End of the Month Chaos – April Edition

(a.k.a. The Month That Looked at March and Said “Hold My Coffee”)

April did not stroll in politely. It kicked the door open, dumped a basket of Easter candy on the floor, and said, “Surprise! I brought deadlines.” This month was loud, fast, productive, and just a little unhinged, which, frankly, feels on brand at this point.

I started April still shaking glitter, powdered sugar, and questionable life choices out of my luggage from New Orleans. Barely a week later, Easter arrived like a pastel‑colored ambush. One minute I was unpacking; the next minute I was hunting eggs and pretending I wasn’t still tired from Bourbon Street. Did I rest? No. Did I intend to rest? Also no. Let’s not lie to ourselves.

On the publishing front, Exposed and Other Small Bites Stories was finalized, polished, uploaded, and sent out for preorder everywhere like the proud, slightly feral child it is. And of course, April brought with it a fresh wave of authors who swore — swore — their books were absolutely, positively, unquestionably finished… right before sending me “just a few last tiny changes.” Tiny, in this context, meaning 40+ adjustments and six‑page correction lists. IUPH authors, I adore you, but you are chaos in human form.

We’re also welcoming several new authors to the house, and I’m hoping to announce them in May. They’re bringing fantastic energy — fresh ideas, new stories, and a whole lot of enthusiasm. The catalog is growing, the community is buzzing, and IUPH is humming along like a machine powered by caffeine and stubbornness.

Meanwhile, in my own writing life, I accidentally wrote a whole book. In less than two weeks. Because I said the cursed phrase: “Wouldn’t it be funny if…” Spoiler: it was funny. It was also apparently a fully formed novel that sprinted out of my brain like it had somewhere to be. It’s now with beta readers, and the early feedback has been overwhelmingly positive — which is both thrilling and mildly suspicious. I’m waiting for someone to ask, “Lisa, were you okay when you wrote this?” The answer is no, but that’s not the point. If you’re curious and want a peek at my literary madness, you can find 404: Apocalypse Not Found on the website, right now, with a cover, blurb, and even a glowing review recommendation from ChatGPT. If you peek, you’ll see why that review is, by any measure, hysterically funny.

And yes, my Thursday writing ritual survived another month, despite the universe throwing wrenches, squirrels, and platform changes at me.

Inklight prep has officially entered the “controlled chaos” phase. Schedules are tightening, speakers are confirming, creative ideas are multiplying, and my to‑do list is now sentient. We’re building something special — immersive, vibrant, community‑driven — and every week adds another layer of excitement (and paperwork, but let’s focus on the excitement).

Behind the scenes, we’ve been refining immersive book experiences, adding more personalized music pairings across the catalog, updating the website, building social media kits, sending newsletters, supporting authors, and wrestling with the occasional tech gremlin because Microsoft likes to keep me humble.

And because the universe loves to stack projects, I’m also now on the hunt for the perfect steampunk outfit. Indies United is heading to the largest Steampunk event in the U.S. this September in Hannibal, MO, and I fully intend to show up looking like a Victorian time‑traveler who owns a publishing house, absolutely has goggles and is not afraid to use them. Suggestions welcome. Bribes accepted. Goggles mandatory.

So yes — April was a whirlwind of travel recovery, holiday chaos, book launches, last‑minute edits, festival prep, surprise novels, and future cosplay planning. It was messy. It was loud. It was productive. It was very, very me. And May is already peeking around the corner with that “I have plans” look.

The chaos continues. But so do I.