Author: Natalie J Case

Forever telling the stories that fill my head, in hopes I might keep the tenuous grip on reality that keeps me tethered here among the shadows.
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there and back again

I got laid off last week. It came as a surprise. There were no rumblings, no rumors. I was anticipating a raise and a promotion. Instead, I got a severance package.

No hard feelings, though. It was a good company,y and I worked with good people. I loved the work that I did, and I am proud of what I have accomplished.

Now, I’m back in the trenches, looking for the next step on this journey.

I am looking for a Remote position in the Technical Writing arena. I have over 20 years of writing experience and management experience, and I learn quickly.

I know you’re out there. Come find me.

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this election matters

Sometimes, I feel like I’m just coasting, letting the tide move me without even putting my oars in the water. I do my day job, take care of the animals, eat, sleep, and then start over the next day.

Other times, I get to do wonderful things or make myself do difficult things. Last week, I went to a conference. In a few weeks, I’ll go to LA for music and spend a couple of days at Disney by myself. After that, I need to go to Tucson to help my stepmother with a few things.

Difficult. Fun. Difficult.

In the middle of all that, I have a day job to do, and we have a national election coming up. I’ve never been more adamant about an election before this one. If we are to survive as a democratic republic, we must vote blue up and down the ticket.

I am a passionate proponent of women’s healthcare and reproductive choices, the LGBTQIA+ community, BIPOC equality, and taxing the rich. I want to elect the first woman president, and give her a blue senate and house so that we can make progress.

So, that said, please get out and vote. Our lives depend on it.

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late nights, early mornings

I’m in Raleigh, NC, for Pendomonium, a conference for software company Pendo.io as a work thing this week. I flew in on Monday, getting to my hotel at around midnight. I couldn’t sleep. I got maybe two hours, all told.

Yesterday was the first day of the conference, and boy, I struggled to stay awake at points. Lots of good things to learn and some networking.

Last night I got about 4.5 hours of sleep. I could lay down right now and sleep, but day two starts in about a half an hour, so…

Tonight, I NEED to get to sleep early. There may be some Benadryl in my evening meds. My alarm is set for 2 am for a 5 am flight.

I think I’m getting too old for the late night, early morning thing that I used to do with no problem. I’m not quite ready to give up gig nights, but between two gigs in two nights in August, and two days at Pendomonium, I think I’m getting to the point of needing to space them out more.

Photo by CHUTTERSNAP on Unsplash

Oh, yeah! And you can now buy my books in my SHOP! Get yours now! Forever is on sale for the whole month of October, and Tonight is FREE for October.

I need more coffee…

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shaking the dust off

Wow, it’s been a minute. I’ve been struggling with my usual summer depression, and I’ve let a lot of stuff slip. I’m here, though, and I’m pulling myself up out of the fog.

I’m working on getting all of my books listed in the shop here, provided I have physical copies. The ebooks should all be up before the weekend is over.

In other news, I’m going to Raleigh, NC, this coming week for work. I’m going to a conference for Pendo, the software we use to manage pop-ups and surveys on our platform. Then I need to go to Tucson to handle some stuff for my step-mother, and in November, I’m down to LA for a gig.

Always on the go!

In writing news, I am finally finding my swing again. It’s hard to write in the fog of depression. I found a WIP on my hard drive that I’m playing with. It’s sci-fi, with a morally gray main character.

So, anyway, Hi and stuff. I hope to be around a little more often.

Photo by Vinicius Wiesehofer on Unsplash

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…forever in a day…

I’ve been awake since 2am because of anxiety. I leave for the airport in about a half hour. I haven’t ridden this edge of anxiety since my Kane days. Literally shaking right now.

But! I am also so excited at the same time. I’ve already medicated, so that should help me not have a panic attack just walking into the convention.

For airplane reading, if I don’t fall asleep, I have my own book, Forever, because I’m doing a book thing next Thursday with a reading group at a former coworker’s new workplace and I haven’t been immersed into that world in a hot minute. Picked it up last night and skimmed through the first chapter.

I had forgotten how much I love that character and that world. So much of my life went into that book. I may sign it and leave it somewhere at the con for someone to find. I do that from time to time.

Anyway, if you want to follow my anxiety-filled first SPN con experience, follow me on Threads (@nataliejcase) as I will be spewing things as they happen and posting pics (and yes, the “big camera” and “big lens” are coming along for the ride.

Might drop content on Insta and FB as well, so take peeks there too if you like.

Y’all be good while I’m gone, or at least don’t burn the world down or start and apocalypse.

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an agoraphobe preps for con

A week from now I will be alone at a Supernatural convention. By alone, I mean, minus my support system.

I’ve avoided these cons for years due to the agoraphobia. The sheer number of people is terrifying. Not being in control of my surroundings is terrifying. Add in meeting Jeffrey Dean Morgan, who just makes me into a teenage girl, and my whole body is vibrating with anxiety.

