I’M TAKING AN INDEFINITE BREAK
I’ve been thinking about/planning this for most of the year, trying to figure out my needs and how to best meet them. I’ve tried many times in the past to just scrape a little off of my plate…and then a little more…and a little more…
But that wasn’t working. I was taking a step back, but still sliding down the hill.
Upon reflecting, I think I also just really struggle to do anything halfway. In trying to only do *some* author tasks, I inevitably get sucked into doing all of them anyway.
So to get the break my body is screaming for, I have to walk away. As completely as I can.
To be honest, I have a lot of fears surrounding this decision.
Will my readers understand? Will they be ready and waiting for me to return? Will I still be friends with my author associates? Will the industry change so much that I’ll be returning to confusion and chaos? Will I even remember everything that I need to do as an author, and how to do it?
I’ve made my peace with most of these fears, more or less, and now that Crystal Lies released, it’s time to let you know what’s going on with me.
So, let’s see how well I can explain everything! If you have any questions after reading, please comment and let me know—others may have the same question, and my intent here is to make everything as clear as I can.
Let’s call this my Phoenix Era.
Current stage: Ultimate Burn Out
My ‘spark’ has gone out, and I’m exhausted in every possible way.
- This season of life requires a lot from me
- Because of chronic health challenges (mostly physical), my ability to do things—physical or mental—is extremely limited. I’ve been looking into causes and solutions, but so far doctors have been unsuccessful.
- The career itself has gotten very challenging with very little success. My heart just needs a break from discouragement after pouring out my heart, soul, and hours and hours and hours of hard work.
So what am I doing currently? I’m wrapping things up and making sure everything is organized, leaving notes for myself, etc. To trust that I’ll be able to actually leave my work stuff alone and come back to it at an unforeseen future date, I need to make sure there’s nothing calling my name in the back of my mind. No concerns to keep me up at night and distracted through the day.
I’ve already gotten started, and it feels so good! It’s like purging that closet of old junk that you just never got around to. It’s very freeing and also helps ease anxiety I didn’t even know I was carrying.
Stage 2: Rest, Heal, and Prepare
Removing myself from the world, I’ll be pouring my energy into getting to where I eventually have more energy. Doctor visits, exercise, research & therapy…any and all variations of self-care. Before I can build Fantasy worlds, I need to rebuild this body, and set up my life with a foundation for sustainable life & work going forward.
- FB messages and emails will be checked as is convenient rather than every day or even biweekly
- Early Reader applications will still be checked at the beginning of each month, as well as checking on ARCs and sending out the next book as needed
- No regular social media posts or emails*
- No in-person book signings/events (after the ones already booked—which is Novemberfest in Logan, UT on Black Friday & Saturday, and DragonSteel in SLC, UT the first Saturday of December)
- No launch predictions for the Kickstarter or any other book
- I’m planning on NOT writing, but I’m hopeful that I’ll recover enough to write a little as I’m able to physically, especially for the good of my mental health
- IF I get enough writing in to finish the next book (Crystal Dawning), there will be ONE post in my Early Readers FB group & Early Readers email list at the opening of each phase of the book development—Alpha, Beta, ARC, and Street Team.
- IF we can also get through all of that, then I will finalize the Kickstarter, pick a launch date, and put my healing on hold for probably a couple of weeks before and after launch to spread the word about the campaign. It’s a lot of work, but I don’t want anyone who’d be interested in the deluxe, foiled, flip-flop book to miss out on the opportunity! Nor do I want to delay the launch until I’m back to work all the way. If the book is ready, what’s the sense in holding it back, you know?
- Thankfully, I did have a couple of readers express interest in helping me with the fulfillment portion of the next Kickstarter, so after the campaign ends and all the goodies are ordered, I’ll contact them and we’ll have probably a couple of days of intense packaging. Hopefully this will also be much easier on me than the previous days/weeks of getting it all together and sent out on my own!
*One caveat to the above: I will be posting once I get the green light to share about PagePerks so you can know why I’m SO excited for this app/site that’s been in development and is finally almost completed! It’s going to be a SERIOUS game-changer for readers and authors alike! (Heck, I might be even more excited about it as a reader than as an author! Well…okay, equally excited!)
