Tiger with a ball and chain

Escaping Thoughts - February 20, 2026

Dear Reader,

Long ago, I promised to tell the truth about my author's journey. I haven't wavered from that core principle with the weekly posts, no matter how much the timing, structure, or formatting has changed. But things in the real world don't always remain static. My dreams and aspirations for the Draoithe Saga have subtlety changed over the last decade.

At first, I wanted only to write. Then I wanted to publish, which led to considering marketing and the inevitable dream of being a full-time author. More recently, I wonder how much of that dream was truly mine, or even a realistic option. Did I actually want to be a full-time author? Or was that a dream I borrowed from studying self-publishing and indie authors? Did I believe it was possible?

As I lie awake some nights struggling to sleep, I'm seeing a different path. One not focused on turning what I cherish into my career. Sure, it would be nice to escape the 9 to 5 grind, but I don’t know if I want that at the expense of my writing becoming the very grind from which I seek escape. If all the trappings of operating a business must tarnish the joy, I'm not so sure the tradeoff would be worth it.

If there was ever an underlying reason, besides a lack of funds, for why I don't learn paid ads or buying promotions, ruining the dream by turning it into a mere job is it. I don't want to deal with burnout or suffer the loss of the pleasure which writing affords me. And the statistics favor negative results over winning the publishing lottery.

At the moment, I'm having too much fun talking to the voices in my head to want to enslave them to the same world I so desperately want to get away from. I'll find a way out of the rat race someday, but it doesn't have to be my stories which buy my freedom, at least not in financial terms.

The Draoithe Saga should always be a sanctuary for its readers, including the Tiger who wrote it and then read it first. I enjoy sharing the Draoithe Saga, so I will keep publishing and selling the tales from the dream. But I want the escape, not a ball and chain. If fantasy and romance interest you, stick around and read in the dream with an old tiger.

And now a word from our sponsor, Ophelia Kee.

Shameless Self Promotion

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Unraveling chaos with each tattered thread

A thousand years ago, chaos escaped into the dream. By 2016, shadowy evil forces using madness were wreaking havoc on the balance of magic and erasing necessary parts of an ancient prophecy. In danger of losing its magic, the dream attempts to use broken pieces and replacement parts to weave a new tapestry. Choosing the right building blocks isn’t easy.

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Welcome to the dream…

Behind the Scenes

Tiger wearing a headset

As you may have noticed, Ophelia Kee Speaks has shifted from video to an audio-only format. I needed to ease the pressure. Building the videos takes more time than I want to spend on a podcast. Until I can sit in front of the camera and read the script, in my human guise, I'm opting for expanding the dream faster. There are too many behind-the-scenes projects taking up far too much of my time.

I still want to sit down and tell you all about what's happening in the dream each week because, let's face it, the muse is insane. Even I don't know what she will chase next. These letters help me sort out how I feel about my writing and publishing. More importantly, they allow you a glimpse behind the curtain into the wizardry as it's happening. This is my grand opportunity to share my successes and invite you to laugh at my mistakes.

So what is going on that made me switch to audio? Bookshop.org is one of them. I have to go through the entire back catalog and add all the links to the universal book link. Then there's the completion of the story art collections, which, while it seemed like a quick and easy thing, absolutely turned into a several-weeks-long project. Let's not forget about the publishing of the back catalog with all the revisions and edits, either.

It's the ideas which float on the horizon like mist rising above the water and cloud the process often by adding more work: music, songs, poetry, lyrics, graphic novel rewrites, screenplay scripts, and what I can do with the slide decks. The list is ever-expanding, and my time is finite. All old tigers know that the grains of sand inexorably trickle down. One day, the last grain will tumble into the glass only to find the bottom has broken and the sands of the mind have scattered in the wind. I pray the dream is complete then, but I feel the pressure to ensure it. I want it to be an experience for readers as it has always been for me.

5 ways to help an author poster

I need to get back to the unending to-do list. Leave your comments and questions. I love to hear from you. If you found this post worthy, please feel free to share it. If you are listening on YouTube, don't forget to like and subscribe for more original stories and audio adventures! Special thanks to @OkMusicWriters for Enter The Dream. Thank you for stepping into the dream with me once more. I hope you have a lovely weekend and will discover a grand story. Please remember when you read, be kind and leave your reviews. Until my next post, welcome to the dream…

Be Careful!

Happy Reading,

Bye-Bye,

Ophelia Kee

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