The Month of High Winds & Power-Outages

December proved to be a very ‘interesting’ month!

TLDR!

Here’s what to expect from this month’s very short update:

• December was a rough month!

• What I managed to achieve, despite everything

• Coming in 2026

• Accountability report

December was a month of natural and electrical chaos!

Winter is the time of year when temperatures in my part of Alaska drop to well below freezing. And usually, at this time, the weather is typically full of snow, light winds, and icy roads.

Instead, this last month passed in a very uncharacteristic way - 4 consecutive weekends of high winds (constant 30-40 miles per hour, with gusts exceeding 80+).

The results (over the course of the month)?

• My apartment had intermittent power outages, a five-hour power outage, and random brownouts.

• The store I work at was shut down for three days (two consecutive) due to power outages and brownouts.

• Several people lost trash cans & large trees because the winds tore them down or blew them away.

• Signs, building siding, and even gas station canopies were torn apart and scattered.

Extreme weather like this is more normal for the tail-end of winter, and even then, it’s not for such an extended time.

What I managed to achieve, despite everything

I finished editing my voice recordings and created a voice profile on Elevenlabs.

• I’m in the process of using that to create the ‘author narrated’ portions of the “Shadows Over Seattle: Prequels 1-6” audio book.

• I’m reviewing the already-recorded audio for pacing and quality, and fixing any remaining issues.

I have about 90% of the outline for “Shadows Over Seattle: Book 1 - Of Wolves & Men” completed.

• I have a few plot lines left to tweak before I start writing.

• I’m reviewing the characters to make sure they remain consistent with any stories already written about them (I’m looking at you, Richard!)

Coming in 2026

Here are a few things that I’m hoping to achieve in 2026:

• I’m considering writing the occasional post from the point of view of one of my characters. Richard is usually the easiest for me to write, but I like the idea of varying things.

• Finish writing “Of Wolves & Men”

• Add a few more items to my online store:

  • Bookmarks (probably metal for durability)

  • Keychains

  • Mugs & travel mugs

  • Sweatshirts & t-shirts

• Let me know what interests you in the comments (example, do you want to see specific men’s/women’s clothing instead of just unisex?).

None of these are going to be New Years Resolutions, because I know from experience that I don’t often keep them. So, instead, they’re being added to my list of goals, which I have a better record of sticking to.

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Writing/Editing Update

Things are very much where we left them at the end of last month.

• I’m closing in on the final outline for “Shadows Over Seattle: Book 1 - Of Wolves & Men”.

• I finished editing my voice recordings and created a voice profile on Elevenlabs. I’m in the process of using that to create the ‘author narrated’ portions of the “Shadows Over Seattle: Prequels 1-6” audio book.