As 2023 crests the horizon, it is a time to reflect on what has been working and what has not in our lives. For me, this week has been a time of recalibration. That is the word for the new year: RECALIBRATION.
Life has changed. The pandemic has brought with it new realities. We seem, as a society, to try to return to the way things used to be; to hold on to how things were. But they can’t be the same anymore. The pandemic changed the landscape of life, in business and in personal ways, and it cannot be ignored.
One of the most important recalibrations for me is in how I spend my time. Last year, for my January blog, I shared how I was adjusting my space to make it more useful, and how I budget my time, creating an effective schedule. This year the recalibration is at a much broader scale. I still have my ideal week programmed, but now MY WRITING has taken on a more prominent space.
My work with WITS and with Inklings Publishing will continue, but it has to take a back seat to my writing. Someone very dear to me asked a critical question: What do I really want to be — a publisher or a writer?
As the publishing house has grown, the amount of time and commitment it requires has increased. The pandemic’s economic setback, however, has made the company’s move toward a revenue stream which would allow me to pay salaried employees to run it unattainable for at least another two years. So, as we enter into the celebration of our 10th anniversary, Inklings Publishing will have a gear shift that will allow it to continue growing, but not eat up as much of my time as it had been taking up this year.
Instead, it’s time to focus on my books. United Vidden, which recently won the silver medal in the Global Book Awards, released in July of 2020. That is two years ago now. Getting Gortive Offensive, book two of the series, completed has been an uphill battle with all that has transpired. But it’s almost there. By mid-January, the draft of the book will head to my developmental editors — Max Regan and Rachel Connelly.
By April, it should be back on my desk for the final revision pass. The goal will be to send it off to copy editing in June for a release date of December 2023. At last book two of Thyrein’s Galactic Wall series will come out, and fans will see what has been happening with Verena and Amiel.
In the meantime, Love’s Call is ready to launch. February will be the release date for book one of The Dragon and His Kitten series. This story is part of Thyerin’s Galactic Wall and the Intergalactic Alliance but it is happening before the events of United Vidden on a different planet: Gelderant. There, Nichamir Vlanespor Linput struggles to gain the trust and love of the woman fated to be his mate. The events of this romance story will have a major impact on the final outcome of Verena and Amiel’s story.
So, as 2023 opens, I will be working on Love’s Flame, book two of The Dragon and his Kitten series. And in 2024, Nichamir and Denipia’s fate will be fulfilled, with Love’s Flame releasing in early Spring of 2024 and Love’s Legacy in December of 2024. And then, we’ll be ready to see the culmination of Verena and Amiel’s struggle in 2025.
This here then is my declaration of intention for the new year: to put my writing front and center while juggling everything else life is no doubt going to throw at me. Wish me luck!