A Wolf's Tale

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Sailing The Golden Chersonese. Preorder links soon! Queen of Swords Press!

Art by Dhiyanah Hassan.

February was action-packed: Lunar New Year (Year of the Fire Horse), spouse going for an operation, and medical dingdongs. We did a lot of food prep, entertained guests, and after two days, we went back to normal. February was weird in that many festivals coincided – indeed harnessing the sheer energy of a Fire Horse. And as with fire and its impact, it brings about rebirth, renewal and a lot of burning away. I can’t help but think about the world being on fire – but is there hope in the end?

What do I have in store for March?

1. Two book releases: Light of the Song and Sailing The Golden Chersonese.
2. A short trip out of Singapore.
3. More editing!
4. Opening commissions?

January, at the time of writing, was fraught. The world was on fire. Injustice abounded (and still abounds). We watched in horror.

Yet, in midst of it all, I embroidered and prepared for Lunar New Year. (will post pictures of my embroidery soon). I also began writing once more: a third piece in my solarpunk/hopepunk thought-arc.

What do I have in store for February:

1. Lunar New Year!
2. More art and embroidery.
3. More resistance.

So, at the time of writing, Christmas/Yuletide was just over and we were ever inching towards 2026. Christmas this year was quiet – father-in-law is in respite care, my eldest in Norwich, and the relatives scattered. So the gathering was small-scale, intimate and cosy, only family and close friends.

A couple of weeks ago, we visited Hanoi – pleasantly cool (sweater/jacket weather). We then went up to Sa Pa and visited the Hmong people. Of course, I was inspired by their embroidery (actually, I am just simply inspired and impressed by the silk embroidery in Hanoi) – and was touched by the sheer resilience of the Hmong matriarchs.

One more medical (a mammogram) on the 30th – the first anniversary of #yeetteat. Hope everything goes fine. I am kinda done with 2025 throwing me curve balls from the left field.

In fact, I am done with 2025, period.

It was a weirdish year, occasionally pleasant, occasionally damn unpleasant. I had wins, but unsettling developments (health-wise, family-wise etc). Just a few days ago, I received unpleasant news – yes, #fuckcancer and fuck it to hell.

So… I do want to see 2025 gone.

What do I have in store for January 2026?

1. A trip to Penang.
2. Preparations for Lunar New Year (Year of the Fire Horse).
3. Another medical appointment (followup with breast surgeon).

In total, I earned (for this year) $900 in total, from Patreon. This is for ONE year, not per month. Give or take, plus royalties from books and stuff – $1000 odd. In total. I am not counting per month. This is not a way to earn a living.

Mmm, 1000 per month sounds decent, right? NOT per year. If I am *living* solely on $75 per month, plus a few cents from the royalties – I will not live for long. I am privileged, for now, that I have support.

I guess I am being frank/honest here. Times are already hard enough and I am thankful for the supporters (Patreon and kofi).

At the time of writing this update post, November is entering its last week. Disasters, fires, floods in the news. Pretty grim and pretty sobering, considering some parts of the world are entering into an odd capitalistic frenzy of manufactured joy. One thinks if there is indeed something to be thankful for – we do not celebrate Thanksgiving here, but the faith traditions I am brought up with do celebrate thanksgiving.

So, I give thanks. To my family, friends, readers, people who have walked with me on the journey so far, to the random people I have met and learnt from, to my publishers big and small, indie and traditional, to the events, conventions and conferences, to the opportunities and doors opened.

2025 is indeed a snake: a creature with a frightful and venomous bite. Beautiful, but deadly. The year does have its beautiful moments, but also downright scary ones with megalomaniacs at the reins of government. Likewise, life continues to give unsettling medical developments. My parents are ageing and my father was hospitalised. For my part, I am brought to the realisation that I am not getting younger (hello, 50) and it has given me pause at things I still want to do.

But I give thanks and will continue to give thanks.

I will probably write a longer post about what I did in 2025. Celebrate the wins, remember the losses, prepare for the future.

So, what does December have in store for me?

1. A break – I take a hiatus/vacation.
2. Prepare for the Lunar New Year (which, to me, IS the New Year) – year of the horse!

The Southeast Asian sff publishing thing… you know… Giant Oarfish is now in indefinite hiatus.

Because 1. I know we don’t fund overnight.

Because 2. Money does not fall from the sky.

It’s awards eligibility season.

Wolf’s Path (Atthis Arts) – Best Collection.

Cold Steel (Snowy Wings Publishing) – Best YA novel.

Light of the Spirit (Snowy Wings Publishing) – Best Novella/Novella/Longer Than Short Form

The Freedom – Best short story. (self-pub)

Red’s Heart – Best short story. (self-pub).

Forest (Inner Worlds) – Best flash fiction.

1. I have been putting a lot of stories on my Kofi – and it’s weird, speaking now from a fiction editor, that short fiction is hard to sell in the bigger platforms.
2. These are the pro-paying ones. I have been wondering how sustainable the short form sff markets are… granted many of the publishers are depending on crowdfunding, and editor positions are volunteer-basis.
3. There should be a way to make the editor positions more… sustainable. They are already doing professional jobs without professional pay.