Hi Everyone!!

So it has been a bit since I last wrote one of these. Five months in fact. I figure I would talk a little bit about why in this post and let everyone know a bit about what is going on. 

A little over two years ago I wrote and published Ashes. It was the second book in my Light Bringer Series. I'd given myself a super strict deadline on finishing that and even when life threw a curve ball I didn't waver on it. Needless to say after the experience I was majorly burnt out.

I have talked about this some before on the blog. The thing is I want to be an author. It is the only job I can see myself being happy at. I have worked so many types of jobs and not all of them I enjoyed. I pushed through and did them anyway because that is what is expected of me. That is what I expected of myself.

So why should writing be any different?

The answer is it shouldn't. So I went forward and pushed with the second book. Now I have to tell you the past two years have brought some incredible things into my life, I will never regret them. While they have given me some wonderful things, they have also been some of the hardest years I have endured. 

Some things that happened I have talked about here on the blog, most I have not and will not. The problem is somewhere along the way I lost focus. I started doing things because I was supposed to do them and I just pushed through. 

This was going well for a bit. I even managed to finish a draft of my third book and was ready to go forward with things. Luckily I have a beta reader that reads stuff before anyone else sees it. They gave me some hard love on the story I gave them. The sad part is I think I knew everything they told me myself before I ever gave them a copy of that story. 

So here I am still feeling the drag that comes with life, a story I am not happy with and feeling generally lost. So I made a choice. I jumped off social media. I spent a bit of time with my family and talked with my wife about the direction I wanted to go with my writing. 

It was actually a much needed thing. The problem with self publishing is it is all you. Most authors lose money with their first couple of books. I have been fortunate to make money so far on mine, but for sure I have a long road ahead of me. 

Good point Mr. Cat. So what has changed? 

The biggest thing is how I write now. I have a schedule that is respected in my house and I adhere to it like a religion. It lets me write everyday which is majorly important. I have goals and have learned to make them fluid so they can change as things around me change.

I also did something I have never done before. I threw out my entire manuscript. I still have it, but I have always been someone who tinkers and fixes problems as I go. This time i started fresh and am glad to say that I am trucking along on this new draft with a vigorous passion.  

I know this is a long post and I apologies for that, but I have missed you all and can't wait to get around and see what you have been up to. I have a few blogs already planned out and am refreshed and ready to go full force once more. 

Anyway, I hope everyone is well. As always, have fun and keep writing.