Hoping for a more productive New Year!

It's so obvious from my pitiful blog that I've neglected it all in the spirit of being in a creative slump, in other words just... blah!

My poor blog (much like my writing of late) feels like a deserted town where I can actually see dust balls roll through the cyber streets.

In looking back at my New Years resolution, or something like that, my hopes included that I would produce three books. At 12/31/15, I feel like I met that goal by around 75%.

This year I completed the Vulcan Legacies with Black Apocalypse and contributed to Evernight Teen's Summer Crush Anthology.

The third title that has been a thorn in my side as well as something I've obsessed over and is currently to blame for my "creative slump" is my nearly complete YA Contemporary title, The Boxer and the Butterfly.

This book has been like a love/hate relationship of which the likes I have never seen. It's been a concept in my mind over the last 2 years and I've written with such gusto to only hit a wall and now I feel like the main character in the Maze Runner. No matter how many different ways I travel the maze I can't get out. But I'm hoping, like the main character, that after 2 hours of grueling running, death and heartache, that I do finally find my way out of this slump and can finish what I've started.

The biggest issue with The Boxer and the Butterfly is that I have created a secondary story line that is pretty sensitive and my fear is that it will bump my primary storyline out of first place. And that is not something I want, but I don't want to delete either. What to do? What to do?

I'm expecting to wake up in 2016 and have the answer.

In the meantime here's what I've been doing to fill the void of not writing:

1.) I read the entire Dark Hunter series in one long binge reading marathon and was left with a reading hangover for several weeks.

2.) Of course my job as an RN never leaves me with too much down time. They love to work me, and call me out and rearrange my plans all the time. Work loves me so much they believe they can replace the desire to watch my children grow up. It's nice to be so needed *insert sarcastic laugh here* *insert me backtracking here and saying this is what really pays the bills not my overwhelming quarterly royalties*

3.) I've developed a love for The Big Bang Theory. TBS airs like 4-5 episodes on the weekdays every night and over the last month I believe that I have watched all 8-9 seasons. I've replaced binge reading with Big Bang Theory binge watching. Howard is my favorite character.

4.) I thought it would be a good idea for around a 2 week time period to delve into Pride and Prejudice retellings, sequels and alternative fan fiction. Bad idea with the exception of Amanda Grange's Mr. Darcy's Diary. Now it doesn't get better than his POV. Oh... I am excited to see Pride and Prejudice and Zombies coming out Feb 5, 2016. The mash up sounded so corny, but when I saw the preview... yeah... I am EXCITED!!!!!!

And that's a wrap.

Now onto my 2016 goals:

We'll see how this turns out, but I pray, pray, pray that I can finish The Boxer and the Butterfly. It. Needs. To. Be. Over!!!!!

I had thought about participating in Pit2Pub this February, but might hold off until the brutal, maddening PitMad in March hosted by Brenda Drake. The waters are a bit deeper with PitMad, but that means the sharks are more vicious too. It sounds like fun, but then again so didn't sending queries to literary agents and that turned out to be something akin to hell. We'll see....

I'm hoping to have novel 1 in the adult Vulcan Legacies completed.

I'm hoping that aside from the adult Vulcan Legacies, that I never, NEVER, EVER (I'm starting to sing that damn Taylor Swift song) think it's a good idea to start a series again. Writing the Vulcan Legacies was awesome and I hold them near and dear to my heart, but it was painful keeping track of questions and answers in my head versus what I actually wrote. Never again! (I hope my past self haunts me if the notion ever strikes again).

The other thing that's going to be new for me (at 34, you'd think I would've grown up a bit sooner), I enrolled in a 401K at work. I just can't wait to start living with less money in the spirit of having money in the event I live to see retirement age.

Enough with the sarcasm.

I sincerely wish all a Happy New Year!