I know there are some of you that follow me here and nowhere else... and you've likely wondered what the hell is going on this year and why there's so few books. I've posted on social media here and there, but not here, so this is to catch anyone up who doesn't know.
TL;DR is at the bottom
After years of releasing anywhere from 12-24 books a year, I've only had ONE book in 2020.
Why?
Well, 2020 is part of the reason. I was already in a bit of a slump at the end of 2019. Exhausted after MANY years of writing like crazy. It was bound to happen -- I've sensed the hard crash was coming. Sadly it coincided with the shittiest year on record. Since COVID arrived, it's been very hard to focus on ANYTHING. I've heard from many readers and authors saying they're struggling to do the things they love, from reading to writing, to whatever. I'm definitely in that boat.
Add in a case of kidney stones, lots of doomscrolling, watching the world burn, massive depression, and attempts to crochet/bake/paint my way out of that depression from February through August.
Then in mid-October, I was starting to get a bit of a second wind and then I found out my mother has breast cancer. After her diagnosis, I took some time off to spend with her and research what was ahead. (I had been writing -- I was 75% done with Daddy Tales #3 when I heard the news.) She had surgery on Nov 20th, and my daughter and I took her into our home and cared for her afterward. She's healing very well and has her first follow-up appointment this afternoon and will find out if it has spread and if chemo or radiation comes next. Fingers crossed.
So, yeah, 2020 has seriously been a shitshow.
Anyway...
After Mom had healed up a little and I felt like I could return to work, I was asked to be a part of a major promotion with a large group of MM authors. It meant stopping work on Daddy Tales #3 and working on that project.
That project was supposed to be a short winter-themed novella, around 10,000 to 25,000 words. When the story I was working on went well past 30,000 and was NOWHERE near done, I knew I needed to start another project. The story was too good to cut down to fit.
So I began another idea... which is now finished and will be coming out very early in January 2021. It's in my editor's hands and I'll share some info real soon.
And since the story that grew too long is a winter story, I'm jumping back on that so I don't have to sit on it until next winter to release. I'm hoping to get it out by the end of January, but given the situation with my mom's health, I can't commit to that -- but I'm seriously going to try.
Once that's complete and off to the editor, I'll be back to work on Daddy Tales #3. It's 75% done, so hopefully shouldn't take too long to get that done, too. I'm currently eyeing February for that, but again, everything's up in the air with the health issues.
Also, for those of you who read and enjoyed my short "The Beastly Duke" last winter, I've dusted that off. I was briefly considering using it for that winter-themed promo story idea -- I added about 4K words before ultimately deciding it wasn't right for this group. BUT, since I've already added to the story, I do plan to add a little more and publish it, as well. No ETA on that -- it might have to sit until next winter. We shall see.
Avery's story is STILL on my mind. I'm very frustrated with that, but I have some help coming from a good friend (and great content editor.) I plan on having her read the FOURTH incarnation of the story and helping me get it over the hump.
So there... yes, I have been working, just not as consistently as I would like to. Here's hoping that the year to come will be much better than the last.
For all of us.
TL;DR - The shitshow that is 2020 has been full of health issues, from mental health, to kidney stones, to cancer (my Mom, not me). I can't focus for shit but I'm finally getting semi-productive. I've got a FINISHED short novella coming in early Jan 2021, another story that's 65% done that I'm desperately trying to finish for late Jan/early Feb 2021 release. And Daddy Tales #3 is 75% done and I'm aiming for late winter/very early spring release.
And yes, Avery is still coming. I swear to GAWD.