HELLO. Uh, here I am! Sorry... thanks for being patient with me.
All right! So, long story short, this year has been a wild time, and I've been doing some serious backend stuff since I last spoke to you here. Keen-eyed visitors will notice some changes around the site, and there's a pretty exciting reason for this:
1. Daughter of the Lilies and Hiveworks have officially parted ways!
Without getting too caught up in the details, let's just say that I decided DotL had gotten about the most it could out of its relationship with Hiveworks, and I have struck out on my own again.
DotL was recently moved to a new server, and the site's load times have suffered for it! I've hired a freelancer to look into and address this, and they will also be adding some new features to make the reading experience more pleasurable to vistors.
If you have any ideas, suggestions, or bugs to report, please do so via the DotL Discord! Some Buds have already provided some excellent feedback that will be implemented. This process will ideally be finished by or before the end of November, but that may change depending on what the freelancer finds, or the needs of the site.
2. The Store is temporarily unavailable, but will soon be back up with some new products, like signed books!
Currently, the "Store" link above redirects to my Ko-Fi! If you are so moved to support me there, you may certainly do so! I also have my personal store, which will soon become the home for DotL stuff as well.
I have only just recently selected a new warehouse service, Hiveworks has already received the shipping information for the DotL merchandise, and I am just waiting for confirmation that they have shipped and when to expect them to arrive at the new warehouse. I am happy to report that this new warehouse is local to me, so it will be easy to sign books, drop off items, and implement feedback! I'm looking forward to getting it back up for the Holiday Season, and if you have any merchandise or prints you've always wanted, you can drop suggestions in the Discord!
3. I'm working on another book, too!
An agent has expressed interest in my other title, Kaylee Has A Slasher Boyfriend, and we are working together towards a professional relationship and constructing a pitch for them to show to publishers! Current progress on that feels glacial because of all this other stuff, but I will be sharing updates and the process on Patreon. My goal is to have a working pitch by or before Halloween 2025.
4. Speaking of Patreon:
I would like to thank, from the very bottom of my heart, every single person who has been supporting me through Patreon this year. My absence and lack of activity there has been, for lack of a better word, unacceptable, but the support has meant that I have been able to handle all of the expenses this transition requires. I would not be able to handle this mess without that help. Thank you so, so much for saving me. I literally owe all of you so much. I would not be here without you.
This being said, I am doing everything I can to get this transition finished as quickly as possible so that I can just focus on drawing and writing again. The past year has felt determined to keep me away from it, and I feel very close to finishing off all of the distractions that have kept me away.
Yoko has expressed that she is available to return for coloring, which I am VERY excited about. She deserves a raise and I am determined to give her one.
5. I just want to tell my silly little stories.
Jumping back to fully managing my own business on my own feels intimidating at times, but then I see how much more success I've had already and feel reassured. I will be looking for ways to make prices more competitive/affordable, market things, and get my hustle back on, but honestly, I mostly want to be left alone and do my thing for a little bit. I've really been through the ringer, here.
My full time job remains the best I've ever had in this business, and I am so proud of what we are making and that I get to be a part of this team. If this job weren't as good as it was, I would not be able to handle these larger issues and I would still be in a bad place.
At this point, I can confidently say that I don't think DotL will ever reach a point where it can fully support me, but everything I make from the comic gets put back into it. I remain, as always, fully determined to finish telling this story. My goals for it have changed a lot since it started, but I will continue to pour all of the life lessons I have learned into it. I want to see Thistle heal and grow past her CPTSD, just like I have.
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TLDR: So, what do all of these things bring us to?
Basically... next steps feel a little uncertain. I'm waiting on a bunch of other people to do their thing. I apologize that I cannot give any specifics yet, but alas, that's just the way things are.
Right now, my biggest issues are the store and the site load times, so I'm focusing on those. Once I feel like they're handled, I will be able to focus more on the comic again. Currently, things are moving slowly because of the brain power writing and layouts require. As I've said many times before, this is a chapter I've been looking forward to making since I started the comic over 10 years ago, and I want to make sure it gets the best treatment I can give it.
I can't promise when, but I will update this site again when I have the Layouts for Chapter 12 completely finished.
I've lost a lot of momentum, and I've gone through a BUNCH of personal changes to address my frequent burnouts, so I'm anxious and itching to get back to what I was doing before.
I would like to take a beat and apologize for my long absence and leaving you in the dark - but I promise I'm not gone, and I am working my way back to you. Thank you for waiting for me. I'm on my way. I'll be there soon.
If you so desire, you can follow me on Blue Sky for the latest updates, as I am the most active there. You can also find me on Tumblr, where I try to keep an eye on my inbox. You can also @ me on the DotL Discord if you have any pressing concerns or questions.
All right, I think that's everything... See you soon (for real this time).