I will also post once it launches, and as each ebook of the Crystal Dragon Saga is released on the platform. I know a lot of you are eager for those ebooks!
Stage 3: Hatching
Once I’m recovered (which may take months…or even years), I’ll be returning with intention. I want to make sure I’m coming back as strong as possible, with a sustainable plan, so I can be an author you can depend on for yearsand decades to come.
- Slow return to writing; gradually increasing the workload until it feels both comfortable and sustainable. If my ‘writing muscles’ have atrophied, this will take longer to get back into the groove and essentially re-learn how to do it. And since I will likely be coming back with writing Crystal Dragon book 4, I’ll need to go back through the first three books to get into the story and pick the threads back up.
- Once the writing is figured out, I’ll reach out and hire help. This career is just too much for one person, especially in the long run. I’ll be getting a PA (or more if needed), as well as hiring a team to help with live events. For future Kickstarters, I plan to be as hands-off as possible and find people to run those as well.
- Once my helpers are set up and feel comfortable taking over their duties, I’ll be able to fully plan out the next phase of my career! This will be a schedule based on the time I have available in that season of my life, and how much of that will be spent writing and coordinating with my helpers.
- Based on that schedule, I’ll be able to predict releases again! Emails will resume their regular schedule, my PA will keep my social media humming along better than it ever has, and more…
Stage 4: FULLY. FLEDGED. PHOENIX.
BACK AND STRONGER THAN EVER! What can you expect from a refreshed, reborn, brightly-burning phoenix …er, author? I’m glad you asked, because I am VERY excited about this!
- Fresh, consistent branding (logo, images for my website, emails, social media, etc.)
- Emails, social media, and website running smoothly with a PA who will also be available to promptly answer any of your questions or address issues
- The Crystal Dragon Saga will be COMPLETED (and never touched again! As much as I love this series, it has taken up more than its fair share of my life already, lol!)
- IMPROVED writing! (I’ll be focusing A LOT on craft and planning/plotting my books ahead of time)
- STEADY releases! I’ll write 3+ books of a series before I even start releasing them to ensure they can be FAST and STEADY. The exact time frame may depend on my writing speed once I get back, but each book in a series should release 1-3 months apart, with the omnibuses filling the gaps between each series!
- Audiobooks!!!
- My Patreon will be back! Expect sneak peeks, early insights, influence on book creation/content, and other exclusive goodies! This will also be where I’ll be interacting with fans directly rather than with the help of a PA.
Next Projects:
- Crystal Dragon Saga rewrites completed!
- Hardcover set released!
- Audiobooks released!
- A BRAND-NEW SERIES with dragons, romance, and elemental magic!!
- With an extra book FREE for those here on my email list!
- PLUS a Kickstarter with super special edition omnibuses after all 6 books release!
- Blessed With A Curse duology expanded to a series of FIVE books!
- Plus another Kickstarter special edition omnibus?
- Starting my Children’s & Middle Grade pen name (Summer Cherry)!
- Also with a freebie for joining the email list…and perhaps more fun Kickstarters! 😀
- And more new fantasy adventures for years and hopefully DECADES to come!
To wrap up, I just want to thank those of you who will be understanding and patient with my phoenix era. I’ve weighed all of my options and prayed about it a lot, and I am at peace with this plan. It’s the best path forward for me right now.
I only wish I could tell you how long this will all take!! But I truly have no idea. It all depends on too many things that are out of my control.
I LOVE YOU GUYS! And I’ll miss you! I’ll do my utmost to make it back just as soon as I can, I promise! Maybe 2026 will be my year? 🙂
In the meantime… I really want to make sure everyone knows what’s going on before I disappear, and can have all their questions answered. Should I do a live Ask Me Anything (AMA)? If so, where should I host it? Please vote for an option in the comments!
- Yes! In my Facebook group
- Yes! As a Zoom meeting (link to join shared to all my socials, newsletter, and here on the blog)
- “Nah, I’m good.”
I will probably also add a page to my website with Frequently Asked Questions for everyone to visit if they missed any announcements or just aren’t clear on something. But if we do an AMA, it may help me better know what should be on that page, as well! 🙂