Being an author is weird, ya'll.
What I've been up to: Writing, cats, and hockey, of course.
Good morning angels!
I know, I know, it’s been a while since you’ve heard from me. My last post was just after Luck & Last Resorts was released—nine months ago now—and I sort of fell off the grid after that. But I think I’m back now? I hope so? It was a weird nine months.
What you’ll find in this newsletter:
I took a long hiatus from author life, and here’s why.
The deal with Last Call at the Local (my next book).
We got cats! Cat tax included.
What I’m writing next.
I took a long hiatus from author life, and here’s why.
Other than a few posts on Instagram here and there, I haven’t really participated in author life stuff since Luck & Last Resorts was released.
I’ll be completely real with you: the release of Luck & Last Resorts was pretty rough for me. After launch day, I spent a good forty-eight hours crying my eyes out when I went to see my book in Barnes & Noble and only one local store had it. That led me to discover that only a few Barnes & Noble stores across the country were carrying it. It felt like this book I worked so hard on and loved so much was doomed from the very beginning.
Was it doomed? I don’t know. I’ve sold a few thousand copies. I’ve found it in airports. I’m not sure what counts as a book doing well or doing okay or tanking. It has done nowhere near as well as Love, Lists, and Fancy Ships, but second books rarely do. If you were to ask me how my career is going, I’d have nothing to give you but a big ‘ole shrug.
Publishing is not a meritocracy. I know that. And anyone who has been around the industry for any length of time also knows that. Despite knowing this, I was pretty devastated at how tiny of a splash Luck & Last Resorts made. (Really, it felt like a teeny tiny ripple.) Even so, the love and support of my readers was a real boon to me. Thank you so so much. I love you.
I wrote Luck & Last Resorts during a really difficult time in my life. I relentlessly revised that book. I have never worked harder on anything in my entire life. I promoted the shit out of it to the best of my ability. And then…it felt like nothing I did really mattered. Other than the writing, I think.
This isn’t me moping. What I want to show you is where I was at mentally when the book came out. I made writing and publishing my entire identity, and so I felt utterly wrecked and adrift when it felt as if my career was going nowhere fast.
The problem wasn’t that my book didn’t do as well as I’d hoped. The problem was that I made my books my entire life. My worth was my books. My identity was my books.
I was already deep into writing my next book, Last Call at the Local. I turned it in to my editor (with some scenes missing and big problems I knew existed) and then…I stopped writing. Which is very unlike me. I’m usually ready to jump into the next book right away, but I just…didn’t have anything in me. I’d been writing non-stop for nearly six years, hardly taking a real break for more than a week. I’d been running on fumes for a while and suddenly my tank was empty.
So I hardly wrote a word for over six months. Not even when I received my developmental edits for Last Call at the Local. It was like my brain just totally shut down and said, “We’re taking a break.” There were times I felt as if I’d never write again.
This wasn’t all due to the release of Luck & Last Resorts. It was a lot of things that came together all at the same time. Just before Luck & Last Resorts was released, I went through a personal transformation that radically altered my worldview and sense of self. Not long after, a family member received a devastating medical diagnosis. (If you’ve been around a while, you know my family has dealt with non-stop health stuff since 2020. Let’s just say, this was worse. ) I finally applied for the job I’d been waiting to open up at my university and didn’t even get an interview. Suddenly, it felt as if everything I’d been working toward over the last few years didn’t matter. I was no longer the person I had been at the start of the summer. The opportunities I’d been working toward for years had failed to materialize. My future was even more uncertain that it already was. Everything felt like chaos.
I missed my deadline for Last Call at the Local. I couldn’t figure out what was wrong. Why couldn’t I revise this book? I made the difficult decision to delay its publication because I knew I wasn’t in a place where I could do the story justice, and I never want to release a book I don’t believe in. The original publication date was July 2023. Now, it comes out January 2nd, 2024.
I’m so glad my editor and agent worked with me to move the publication date. The extra time was just what I needed. I was able to give myself time and grace, and the final product is a book I absolutely love. And I think you’ll love it too.
All of this to say: I needed a break. I took a break. I needed to reevaluate my relationship with writing and publishing. It wasn’t healthy. I’m in a much better place now. Writing and publishing aren’t my whole life. Now, I focus on the writing itself and accept that I can’t really control what happens after that.
The deal with Last Call at the Local (my next book).
Now that I’ve accounted for where I’ve been, here’s a quick little update on my next book, Last Call at the Local.
When does it come out? January 2nd, 2024.
Is it available for preorder? Yes.
Can I get a signed copy? Yes. Any books ordered from Quail Ridge will be signed. If you want it personalized, please type what you would like it personalized with in the comment box when you order. And thank you in advance for supporting my favorite indie bookstore!
Can I add it on goodreads? Please do.
When will it be on Netgalley? I have no idea.
What is it about? I’m glad you asked! Here is the cover and summary.
Raine Hart is used to the challenges of living with ADHD. It’s why she ditched her life in Boston to busk around Europe as a traveling musician. No boss. No schedule. No one to disappoint but herself. But when a careless mistake in Ireland leaves her unable to perform, she sees no other option but to give up her nomadic life.
Since inheriting the Local, Jack Dunne has wanted to make the pub his own. But the baggage of running a family business and the intrusive thoughts that stem from his OCD make changing things a challenge.
Over a pint with handsome, tattooed Jack, Raine accidentally insults him and the pub. Instead of taking offense, Jack, impressed by her vision of what the pub could be, offers her a job bringing it to life.
But when Raine and Jack develop feelings for one another their opposite lifestyles won’t accommodate, it becomes clear the pub isn’t the only thing that needs reinventing. As the end of their business collaboration draws near, they’ll have to find a way past the limits they’ve placed on themselves or let go of a love that could last a lifetime.
We got cats! Cat tax included.
Meet Puck and Zira! The latest additions to the Ruiz family. We adopted them from a wonderful local animal rescue. They are a brother and sister pair who are eight-months old and just the easiest pets I’ve ever had. The dogs are very confused by them, but all four animals are co-existing peacefully. The kids are obsessed.
What I’m writing next.
I have officially begun working on a super spicy hockey romance! If you’ve been following me on Instagram, you know I am hockey obsessed. I haven’t sold this book yet, so I have no idea when it will be published, but you can best believe I am working on it! Who’s excited?
Here’s a little one-line teaser about the book: A romance writer becomes a professional hockey player's lucky charm when he breaks his scoring drought after she spends a day shadowing him for book research.
So sorry to hear about your struggles but thrilled that you are back! I have loved all your books and am excited for more to come!
Glad to hear the updates!