Yesterday on Facebook I saw a post from a fellow author. I can’t remember who or the exact words, but it was along the lines of:

I don’t every write anything down when it comes to my stories. When the idea hits me I just sit down and write.

I read that post and I literally said out loud, “I miss doing that. So much.”

Throughout the day the statement stuck with me. All day long and into the evening.

I thought about my goals for the rest of this year and my plans for 2016.

Then I thought about what it felt like a few years ago when I would just sit down and write and write some more. About how at times I could crank out 300k in a matter of three months. When I would snatch onto an idea and sit and write without interruption. Sure, some rewriting/reworking was necessary, but it was so freeing to sit at a keyboard and just go.

I realized that I’d already said I’m doing 5 books next year. I considered my stack of books I really want to write that have been neglected for deadlines. Then I went back to my steady stream of set release dates and contracted works I’ve had for the past two years.

See, when I started Lake Point, I wrote a stand-alone.

Santa, Maybe was written as a stand-alone story, but I loved the town so much I immediately made plans and a submission for 5 more stories to round it out to a full year.

Then, before 2014 was half over I had another proposal in for another 7 in the series.

SEVEN.

That’s seven books this year.

Yes they’re short and I can write them quickly, but those deadlines loom over my head.

I love my little town, and the people in it, but the obligation and looming deadlines are interrupting the other stories I want desperately to write.

So after Mistletoe Mixup (December 2015), the Holidays in Lake Point series is, well, taking a holiday.  For at least six months, maybe a year. I have stories in mind for this little town, but I need to be free for a while.

Maybe without looming deadlines you’ll see more from this town in 2017. I just don’t know. I do know the series is NOT finished. I’ll know more after I’ve had some time to breathe and write some other stories that are screaming in my head.

What will I be working on?

Well, I had been planning on releasing my Tribe series this fall, but now I think those will dominate 2016.  I have three written, one edited, and am about halfway through book 4, with two more planned to follow. I’d like to release them in rapid succession, so long as my editor and I can get on the same page, I hope for those to all be edited to be released in quick succession next year.

The town of Dominion Falls will hopefully both get new books, and some revamping of the old.

Say what?  Yup, you read that right. In a recent re-read of the series I found some errors and some scenes I’d like to deepen.  So I’m planning an overhaul of the first three books (and perhaps some cover modifications for the first two books). Those are also planned for next year, perhaps in time for the Dominion Falls series birthday in February.

PLUS, I hope to finally sit and write books 5.5, 6, & 7 in the series. 5.5 will likely feature a certain former Pinkerton and his lady love.

On top of that, well, if you saw my goals list, it’s pretty impressive.  I have many books in mind, I have two series that have been waiting patiently for me to give them attention, and one that’s had a book published and seen no love since.

I have plenty to keep me busy, that’s for sure.

But I’m looking forward to it.

It’s kind of scary not having the set release dates and steady stream of assured business.

I guess I’ll just have to work harder at promo to make sure those books still get plenty of love.

But even without Lake Point it won’t be a quiet year, and it won’t be slow, either.

I’m excited to just sit and write.