you want a peek into the creative DNA of the Soskas and how differently their storytelling brains tick, that article is a great place to start.
Momentum is everything in publishing, and right now, the energy around these projects is electric. It feels good to be part of something that moves with purpose.
Carrow’s Personal Life
Cancer Plans, Coping Mechanisms, and Permission to Rest
This week marks a major point in my cancer journey. I had my appointment with the surgeon and finally got a clear sense of what’s going to happen and when. There’s something strangely grounding about having a plan. Even if the plan is intimidating, at least there is one.
Is it weird that a part of me is looking forward to the time off?
Not the surgery, obviously. Not the recovery. But the stillness. The forced pause. The invitation—no, the demand—to rest.
This year has been a marathon of tension. Projects piling up, schedules expanding, inboxes multiplying like gremlins after midnight. My mother died, and then my grandmother. Then cancer happened (but could you not?)And somewhere along the way, without even noticing, I started coping in every unhealthy way available. Overworking. Overscheduling. Overcommitting. And yes, indulging in one too many afternoon cocktails.
The irony of cancer made me give up alcohol only to push me into working even more isn’t lost on me. If coping mechanisms were Pokémon, I’d have collected the whole set by now.
But the truth is: I need to cool my jets.
I need permission—my own permission—to step back without guilt.
And strangely, that’s the gift inside all of this. When life forces you to slow down, you finally see how much you’ve been running on fumes.
So I’m going to let myself rest. I mean it this time. Actual rest. I may play a video game and read a book.
Because healing isn’t only physical. It’s emotional. Creative. Spiritual. And maybe stepping back for a moment will let the next chapter of my life—and my stories—unfold with more clarity than I’ve had in a long time.
Closing Thoughts
Creativity, Courage, and Course Correction
This week felt like three separate stories braided together:
The creative spark — that new idea arriving like a gift.
The career momentum — new books, new articles, new energy.
The personal turning point — facing what comes next with honesty and grace.
And really, that’s what being a modern author looks like. We are never just one thing. We are dreamers, builders, warriors, and caretakers of our own lives. We balance the passionate and the practical. We juggle deadlines and emotions. We fight for the stories we love while fighting to keep ourselves whole.
If you’re reading this and you’re also in a season of change—or burnout, or transition, or rediscovery—I hope this Chronicle reminds you that it’s okay to pause. It’s okay to pick up a passion project simply because it makes you feel alive. It’s okay to rest and reset.
Creativity thrives when we do.
Thanks for spending part of your week with me.
Until next Friday!
—Carrow