I’ve done what I can to minimize the anxiety. I’ve got a front-row seat. I won the VIP package, which means front of the line for everything, a lounge where I can decompress, and more. I’ll have my camera which helps keep me focused.

I started planning my packing, but I need to find the Tshirts I bought to wear to this thing. I have Xanax and I have cannabis. I have stuff to have signed.

I’m going to be fine, but right now, a week out, I’m shaking with anxiety and having mini freak outs on the daily. So it’s very much a “focus on one thing until it’s finished” kind of week over here in Natalie-land.

Stay afraid, but do it anyway is my mantra right now.

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day job

I work for an ad tech company for my day job. I write technical content for the help center and manage language on our UI among other things.

As part of a product refresh we are doing, they are offering us the opportunity to run ads of our own, on anything at all, so I’ve started up an ad campaign for The Blood Witch Saga!

So you may start to see ads pop up around the internet if you are in the US and have expressed (through your web traffic) that you are into books and such.

Exciting times.

I’ve also started a new writing project that is a bit different for me. Still urban-ish fantasy, kinda dystopian, with dragons and gremlins and other fantastic creatures. I’m really having fun with it.

Anyway, once again I’m up way too early in the morning, poking about the internet. I’m about to go hit up Threads with my normal daily posts: today that includes a poetry post, along with my #Serious Question of the Day and my Something to know about me post. You should come hang out there! As social media goes, it’s currently my favorite place to interact.

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writing my way into 2024

Happy New Year, Readers! In the hope of starting the year out right, I aim to get some writing done this morning. I got stuck on the fourth Blood Witch book, so I’ve switched gears and gone back to The Daughters of Morru.

I’m at the point in the plot there that I need to finesse my way into a time jump. Our heroine needs to get to sixteen to get us to the next plot point.

The words are flowing, so I’m hoping it’s a good sign.

I hope you all have a peaceful and amazing year.

Photo by BoliviaInteligente on Unsplash

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goodbye 2023

It wasn’t the worst year on record, but it wasn’t the best either. It was a year of ups and downs, turn arounds and backflips.

It was the first full year without my father in this world, my first Christmas without him. There was a lot of added responsibility with taking care of my stepmother and getting her settled into a life without him.

My pupper filled a hole in me that I wasn’t even aware I had, and I love her so completely. She gets me out of the house daily, and I’ve met some cool folks because of her.

I almost lost my 16 year old kitty, but she’s feeling so much better now and was even playing a little this morning. Now if I can just get her to eat the right food and take her meds.

I spent a lot of time with family this year, including a week-long vacation in NOLA with my Mom and brother. I didn’t do a whole lot of writing, but I’m happy with the writing I did do. Wrote a poem a day in November.

I probably drank too much, and I definitely ate stuff I probably shouldn’t have. Re-watched favorite shows and started a few new ones. Lost my facebook account, ditched X/Twitter, fell in love with Threads. Played around a little with AI art using my own photography as a base. Asked AI to tell me about myself and laughed at the results (what it got right was okay, what it got wrong was a lot and hilarious).

Looking forward to the new year. Hoping for a promotion on the day job. Want to finish at least one of the WIPs. Want to travel more.

First up in that regard is a solo trip to Disneyland in January. I’ve never done it alone, so it should be interesting. I plan to spend a lot of time hanging out in Batuu. I may take a notebook and do some writing there.

Also attending my first Supernatural convention in July. It’s the first time I’ve had the money to do what I need to do to handle my agoraphobia (front row seats) at the same time as they went on sale.

And on that note, my coffee is almost gone, the cat needs meds, and I should get this last Saturday of the year on it’s feet.

Photo by Behnam Norouzi on Unsplash

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my Morrigan kitty

A few days ago, I went upstairs to grab a pair of socks and found my 16 year old cat lying in a puddle of diarrhea and nearly unresponsive. I raced her to an emergency vet, certain I was about to lose her.

The vet convinced me that we could save her, but it wouldn’t be cheap. She spent a night in the hospital after bloodwork came back to show she had a stage 2 kidney disease. It was a pretty rough night for me, as our favorite time together is cuddling in bed.

I had to set up the spare room for her before I could bring her home, adding to the cost of the whole thing as I needed new food and water dishes, someplace soft for her to sleep, new litterbox, etc. When I picked her up last night, the cost of the meds and food I had to bring home brought the total cost of this illness to $2900. Luckily I had enough room on credit cards to cover it, but it’s going to strain my finances for the next few months.

I set up a GoFundMe campaign, and I would be humbled and honored if you, dearest Readers, would donate a small amount and/or share the campaign on your socials.

May your winter holidays be especially warm and bright, Readers. Hug your people and your furbabies and always tell them that you love them.