I took a quick look at my blog yesterday and cringed. I hadn’t updated since January. Lots of things happened since the beginning of the year. Some okay. Some not so fun. And some were just downright frustrating. 

 

PART TIME

First up, I took on a part-time job. There are many reasons I did this, the most obvious was to get out of the house. Many of my friends have moved away from Georgia and I needed human stimulation. It sounds wonderful, this working from home. But not when you become a shut-in. *shivers* The days I work are killer on my feet and when I get home it’s all I can do to go into my office to work. Most of the time I keep my laptop with me to write words, whether on the couch or sitting up in my bed with my feet in an ice bath. Concrete + Sneakers = Pain. 

This has slowed my output tremendously, and I’m working on getting back on a regular publication schedule. I’m juggling several series which I want to wrap up and concentrate on a single one as I did with The Eldritch Files. 

 

SERIES MISSING BUT NOT GONE…NOT COMPLETELY

Some readers have noticed Oak & Ash & Thorn is no longer for sale. Unfortunately, book one was released to very dismal sales and unhappy feedback in email because many readers had not read the short story and felt the first book was like starting in the middle. I was trying to come up with a way to fix that when… 

The debacle of the CAST IN SHADOW series I started with a co-writer came to a head. Books 1 & 2 were instant successes, but book 3 was caught in the middle of the ending of that relationship and suffered immensely from what became an intense…separation. I am happy to say, I am now in control of that series and added my name. I also added in Chapter One of the 4th book at the end of book 3 (Smoke & Mirrors) to hopefully reassure readers the swirling miasma of book 3 does serve a purpose, which will become evident in book 4. Just think of that name: Smoke & Mirrors. 

Oh and just so readers know, the paperback, if you order it, still says the pen name on it. I’m working on getting a new one up so that will stop. 

And as I struggled with these issues, another series reared her cute little head. 

 

COZIES

I enjoy cozy reads. And shows. I am an avid Murder She Wrote fan and I regularly watch the Hallmark Channel with the women of mystery series. All of them. Frustrated with dwindling sales, I binged watched several of these series and read three whole series, and then binged 3 seasons of Castle… 

And I dreamed of an idea. Of a small town named Castle Falls (based on a real place in South Carolina) where Supernaturals can retreat and feel safe…though not always cause…they’re Supernaturals. I saw a red-headed witch, a snarky black cat, and a handsome vampire shifter doctor/boyfriend, and a grandmother who ruled them all. 

 

WITCHES OF CASTLE FALLS was born with a complete arc, and the possibility if readers want, spin-offs. I am thoroughly enjoying writing these and plan on a more regular publishing schedule.

If you enjoyed THE ELDRITCH FILES, I think you’ll enjoy these books as well. A bit lighter reading but still fun. 

This doesn’t mean I won’t finish CAST IN SHADOW or OAK & ASH & THORN or publish another book in the DISCORD AND RHYME series. Or eventually, publish Zoe’s last book. I also have two Fantasy Series (epic fantasy!), a Young Adult Dark Fantasy, and a four-book Urban Fantasy series with vampires and music makers (complete with covers from Ravven!). Not to mention the next two books in my LitRPG series. 

I mean to do them all. One book at a time. 

*looks at what she wrote* Pffft…anyone got an immortality potion? Or at least something for old, tired, concrete sore feet?!

 

And a final word… 

KINDLE UNLIMITED ISN’T FOR ME FOR SERIES.

For those readers who bought THE BOOK OF ILL DEEDS in Kindle Unlimited, then found it was no longer there, and now see that book two is also not there, there is a reason. Unfortunately, I don’t feel safe actually posting up that reason. Amazon is a very large and powerful entity, and it does what it wants. I’ll just say myself, and hundreds of other authors were caught up in their efforts to stop scammers. I’m glad they’re trying, but they take out the livelihood of innocents along the way.