Welcome to 2016!

It's a new year, and that means a whole new set of "resolutions." I say it like that because I make writing goals every year, so it doesn't fit the standard model of what you might think of when someone says resolutions.

Because of my head injury last August, and the resulting recovery, I thought I'd go easy on myself for 2016. The first thing I did, with the help of my youngest daughter, was take my favorite story ideas--that I hadn't started writing yet, that was key--put them up on the dart board and whatever the dart hit was the story I'd write.

The idea stemmed from a Facebook meme, of all things, that referred to today, the first day of a new year, as the first page of your book. I thought it would be fun to write a page a day of one story, not including Sundays--because I don't write on Sundays. Including the leap day, that's 314 pages--which is a pretty respectable size book!

But one page a day is hardly any effort, and even with my head injury I figure I can do more than that. I wrote down a list of all the stories that I've started but haven't finished, figuring that by working on those stories I could feel I've accomplished something each day--except it's a sizable list. There are currently TEN books/stories I've started but haven't finished. That's a workload that doesn't exactly fall in line with the idea of going easy on myself--on my brain, which is really what I'm trying to do. Work but not overtax myself. Remind my brain that writing is something we do.

I've written in some cushions for these goals--ways to keep from overdoing it this year--because, let's face it, brain health is important. I have to strike a balance between working too hard and not working enough. I also have to give myself some leeway for bad days, days that writing even one page is too much for me.

This is that balance: While I have a lot of lofty writing goals, I have NO (zero, none) publishing goals for 2016. I mean it. If I do get around to publishing something this year it will be because the story is absolutely ready, and my only other option with it is to shelve it until 2017. Remember that at the end of 2014 and throughout 2015 I had rather lofty publishing goals--and I met every single one of them, in spite of my head injury. (of course, most of them were met before I got hurt...)

So, I plan to publish nothing in 2016. I'm going to write--which is the fun part of my job as an author--and work on the existing stories I have. Sure, I hope to have stories ready to publish in 2017, but I'm not putting a number on that. I'm not putting a deadline on it. Part of my reasoning is, as I've mentioned, to give my brain time to heal properly, but the rest of it is to help rediscover the fun of writing. This year I'm going to swashbuckle with some pirates, write a tragedy, solve a mystery in Paris, go back to Fayterra, go underground with a princess, explore the angst of a vampire with a penchant for citrus fruit, and shoot across the stars with a changeling who thinks high school on Earth will be a cinch.

Now, doesn't that sound like fun? :)

My Promise to Me

If you remember, back in December I received the personal revelation to "quit your job and write."

I quit my job. Now, about that second part....

You and I both know things have been crazy. Death in the family. Appliances going bonkers. Computer crashing. Kids breaking bones. Illness. The list goes on. But, really, what happens without change? Nothing. I don't move forward. My family stagnates. Not fun.

So I've taken some advice from the irrepressible Jenni James deeply to heart. And I wrote out my own plan for the next year.

Starting with February. It's The Lost Princess month! This book will be finished and to the editor by February 25th.

Then in March I have a little ghost writing project to complete, finishing it up in April when I will then tackle the next 200 pages of City of Light.

Basically, it's like this: While the kids are in school, I'm writing. If I'm not writing, I'm editing. I have plenty of time to get my social networking in, or relaxing, or reading, after the kids go to bed. While the kids are home, I belong to them. In the summer I'm going to edit more because it's easier for me to do it in chunks.

And by February 2014 I will have published 4 more novels and 3 more short stories.

Whew. That's big. That's like, a year. Epic. But I'm going to do it.

Here's the publishing rundown:

The Lost Princess will be out May 27, 2013.
City of Light will be out August 26, 2013.
Verity (title pending) will be out September 11, 2013.
Price of Love will be out October 5, 2013.
Beauty of Others (working title) will be out November 30, 2013.
By Degrees will be out January 4, 2014.
Tea for Two will be out February 1, 2014.

So, if you don't see me online much you'll know why. I'm making my dreams happen. I can do it, too, with a LOT of help from God and a little help from my friends. :)

Will You Be One of My 100 Today?

I'm tired of being invisible.

Don't get me wrong, I love my fans. I adore my fans. I just think they may be a little lonely. ;)

This week, I hired a personal assistant. He's going to spend his time booking school visits and calling stores to see if they will carry my books and/or let me do signings. I'm also putting plans in motion to branch out online and extend my presence.

I have a singular goal in mind: to drive up my print and ebook sales.

Why?

Because I have a deep, dark secret. It actually is a secret with two sides.

And I am going to confess all to you here today.

I write books and stories and poems because I have a deep desire to share my words. Not because I think I'm any kind of genius or that I stand above all other authors out there (quite the contrary, actually) but because my heart, soul, and spirit BURN to share the stories born from my imagination.

Whew. That was heavy. In short, I write because I love it. But somehow it's more than that. So much, much more.

Here is the other part of that deep, dark secret. I have a need to make more money than I am right now. Why? Because I have kids that need braces next year (yes that's *kids* plural and *next year* as in 5 months from now). There are other things--like car repairs and home expenses, and that burning need to never lose another home--but I won't go into all that right now. What I want to do is to share with you my plan.

Which is simply to sell 100 copies of any of my print or ebooks a day (except Sunday). As many of you know, I don't believe in working or shopping on Sundays, and I wouldn't ask anyone to do that for me whether they share my belief or not.

I've done the math for you. In a year, that's roughly 31,500 copies of my books. Since by the end of 2012 I plan to have 5 books or stories available for purchase, that gives my readers quite a selection to choose from. And, with success, I will have time to write more books for the next year, making it a perpetually self-sustaining plan. I also plan to offer free ebook codes for "secret" books I'm writing with each purchase to add incentive for the buyer.

Why am I doing all this? Besides the burning desire to write and the very mundane need for money?

Because I write good books. And I'm getting better with each one. I want to make good use of this talent God has given me, and what better use of it than to spread good books while supporting my family? That is truly the limit of my ambition. I don't need to be a bestseller, or be an award winning author. Those things are nice, I'm sure, but not on my goal list.

I've tried to be completely honest with you. If my plan offends you, I am sorry. It's not my intention to offend. I am only being myself, which is an open person with very mundane needs--like everyone else.

So, will YOU be one of my 100 today?

Resolutions are for Suckers

I've said it before, but I'll say it again. I don't do New Years' Resolutions. There's a quote going around Facebook that Resolutions are a to-do list for the first week of January.

I set goals instead. Here, on my writing blog, we're not going to mess with my personal goals. We'll explore my writing goals for 2012.

I decided I'm going to publish, or contract to publish, *5* books this year.

Whoa. I know, right? Then I got to thinking.

I'm submitting The Tyrant King at the end of the week. Cleaning up The Wild Queen to prepare for print versions (by Mother's Day per a personal request). Submitting Lizzie Lilac and the Left Socks, my children's book, (though there's no guarantee it will be published). These 3 books are almost done, and only require a few touch ups.

But, The Wild Queen shouldn't really count since I published the ebook last year. Right?

I have lined up a fabulous editor for Consequences in March, so my edits need to be done by then. That's okay, since my plan is to have it done by February. That gives me time to get it out to readers, get their feedback on it, and then make a few tweaks before my dear editor gets her hands on it.

After that, I think I'm going to work on a few rough drafts. It will be great to flex that creative muscle again. Exciting.

Five books will be great. What a fun way to spice up 2012.

Since I will be self publishing a few, I have some control over meeting this goal. The fun part will be learning how to do my own typesetting and cover art. Scary. I'm excited and motivated to get this done.

Let's go 2012!