One step forward, two steps…somewhere?

The last time I posted here, I shared some of the struggles I’ve been having with my writing and the publishing world recently. It’s tough coming up with new material when setbacks, well, set you back. But I’ve been determined to muddle through and write something, write anything, quite frankly.

You may notice my Handymen series is no longer available. This has been the source of my disappointment. I can’t go into the reasons why it is no longer available, but suffice to say it was a huge blow to me. I don’t think I’ve ever been as proud of a book as I was of A Good Man, and as you may recall, it won the Northern Hearts Contest in Contemporary Romance 2018.

However, when the brakes were put on that series, I had book 2 all ready to go, and was already plotting book 3. So, in effect, I have a series in limbo, and there are days when it simply eats away at me.

I know some of you will say, “Hey, just self-publish the series!” And I promise I have considered this option many times, but given the amount of time and energy I have to spend elsewhere on the day job and family commitments, I’ve come to the conclusion that self-publishing is not for me. It would be a tremendous learning curve first of all, and I just don’t think it’s something I can take on at this time.

So I’ve been submitting A Good Man again. It hasn’t been easy. There are only so many publishers who will touch a previously-published book, and I get that. Still, I’m hoping there is a good one out there who will recognize this award-winning book and series, and take a chance on me. In the meantime, I’ve been writing book 3 in the series, so that if a publisher does show interest, I can offer them a complete series.

It’s been hard. There are days when I struggle to find joy in the publishing world, and as happy as I am for friends who receive good book news, I am also ready for some of my own. Last year this time, I felt like I was on top of the world. Now? Not so much. I want readers to find my books, and especially this series. It’s warm and full of love and passionate HEAs. I’m still seeing good reviews coming in for A Good Man, even though it no longer has a platform. That tells me the story meant something to other people too.

At least the writing has been going better than it did for a long time. Thus, my one step forward. I just wish I didn’t have to write under the shadow of an uncertain publishing future.

 

 

Where have I been? Where am I going?

For those who follow my blog, you may notice it’s been a while since I shared anything. The fact is I haven’t written anything substantial for a few weeks. Mostly, it’s because my day job has been hectic and I’ve taken on extra hours, which I’ve really enjoyed. It’s so easy to get wrapped up in my writing head, and it’s nice to sometimes get wrapped up in something else every so often. And hey, as a result of those extra hours, I was one of a team of people who catalogued over 13,000 new items for a new library in our system! How cool is that?

However, my writing hiatus began before that. I had to deal with some changes on the publishing front and those changes threw me for a loop. I usually roll with the punches but this time I got overwhelmed. It was hard to write through my disappointment. Luckily, there were some wonderful people who talked me off my ledge.

When I did write during that time, I didn’t like what I wrote. I started about four new books in the space of a few weeks, and abandoned them all. I’m not being dramatic when I say this has probably been the darkest moment of my writing career, thus far anyway. It was hard, and my creativity was zapped.

I’ve always believed things happen for a reason, and I won’t stop believing it. So, I stopped writing and threw myself into my other work. There’s been a lot happening on the family front, as well. But now, I can see some time opening up in the near future, and I know it’s time to start writing again.

I’m a little scared, I won’t lie. There’s a part of me that worries I’ve forgotten everything I learned along the way, even though I know that isn’t true. However, maybe that fear is good. Maybe it’ll push me in new directions.

If I am quiet going forward, rest assured, I am still here and am still dreaming up new characters and stories. My hope is to finish the book in front of me, and then move onto a brand new series. It might take a while, but I’ve decided it’ll take as much time as it requires.

Thanks to all who have read my work. Your support gets me through those days when I lose sight of what I’ve accomplished.

If you are new to my blog, welcome! Please check out my work here.

Have a wonderful summer!

xoxo Rosanna

Giving the Muse a break. #amwriting

If you’ve been following the progress of my Handymen series, you’ll know I just finished A Gentle Man, Handymen 2. It was a long road, and often bumpy, but I made it to the end. Some books are like that. They take a little bit more out of you. However, it is now in the hands of my publisher and I hope to announce a release date soon.

 

I finished it at the perfect time. You see, my day job just got busier because of a new project and I was asked to take on more hours, which I was thrilled to do. I knew in accepting those hours that I’d have to put off any other writing projects for a few weeks, but that’s okay. After the experience I had writing A Gentle Man, frankly, I could use a break.

Of course, I told myself when I accepted those extra hours I’d still find time to write here and there. “You’ll sneak in an hour at night or on the weekends. It’ll be great!”

Here’s the thing. I really haven’t.

And, honestly, I’m not sure I could right now. I’m exhausted when night time rolls around. My day is packed with activity, much of it involving attention to tiny details. And, as I’ve learned, my brain can only handle so much at one time. I’m not being derogatory. I’m being realistic. We have to cut ourselves some slack. We can’t do it all.

Very often, my writer wheels are turning, even when I’m doing other things. I’m always going over plot points in my head, or creating new characters. Lately, I haven’t been. My Muse has gone on holiday, and she’s currently sipping a cerveza on a sunny beach somewhere. I think she might have needed the break.

So, I’m letting her have that much-needed vacation, and I hope to recharge my creative batteries at the same time. And when my project at the day job ends and my regular schedule resumes, I hope to tackle my writing with renewed energy and ideas.

In the meantime, please stay tuned for all the details on A Gentle Man, Handymen 2!

And if you haven’t picked up your copy of A Good Man, Handymen 1, I hope you’ll do so today.

Grab your copy of A Good Man here!