Too many books.

I have trouble committing. There, I’ve admitted it.

No, not to my long-suffering husband Doug. I committed to him centuries ago. No issues there.

I’ve recently had trouble committing to manuscripts. Not that I haven’t written any. I’ve started about six. In fact, I have two new series I’m pondering. My problem is I’m pondering a lot more than I’ve been writing.

I must admit, 2016 has me a little worried. You see, right now I have one release planned, Predator’s Rescue on Feb. 29. Beyond that, my ducks, I’ve got nothing. Nada. Zip.  For an author who released four books in 2015, this concerns me.

I know it shouldn’t. Heck, there are authors out there who scramble to produce one book per year. If I took the next two years to plot out my next book or series, no one would bat an eye. Writing takes time. People seem to respect that.

I suppose I’m in the somewhat envious position of being able to work on several books at one time. Can I confess something else? I hate writing more than one book at a time. I prefer to dwell in one world and really immerse myself. So my predicament really does feel like a predicament, at least to me.

What have I started? It might be easier to answer what I haven’t started, but I’ll try.

I have a new contemporary series about contractor brothers. I’d like to make this a three-book series, one for each brother. In case you missed it, I’m rather fond of writing about brothers.

I have also begun to plot out the final book of the Gemini Island Shifters series, but haven’t wanted to start it yet. Call me a sentimental old fool. I’m not ready to say good-bye to my pals at the Ursa Lodge yet. I may sit on this one for a bit.

I’ve also begun a love triangle. This one bothers me the most. It’s not a traditional romance and I seem to have stalled. A part of me worries my readers won’t appreciate me muddying the waters. A bigger part of me just isn’t sure what to think about this one. More to come, hopefully.

Oh, and then there’s the wonderful new paranormal series I’m planning. Expect great things, folks. You know, if I actually start it one day.

I never thought I’d be stalled for having so many ideas. How do I tackle them? Well, I wake up and see which story inspires me to write. Ninety percent of the time, I’m pretty sure I’m writing malarkey but I keep trying to write something. Unfortunately whatever I’ve written hasn’t added up to a whole lot.

Sometimes I think my brain is forcing me to take a break. Since April of 2012, I’ve written seven Gemini Island books, two selkie books, three Greek god books, Night Lover, Up In Flames, The Stand-In and Vice, to say nothing of contributing to two anthologies with my Love, Lust and Laptops friends. Eighteen books in total. Perhaps a break is in order.

However, we all know how fast romance moves. Blink, and trends change. I won’t lie. I feel pressure to keep up with the romance Joneses. As a result, my many attempts haven’t resulted in a single finished book.

What’s next? I’m really going to try to finish the first book in the contractor brothers series. When I do, I’ll have to begin the arduous journey of finding the right home for it. That’ll take time too.

For now, I’m really just concentrating on finishing sentences. At this moment in time, a complete page feels like a triumph. When you hear the squeals of joy piercing the sky over Canada, you know it’ll be me, putting a period on something.