Updates

Hello everyone!

It's been a while since I've posted and I wanted to update about what to expect in the near future. During all of the quarantine and free time, I was able to finish the edits of the book but I wanted to share about what's going on. I am aware that there is a lot going on in the world right now which is why I have decided to take the initial advice I was given and release the book this fall or winter. Originally, when I had spoken with everyone about when I wanted to release this novel I was so determined to have it out in spring or summer but I was told that fall would be better. Now, with the given situation I agree that the fall or winter would be better because I would not feel right promoting myself and releasing all the things I've been working on when I know that people are not in the best financial positions or the best state of mental health. I never want to overlook the bigger picture at the end of the day and as eager as I am to show all of you what I've been working on for the last three years, I would feel wrong about it. I want people to be able to be in a healthy and positive state of mind when they receive the book and I 100% don't want to be online right now telling people to buy my book and check out this link to this and that because it wouldn't feel appropriate to me. I know I keep telling people to just wait a bit and be patient but I hope everyone understands. All I can promise is that I've worked hard, I'm very proud of this piece of work, and I hope that when it is in your hands that you're able to feel a sense of discovery and closure when you're done.

Please, stay safe, stay healthy, and I hope you all have found moments of joy through this current state of the world and if you haven't found your own personal joy yet then I hope that something turns around for you soon.

Thank you!

Love,

Dasia Zanders

How Quarantine Has Made Me Evaluate Life

As we all know, the world is in a delicate place right now. Quarantine is active and curfews are in place. Everything is closed and everyone has been asked to stay in their homes. It's been an odd time for the world with a lot of conflicting opinions. During these times, I've seen two types of people: People who care about others and people who only care about how these circumstances are impacting their fun. I don't understand why people are struggling to give up their freedom to have fun. People are getting ill and dying, that is a serious situation on a global scale yet there are more people who care about wanting to have a good time rather than care about the fact they could be spreading a virus. Just because one person's body is better equipped to fight off diseases doesn't mean someone else's body is and if you think that's not your problem then I hope you never have to learn the hard way what it's like for your body to turn against you. I've seen some true colors of people that I thought I knew well and unfortunately they have colors that I don't like. This quarantine situation has brought me perspective on the types of company I associate with. I want to be surrounded by selfless people, people that I know will help me help others and help me when I needed. I think it would be beneficial if everyone took this time to fix their priorities and remember what is important. On that note, I am going to work on a group project for a class, edit my novel, and make a few phone calls to family members.

*My Personal Priorities (In No Certain Order):

1. Family

2. Academics

3. Writing

4. Friendships

5. Mental Health

6. Environmental Awareness

7. Helping Children in Need

8. Women's Rights and Laws

9. Spiritual Health and Awareness

Power Word of 2020: Exploration

We're almost a month into 2020 so this is a bit late but Happy New Year everyone!

Every year I think about what energy I want to bring into my life and the lives of others, then I choose a power word to use for the entire year. Last year, my word was Empowerment and it brought me a lot of personal growth that I needed. This year, I chose the word Exploration and even though it's only 20 days in...it's been delightful!

1. Some of my family members visited at the start of the year and we spent an entire day together enjoying museums, art, and quaint shops.

2. During the edits of my book, there was a bit of a turn in the story line that brought me a closure I didn't know I needed.

3. I love all of my classes for this semester and even more of a win, I like all of my professors.

4. One of my best friends took me to Disney's Magic Kingdom over the weekend and I took so many wonderful photos while having an amazing time.

5. My mother, my lovely mother, gifted me with an early birthday present. She got me concert tickets to see my absolute favorite group. I am not going to say which group it is until after I attend the concert for safety purposes BUT I will post photos AFTER I go.

All of these lovely experiences have made me want to share some parts of them so I would like to add a page to the website dedicated to photos and small commentary on what I felt in those moments. This year I want to explore as much as I can in my life and I'm excited about all the content I'm creating. It's been over two years of writing a novel, but as I get closer to finishing the edits I fully believe that it's taken so long for one reason, timing. I thought the right time to release it would be in late 2018 or early 2019. However, the timing of 2020 seems perfect. It is perfect because I wrote the book in a place of loneliness and I completed the first round of editing in a place of healing and introspection. Now, as I'm going through the story again, I feel the most unapologetic and relaxed I have ever been. I'm looking forward to sharing all my stories with people, small or large, whether they are my personal experiences or experiences I witnessed, and I'm grateful that I have the opportunities to do so.