I don't want to be the author who only blogs when they have a new book out. I really don't. But the lack of blogging is going to continue until the first draft of JANE'S SHADOW is done and with my betas.
Here's the unadorned truth: I Am Terrified.
It took me the better part of three years to write and rewrite THE DAY BEFORE. I wrote books between drafts. I ignored it and lazed around. I did whatever I wanted because there was no hard and fast deadline. Even when I had a deadline for Book 2 of the Heroes and Villains series my editor kindly (and wisely) accepted my email stating that the promised book was unprintable because it really was my postpartum therapy book.
Trust me, you don't want to read that. And you never will. But it meant I published nothing in 2014.
In January I had a new print and a new ebook come out. In February a print edition. In March a print edition. In April THE DAY BEFORE comes out in ebook as my first ever novel. In May the print edition of THE DAY BEFORE comes out. In November of this year JANE'S SHADOW comes out.
Book 2 of the Jane Doe series.
Book 2 in a series that this time last year didn't exist.
Book 2 in a series that I thought would never get published.
Book 2 in a series with a very vague outline and no set-in-stone ending.
Guess what?
Book 2 ain't written.
JANE'S SHADOW is exactly 28,119 words long right now, on its second draft, and you can pre-order it on Amazon.
In a perfect world I would cancel all appointments for the next month and devote every waking hour to this book. This is hardly a perfect world and my waking hours are devoted to my children more than anything. Which is why I'm awake into the witching hours struggling to fix the pacing for this book. I have cut more words at this point than are in the book. In fact, if things get bad, we might just have to publish the cut scenes (I kid!).
I've never worked on a deadline like this. I'm not even sure I've had a set of circumstances with the kids at these ages and the non-writing demands on my time being like this before. So I'm freaking out.
The blog is suffering for this, and I want to apologize to those of you who faithfully check in each morning for new content. It's not here. Hopefully this second draft malaise will end soon, the words will flow, the draft will be done, and everything will return to normal. That's the goal, it's just going to take a few weeks for me to hit the goal.
Thank you for your patience, I hope the book will make up for the lack of blog posts in the end.
- Liana
*hugs* You will do fine. You've already written books so you know you can do this. So what if the blog suffers? Drop us a line once in a while to let us know you're still around and, if you have time, share some of your experiences. Best way to handle the deadline is to set mini-goals with their own deadlines, you know that. So, take a deep breath, release slowly, and plunge into the world of being a professional author. Because that is now what you are. Enjoy it. :)
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