First off, my apologies for being so neglectful! I had a giveaway which ended and was won by the beautiful Jahna (Jae). She won three copies of both My Forever & Beautifully Broken--not that she needs that many copies, LOL, but she will hopefully be sharing with friends and family! Congratulations my friend--they will be in the mail to you soon!
So, like the title says, I have made it back to Oregon. It was a long three day drive due to a few pit stops, but overall, it was one of the easier moves I've ever had to make. I don't know if that sentence made sense...but I am going with it.
Since making it home and beginning the medication I was prescribed, I have felt more weak, more groggy, and more exhausted than before. I hope the medication kicks in soon so I am not sleeping through all my time off. I need to be productive now more than ever.
I am still having trouble sleeping more than 5-6 hours a night, but I am still extremely groggy and exhausted every day. I take a few naps throughout the day, but nothing seems to give me any sort of energy. It's really draining being tired all the time--especially when you are doing NOTHING!
On the book front, My Forever & Beautifully Broken are killing it in reviews! Both are currently sitting at 7 reviews on Amazon each. So many people who have been reviewing MF have been disappointed or upset with different aspects of the story--but it's funny to watch the same people move onto BB with little to no expectations of greatness and all of them be blown away.
My Forever was the first book I EVER wrote. Of course it was bound to be a little rougher around the edges. I've also been told my transitions are choppy in general, and I think that is something I need to work on with all of my books. But I've always known deep down BB is a dark horse; I was just waiting for everyone else to experience the same feeling.
It's exciting to see people who really weren't motivated to read it after MF, absolutely fall in love with Lee and Jacqueline's story and become invested. So many people have told me how much they liked Austyn and Avery and they cannot wait to read the next installment which focuses solely on them!
Even though I've had the time off, I haven't written more than one chapter. I really need to outline my stories. Because I am so exhausted on a consistent basis, it's been difficult to write flying by the seat of my pants. I've also been trying to give back by giving out some constructive criticism on Wattpad as well as reviewing other stories on Goodreads and Amazon for fellow writers.
Pieces of Me is set to release on August 25th! I am beyond excited. It has been through a few beta readers since I edited it last and all have enjoyed the story and are looking forward to the next one. I also signed up for a release day blitz with YA Bound Book Tours, it was pretty affordable at $30 and 60-100 bloggers taking part in the release. I will let you know if it is successful or not. I am also rounding up a few of my past bloggers I have worked with and enjoyed and asked if they would participate, to which they all have agreed!
There is still a little part of me nervous about how the reaction will be for POM. So far it's either been complete love or complete hate. No middle ground. The strong opinions in the past have normally centered around Peyton having so many love interests within a 50k word novel. Unfortunately, it does happen and is realistic writing...I never said it would be pretty.
I have planned out the estimated release dates for all the novels I am currently working on and it seems as though I should be able to get POM, the Fighter, and Into the Darkness released before the end of the year. There is a very good chance I may also be able to get Against All Odds. Here's to hoping. If that takes place, I would have released 6 books within the first year I ever published. I think that's pretty bad-ass. I bought a ton of stock photos for anything else I decide to publish in the future. I'm really excited about them. I love being in complete control when it comes to the images being used on my books. I love being able to choose how I want my brand represented and my cover designer Emmy does a fantastic job. She is highly affordable too and very flexible to work with!
I came to the realization the other day that we can all do whatever we desire in life--we just have to not give up. If you fail, get back up and try again! This motto works for anything in life. It seems so simple...but giving up is easier and people succumb to it everyday. I am going to be a success story--and I am going to be one because of my hard work, dedication, and motivation.
Don't forget, if you're not doing something you love--you're not really living.
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