March 2026 Newsletter
- Debrahn
- Mar 24
- 5 min read
This is my March 2026 newsletter, which provides sneak peeks into what I'm doing and more personal information. It has been a very busy month. I'm revising Love's Perfect Design, writing a prequel, and writing book 2. Great things are coming in 2026! |
WHEN GOD SPEAKS
The verse above has been with me this last month as I've written more chapters for Love's Perfect Match. It is an integral part of the storyline. While writing, I've reflected on how to be a 'light' to those around me.
Something earth-shattering happened a few months ago when Charlie Kirk died. The event itself was devastating, to be sure, and I prayed many times for his family and friends during the following weeks.
What happened after his death is what truly spoke to my heart. The world awakened. Charlie's life touched so many people in so many different facets of life that a BOOM went off at his passing. People worldwide mourned... deeply.
It was startling, then astounding, and I came to realize something. All these people weren't mourning a man. They weren't mourning a politician, a celebrity, a hero, or a saint. Their hearts had been touched by a man God used. They were mourning a person who had faithfully preached Christ, in love, EVERY DAY, until his very last breath.
That shook me out of any apathy toward reaching others for the Lord. As an introvert, it is not in my nature to be bold. Charlie showed me what boldness for Christ looks like. Never combative. Never preachy. Never afraid. My mission is to use the gift of storytelling to boldly preach Christ.
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SNEAK PEEK STORY MOMENT |
FAMILY FACTS
Other than a few birthdays and the romance genre's favorite holiday, there have been no unusual family events this last month.
Two of my granddaughters had birthdays in February. One turned fourteen and the other nine. They grow up SO fast!
Valentine's Day was another special day. My husband and I actually did dinner and a double-feature movie the day before, on Friday, so that I could babysit one of my granddaughters while her parents went out for Valentine's Day.
I would love to hear what some of you did that was special for Valentine's Day. Reply and share! |
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In my last newsletter, I casually mentioned there was an explanation for Kassi’s sweater. Friends… there is.
Before I continue, let me confess something that may require repentance. For most of my life, whenever I saw a dog in a sweater, I would pause. Tilt my head. Blink slowly. And quietly question the owner’s life choices.
A sweater? On a dog? Was the canine cold… or was this a cry for help? I now stand corrected. Publicly. Humbly. Possibly while holding a tiny folded cardigan. Because sometimes, it’s not fashion. It’s survival.
Here’s what happened. Two months after her first birthday, Kassi went in for what they cheerfully called a “puppy cut.” What returned home was… not that.
They trimmed her to within an inch of her skin. An inch. Of. Skin. They called it grooming. I called it a hatchet job.
Then things escalated. Within two months, she started losing hair along both sides of her back. Then her upper legs. Then her tail. Then her neck. Over the course of a year, my once-fluffy girl slowly turned into what I can only describe as a very elegant, emotionally fragile deer.
I was devastated. Yes, actual tears were shed. Not a glisten. Not a dignified mist. Ok, I admit it, SOBS.
So if you see Kassi in a sweater now, know this:
And should you ever find yourself judging a dog in knitwear, I will gently place a tiny sweater in your hands and whisper, “Sometimes… It’s not couture. It’s a co-pay.”
The puppy saga continues...
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 Kassi, there is an explanation for the sweater.
 Right after the 'hatchet' job. Adorable, but hair destroyed. |  Kassi in all her glory at 1 year old.  Hair loss was a progression. Kassi's back about 6 - 8 months after the haircut. You're looking at the right side of her back, tail on the left, neck on the right. |
🔍 WHAT'S UP DOC? 🔎 |
No, I'm not a doctor. I don't even play one on TV. I do, however, have the initials DR, (and so does my husband, by the way 😉). So we joke around that we are "doctors." Thus, the name of this section.
So What's Up? You may or may not be able to relate to this, but I have had a weight issue since I started having children. About 42 years. Anywhere from 100 plus pounds overweight, I have been on a diet nearly every year since my first baby was kicking ribs from the inside.
I've tried:
...and the list goes on.
I had some success with several of these. I've always said, any diet will work; you just have to find the right one for you. That is... any diet will work—for a while. That was me. I could gut it out for about three months, tops, and then I'd cave and fall off the wagon. All the despair, guilt, and drama recycled over and over.
Until November 2025. I came across something that has changed my life. A way of eating that I can live with forever. I've lost forty-five pounds in the last four months and feel amazing. I may share some photos eventually, but for now, I just wanted to share one of the biggest accomplishments going on in my life with you, my loyal readers. More updates coming. |
📚 READER'S CORNER 📚
Progress on book two is steady, and I'm very excited for the direction it's taking. I have several chapters written and edited. I'm trying something a bit different for this book. I'm writing what you might call "Act 1" (the first 8-10 chapters) and then doing a major edit.
This helps me because I can then step back and make sure the story has all the story elements, foreshadowing, and thematic foundation needed to make the following chapters solid.
For my first book, I just wrote the whole story (over several years, rather than months) and then went back and edited it. This created some real issues with how to integrate theme, 'clues', and other aspects when trying to put a romantic plot, a suspense plot, and a faith theme together into one story.
I'm so excited for this next book and can't wait for you to read it.
Author Struggles: Social Media SM takes up a lot of time trying to get yourself 'noticed.' 'They (not sure who they are) talk a lot about your 'author platform,' and it is not the thing I enjoy the most. I don't think many authors do. We just want to write. We could spend every waking hour writing, though, but then we would sit in a vacant room shouting our lungs out for people to read our book. That doesn't work.
"Must go where the people go," she mumbles manically. |
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