I'm trying...

I’m trying.
That might be the most accurate description of where I am in my author journey right now.
I’m trying to write the books. Market the books. Make the graphics. Post consistently. Answer emails. Keep up with readers. Remember that newsletters exist. Update the website that I swore I was going to finish months ago. Learn the business side. Make good decisions. Fix the bad ones. And somewhere in between all of that, I’m supposed to actually be an author and, you know…write.
And I am.
Trying, I mean.
There are days when I look at everything I have built and I am genuinely proud of myself. Then there are days when I look at my to-do list and wonder who exactly I thought I was when I decided I could do all of this by myself.
Because right now, so much of this is by myself.
I have people who support me. Readers who show up. Author friends I can call when I need to vent, brainstorm, or ask, “Girl, what am I supposed to do with this?” But when it comes to the day-to-day work of building T. Ashley the author into everything I know she can be, most days it is still me sitting behind the computer trying to wear fifteen different hats.
And baby, some of these hats don't fit.
I have dreams of eventually having a team. Somebody who understands marketing better than I ever want to. Somebody who can handle a website update without me spending three hours moving one box two pixels to the left. Somebody keeping track of deadlines, newsletters, graphics, emails, opportunities, and all of the little things that quietly eat away at the hours I could be spending inside a story.
One day.
Until then, I’m learning.
I’m giving myself permission to not know everything yet. To change my mind. To pivot when something doesn’t feel right. To celebrate what works without immediately asking myself what I need to do next.
And I’m trying to remember that doing it myself doesn't mean I have to do it perfectly.
So, welcome to the blog.
I have no idea exactly what this space is going to become yet. There will probably be some author stuff, some reader stuff, some behind-the-scenes thoughts, some lessons I learned the hard way, and occasionally me coming in here because I need somewhere to say, “Y’all…what the hell?”
Seems fitting.
The website was on the list.
I can finally cross that one off.
Next up?
That newsletter I have been pretending not to see. 😂