End of the Month Chaos, March Edition

Chaos continues. But so do I.

March didn’t so much arrive as it sidled in, gave me a look that said “buckle up,” and then proceeded to live up to its reputation. It came in with that familiar “I have plans” energy, and honestly, it wasn’t wrong. Between Thriller/Suspense Month, the newsletter shuffle, the usual IUPH plate‑spinning, and prepping for New Orleans, the whole month felt like a sprint disguised as a calendar page.

It was busy, it was loud, it was productive, and it ended with me strolling through the French Quarter wearing a bookworm hat. So… a typical month, really.

But we made it. And we made it interesting.

Publishing Mayhem & Milestones

March was a bustling month around Indies United, the good kind of bustling, the kind that means the house is alive, authors are creating, and the gears are turning exactly the way they should.

We wrapped up the Small Bites Contest judging, and the talent this year was fierce in the best possible way. Announcing the winners was a joy, and seeing how many new voices stepped forward reminded me why we do this every year. You will be able to preorder Exposed and Other Small Bites Stories later this month, with a release date of May 6, 2026.

Our Inklight Festival lineup continued to grow, with new speakers joining the roster and preparations shifting from “planning” to “execution.” The momentum is real, and the excitement is building.

New books moved through the pipeline, fresh authors joined our community, and the catalog kept expanding in ways that make me proud to stand behind every title we publish. The house is growing, evolving, and humming along.

Community Moments

This month carried its own emotional weight as we continued honoring the legacy of those who shaped our community. The conversations, the memories, and the shared stories reminded me how deeply connected this house truly is.

And in the midst of it all, the community kept showing up, for each other, for the work, and for the joy of creating something meaningful together.

My Writing Life (a.k.a. The Personal Chaos Corner)

My Thursday writing ritual survived another month, even when the universe tried to derail it with surprise tasks, shifting platforms, and the occasional “why is this happening” moment.

Words were written.

Stories moved forward.

And yes, there were Thursdays where the effort was made but thwarted, and that still counts. I’m still aiming to finish the third book in my series before the end of the year, and March nudged me a little closer to that goal.

Looking Ahead (and Then… New Orleans Happened)

April is already peeking around the corner with that “I have plans” expression, but before we step into a new month, we need to talk about the grand finale of March: New Orleans.

Because nothing says “end of the month chaos” like a city that thrives on it.

The NOLA Adventure (a.k.a. Chaos on Tour)

The Tennessee Williams Festival?

Let’s just say it was… aspirational. No signage, no cohesion, events scattered across blocks like someone planned the schedule with a blindfold and a dartboard.

But the festival wasn’t the point, because the real magic happened everywhere else.

I wandered the French Quarter and met authors in shops, restaurants, and random corners of the city. I handed out dozens of business cards, hundreds of bookmarks and stickers, and left little guerrilla‑marketing surprises on tables for strangers to discover.

People asked questions.

People were genuinely interested.

People wanted to know about IUPH.

One woman had been living in NOLA for a year doing research for her book and said she’d be contacting me soon.

I also fell into a group of bachelors celebrating their friend’s upcoming wedding, a recurring theme all weekend, and one of them had read Richard Jacobs’ Democracy of Dollars. We ended up in a fantastic conversation about money in politics.

Another was writing short stories for a single‑author anthology, so naturally we talked about Small Bites and IUPH publishing.

And then, the moment every author secretly dreams of, a man stopped me on the street and said: “I know you! You wrote a book, didn’t you?”

He’d read it.

He liked it.

I forgot to ask which one because my brain short‑circuited from joy.

But I did get a photo.

My bookworm hat got a ton of compliments.

The matching outfit?

Apparently invisible.

Final Thoughts

The Tennessee Williams Festival may have been a bust, but the trip was absolutely a win.

IUPH got exposure.

I made real connections.

I was recognized by a reader.

I had meaningful conversations.

I handed out enough bookmarks to seed a small forest of future readers.

March was chaotic, exhausting, productive, and unexpectedly magical. It gave me stories, connections, momentum, and a reminder that even when the month is a mess, the work, and the joy, still happen.

Yours in caffeinated solidarity,

Lisa

(Director of Narrative Operations)