Dear Readers:
First let me start by saying that I hope all of you are having a wonderful summer! Or winter if you are one of my many Australia readers.? It is hard to believe that it is already mid-August!? I wanted, no let me correct that, I needed to let you all know what has been happening in my life and why my writing schedule has gotten so far behind.
On May 31st of this year, I slipped and fell in my kitchen, striking my head. The incident resulted in my sustaining a concussion that has been far from easy to recover from. For the first four weeks, I spent most of my time lying in bed in my dark bedroom. Since then, I have started going to therapy for the concussion several times a week. The therapy is helping ? and that?s the great news. I am just now starting to drive again, but only short distances – no highways and no night driving.
The bad news is that since I fell at the end of May, I have been unable to write. My time on the computer has been very limited, and some people have suggested that I use software to dictate stories. That would have been a great idea, except even the process of thinking through details and plots has been too difficult. My cognitive thinking is what has gotten the most messed up.
- I was lucky enough to get some major writing done earlier this year, so with the help of my awesome editors, proofreaders and support teams, I have been able to have some releases this spring and summer. Late May, right before my injury, I released Cured by Love, a spin-off Kindle World Novel from Melissa Foster?s Braden Series.
- In July, I released Finding the Strength, a novella that is also featured in the box set Score One for Love that just officially released. ?Huge thanks to my team and assistants for helping me get this out.
- On September 14th, another one of my books will be included in a new box set, Paranormal Obsessions. This box set will feature My Blood Runs Blue, a book that has already previously been published.
Currently, I am working slowly through final edits for Tangled in Tinsel, a Christmas Novella that will be featured in the Spicy Christmas Kisses Box Set releasing in October.? Originally, Tangled in Tinsel was to be the first book in a series of 13 novellas called the Celebration Series. Each one based on a major US holiday. Unfortunately, I am not sure I will be able to get these done on my original schedule and will likely release Tangled in Tinsel this fall and delay the remainder of the novellas until next year. ?Trust me? I am not happy about this, but I feel they need to stay in sequence and come out right before each holiday.
I am also, very slowly, like a three or four pages a day, starting the final edits for You?re Not Alone. Originally, this was to be released in late July, but I do have great hopes that it will be released in September.
Luckily, all of these books were written and mostly edited before my injury. It is the stories that I have not yet completed that are on major hold right now.
The most common question I have been asked recently is about Second Shield 2. Many of you have asked when the sequel will be out for Second Shield, and originally it was scheduled to release in September. The book is currently sitting at about 2/3 done, but needs some revisions, plus the last third of the book.? You all have no idea how much I wanted to get this done and out to you all, but it is going to be longer than expected.
Once I can finally get back to writing, SS2 is my first priority! You all have waited longer than expected already, and I do sincerely apologize for that.
At my current recovery rate, it is going to be at least another month or two before I can start writing again seriously. Before I even start working on SS2, I need to go back to the first book and read it again to refresh myself. But since I can currently only read for about 15-20 minutes before I get headaches, doing this is out of the question for right now.
Please know that I appreciate each and every single one of you for hanging on and being so patient with me and this major delay. This injury has been life altering and I am trying to be as patient as I can and recover as quickly and safely as possible. I miss my crazy busy life!!!
Thank you – Stacy
P.S.? Thanks to this injury, I do have a new general plot line slowly bubbling under the surface. This one will revolve around a woman with a busy life who suffers a concussion and how it affects her life. Nothing like writing what you know. But don’t except this one too quickly! We’re talking about maybe late 2016.