The Best Kind of Distraction

For the last two weeks, my attention has been completely stolen by our new rescue dog, Sara.

And honestly? I am not sorry.

Bringing a rescue dog home comes with a lot of adjustment. There are new routines to learn, trust to build, and plenty of time spent figuring out what makes her feel safe and comfortable. There have also been a lot of cuddles, treats, walks, and moments where I have done absolutely nothing productive because Sara was being too cute to ignore.

It has been a wonderful break from editing.

After spending so much time inside a manuscript, staring at the same scenes and questioning every word, sometimes stepping away is exactly what the story—and the author—needs.

Editing can make even the most confident writer start spiraling.

Does this scene move quickly enough?

Have I used that word too many times?

Is the tension strong enough?

Do these characters need to talk about their feelings, or do they need to stop talking and make some gloriously bad decisions?

You know. The important literary questions.

Spending time with Sara gave my brain a chance to rest. Instead of obsessing over sentence structure, character motivation, and whether I had accidentally softened an alpha male who should absolutely know better, I got to focus on helping a sweet dog settle into her new home.

But the manuscript has been waiting.

Patiently might be the wrong word.

It has probably been sitting there judging me.

The characters are frozen in place. The villains are still plotting. The romance is still simmering. And somewhere inside those unfinished pages, somebody is undoubtedly waiting to argue, threaten someone, fall in love, or lose several pieces of clothing.

So, as much as I have loved my break, it is finally time to get back to editing.

I am returning with a clearer head, a rested imagination, and a new four-legged coworker who may or may not respect office hours.

Sara will probably continue to be a distraction. She will likely demand attention at the exact moment I finally fix a difficult scene. She may even become my excuse for taking a few extra breaks.

But I am ready to open the manuscript again.

Ready to face the tiny details.

Ready to tighten the prose.

Ready to make the tension sharper, the emotions deeper, and the heat worth the wait.

At least, I think I am.

Ask me again after the first round of edits.

For now, Sara is settling in, the coffee is ready, and the characters of Savage Redemption have been left unsupervised long enough.

It is time to return to Rylee, Monster, and the dangerous world of the Savage Vipers. There are secrets still waiting to surface, threats closing in, and a love story that refuses to stay buried beneath old wounds and harder choices.

Savage Redemption, the first book in the Vengeance and Vows series, is a gritty, emotional motorcycle club romance filled with fierce loyalty, protective alpha energy, hard-earned redemption, and plenty of heat.

I cannot wait to share it with you.

Until then, I will be tightening the tension, sharpening the danger, and making sure Monster earns every piece of Rylee’s trust—and every scorching moment that follows.

Stay close. The Savage Vipers are coming.