So long time, no speak! First, I need to say that this post will sound familiar, because it was originally posted in March 2023, but I put it back to drafts. I’ve updated this post, and am posted it again, now rewritten and updated for current events.

So it’s A. E. here, back again! (again) My last official post was May 2022. So we’re inching over to almost a full year absence. That’s a lot of time. So, I’ll just talk about the most recent “where have I been” then.

Well, kicking off the 2023 New Year just right, on the first week of January 2023, I got struck by an 18 wheeler while driving on the freeway, with my mother and sister as passengers. He cut me off, drove me into the guardrail, and my car spun out into oncoming 6-lane traffic. I managed to keep control of the car, pull out of the spin, and drive onto the grassy median, without hitting any other cars, who all did a great job of not hitting me while I was in the middle of road spinning in circles. I want to applaud the rest of the drivers who avoided me, because that accident could have easily turned into three or four car pile up.

Our car was totaled.

After the accident, I had weeks of chiropractor appointments, x-rays and MRIs for whiplash and concussion, with badly affected memory, and struggles with concentration and focus.

It was a hard way to start 2023, and yes, we have a new car, but there’s still ongoing legal issues with insurances and settlement.

Moving on, while I wasn’t updating in 2022, and for the majority of 2023, I got accepted to a grad program at Goddard College, pursuing to further my education in a Masters of Creative Writing. I did an entire semester there, and elected to withdraw after that one semester. During that semester, I was handling two new babies, that’s right, I had multiplied.

Please meet my two new kitten kids, Kagami (ginger) and Akashi (silver).

I adopted Kagami when he was 13 weeks old, on May 30^th, 2022, and I adopted Akashi when she was 8 weeks old on July 9^th, 2022. They say when you adopt a kitten, consider adopting two, and they mean it. After having Kagami as one kitten by himself, and he was driving both me and Aomine (my black cat) nutso, I went and got Akashi for him, because he clearly needed someone his age.

Within ten minutes of meeting each other, Kagami and Akashi were playing like they’ve known each other their whole lives. And once they stop playing, they are comfortably at my side, just the way Aomy is.

I can tell its been a long time, because Kagami turned one years old February 28^th, and I never posted since the day I got him May 30^th, which was only two weeks or so after my last post, May 13^th. I remember I had intended on posting an update about him but intentions, like I’ve said before, don’t write books, and they don’t write blog posts either!

Only actions do.

And since then, Akashi and Kagami grew up so quickly!

Kagami and Akashi today.

So, more news, I have more socials!

You can now also find me on @aecostellowrites on Instagram, that’s my author IG, as well as my artist IG, aecostelloart.

These are still new and developing accounts, as I haven’t totally gotten my footing on what I want to post yet and how I’ll develop who A. E. Costello is as an author and artist but I’m working on it!

Follow me if you want to watch my journey and progress as I’ll keep posting properly.

And so, after I left Goddard College, I applied to Lesley University, which is honestly a dream school, that came packaged with everything I wanted. I got accepted in two genre programs, Writing for Young People, and into their brand new program, Graphic Novels and Comics.

I had a choice to make, as I couldn’t double major.

It was hard to choose.

Writing for Young People meant I could study underneath the tutelage of some of the amazing authors they have on their staff, including Tracey Baptiste and Jason Reynolds.

However Graphic Novels and Comics track meant I’d learn how to make…graphic novels and comics.

There was a lot of pros and cons that I had to weigh on, but in the end, I choose Graphic Novels and Comics, because just to say one reason, I can’t make a graphic novel or a comic by myself. I can write a novel by myself, I have done that. I need knowledge and mentorship and schooling on how to make the graphic novels and comics that I’ve been sitting on for so long.

I am extremely excited, and I feel all too blessed. I can’t wait to continue pursuing my master’s degree in Creative Writing with the Graphic Novels and Comic track at Lesley University.

And…that’s actually not all that’s happened.

Because I actually had another kitten kid!

Give a warm welcome to Midoriya!

The Cat Distribution System put a stray kitten directly outside my door, and after I fed him for a bit, I ended up letting him into my home. He became fast friends with Kagami and Akashi, and the three of them are like siblings born from the same litter.

Along with a car accident, getting into two different MFA programs, and adopting 3 new kitten kids in one year, I also had to endure the sudden loss of my uncle. Just wasn’t ever ready for that. I still have our last text conversation, that he was proud of me. I’ll never delete it.

With Uncle Phil passing like that, I realize I have a lot I want to do, and people I want to be around to read my stories.

And THERE’S MORE.

I also had not one, but TWO eye surgeries. Two. On my right eye.

And it was horrible.

The first surgery, while the doctor said the surgery went well, I never healed from the surgery. And I had constant stabbing pain in my eye. And…I also got double vision from it. It was essentially misery. And because I was in so much pain, and my vision was double, I wasn’t able to write or draw, and I couldn’t do any of my work for Lesley University.

Eventually, the decision was made to have a second eye surgery…to UNDO the first surgery, and correct the double vision the first one caused.

The second surgery was also to have been successful, because I finally no longer had double vision, and the stabbing pain mostly stopped…except when I drive. I get those sharp stabbing pains in my eye when I drive on the highway. So I’m stuck with local driving now.

However the main problem is, the reason I had those surgeries in the first place wasn’t resolved, which was to correct my eye misalignment. Well…my eye is still misaligned. Two surgeries, a lot of pain and suffering, and nothing was resolved.

Jesus is a healer, the Word says so:

Acts‬ ‭4:30‬ ‭KJV‬‬ by stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.

Jesus has healed me again and again, so while I can be upset about those two surgeries, and the pain I went through, I can rest in that Jesus was taking care of me then, and he’ll take care of me going forward.

I’m still in my first semester at Lesley University, and I have a lot of work to do with writing graphic novel scripts, and drawing a comic weekly. It did make the novel-writing take a backseat, but with NaNoWriMo around the corner, I declared a 2023 novel, and will still be writing a novel.

I’ll post about that next time!

So, I did pick up my art pen again, you can see some of my wonky art on IG @aecostelloart as I am working on my rusty art skills. I updated my older art first and then the newest art. I’m working on updating regularly there, as I am developing a regular drawing habit.

My goal is comic artist, graphic novelist and novelist!

It’s all coming together.

So yeah…that’s basically where I’ve been, and where I’m going.   

This is how I’m setting up my schedule.

Author Blog is going to be every other Friday.

Instagram @aecostelloart post at least one new art piece every day.

I can admit that handling social media is currently on my top tier worst skills. But part of having a bad skill is learning to improve it, right? And I am definitely working on doing better at my social media content.

So hopefully you’ll all join me as I continue on my journey to become a full-time novelist, and artist!

So look out for incoming posts by me, my next one is about NaNoWriMo 2023.

I’ll also post about the books I read with A. E. Reads book reviews, I have my On Writing posts where I’ll talk about writing subjects such as being inspired, being original, and currently I’m doing an On Worldbuilding series, you can find On Worldbuilding Part One here. As well I’ll have to talk about my goals for becoming a graphic novelist and comic artist too!

And onward about my journey to become a full-time novelist, and comic artist!

Hope to see you all there!

A. E., signing off.

As I go along, my kitten kids continue to accompany me at my side.