Riding the Waves of Change

As I sit in a cozy coffee shop, sipping a half-caff cappuccino and listening to soft jazz hum in the background, my mind is a jumble of words waiting to be sorted.

So much has happened over the past few months that it’s hard to know where to begin.

On the personal side, I intentionally stepped away during the holidays to soak up time with my family. It was Cade’s first Christmas, and Violet is growing up far too quickly. I’m keenly aware that these tender moments—sticky fingers from sugary gingerbread houses and bundled-up evenings admiring twinkling Christmas lights—will be mere memories before I can blink twice.

But while our home was filled with fragrant sugar cookies, melodious laughter, and Nat Kind Cole records, the publishing world was experiencing yet another shift.

Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing the industry—for better or worse. Some authors are using it as a helpful tool. Some are using it to write entire books. And others are watching with wide eyes and cautious hearts, wondering whether there will still be room for “old-school” authors who truly love the writing process—the slow, thoughtful selection of words that set a scene or stir an emotion.

In a world built on instant gratification and endless content, what happens to authors who take a year to write a book? If someone can ask AI to “Write a friends-to-lovers romance in the voice of Rachael Bloome,” will books actually written by me still matter? Or will authors like me quietly fade into the background?

Big questions. Heavy ones. And if I’m being honest—at times, paralyzing.

There have been moments when I’ve seriously questioned my future as a writer. I even debated sharing this so openly, because I never want you to worry that I’ll disappear mid-series or leave a beloved character’s story untold.

I share this because I want you to know something important: your favorite authors are human too. We feel the weight of uncertainty. We wrestle with change. We’re affected by the shifting world around us, just like everyone else.

So what do I do when worry and uncertainty creep in?

I pray.

Whether I’m struggling to carve out writing time after welcoming my daughter—and then my son—or facing an industry that looks nothing like it did when I first began writing, I turn it over to the Lord.

And every single time, He meets me there.

He gently reminds me of the passion He placed on my heart years ago: to write happy, hopeful stories about love, redemption, and family. To show how beauty can rise from brokenness. To give even one person a reason to smile.

That mission hasn’t changed.

Maybe what “success” looks like will change. As AI-generated books flood the market, it may become harder to reach new readers—and that’s something I can’t control. What I can do is remain faithful to my calling and trust that my stories will land in the hands of those who need them most. There’s so much peace in that truth.

So why am I sharing all of this?

Because if a few weeks go by and you don’t hear from me… or if a book takes a little longer to release… I want you to know this: I’m not going anywhere.

I care deeply about telling good stories. I care about the people who read them.

And I’m profoundly grateful that there’s still a place for me in publishing. As long as God allows, I plan to keep riding the waves of change—one hopeful, uplifting story at a time.

Thank you for riding the waves with me.

Blessings & Blooms,