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I'm slowly coming out of my post-writing coma. I even made my bed this morning, which hasn't happened in about a month!

I've answered most of my emails ~ if I haven't responded to you yet, I will, I promise.

And I am in the process of updating my web page which includes sharing two deleted scenes from BARELY BREATHING.

Now that most of you have read BARELY BREATHING (if you haven't, don't worry, I won't spoil anything, so you can keep reading), take a breath. It's okay to be upset, really it is. You have every right to be angry with Emma. She deserves it. She hasn't made the best decisions under duress, but she is a complicated and fractured character. She will be the first to admit, "It makes me stupid." So as much as you'd like to scream at her, I hope you then want to pull her to you and squeeze her tight because she is quite lost and broken. Don't give up on her...

I recognize how much angst I've incited, and I have to admit I never intended it to the extreme that it has erupted. Yes, REASON TO BREATHE was left at a dire moment, but I didn't deem BARELY BREATHING's ending a "cliffhanger". I knew it wasn't the ending you all wanted, but I was actually pretty proud of myself for giving you a proper ending, even adding a shimmer of hope with the last sentence.

The truth is... it's not the end. I've created this series as one long story, but divided it into three parts of Emma's life as she's becoming the woman the rest of the world will finally get to see. And that's what "The Breathing Series" is... it's Emma's story. Yes, there is an underlying love theme, but there are also underlying themes of denial, trust and fear. In the end, it's the story of a girl. A girl who has touched your hearts while making you frustrated and fearing her next decision, but also cheering her on when she finally stands up for herself. She is flawed to perfection, but I hope she is still worthy of your praise and affection.

This is not Evan's story, or Sara's story. But they are a part of Emma's. And I can't imagine her life without them influencing it in some way, whether they are present or not. But trust me, you will want to know how it all ends!

Ah, yes, that leads us to the final part of Emma's story ~ OUT OF BREATH. I wrote this conclusion nearly three years ago. So much has happened since then, especially since I rewrote BARELY BREATHING from the very first word over the past year. So I have decisions to make regarding my approach to OUT OF BREATH. I could use the original and edit it, but there is a lot of editing to do. Or... the other choice is to use the original story as an outline and write it again.

Before you panic and fear you will have to wait another year for the next book, know that I am officially a full-time writer and will not have to divide my time with another career. This will absolutely help expedite the process. However, I still cannot provide a release date until I am confident I can meet it. I made that mistake once in my post-publishing euphoria, and I will not do it again.

I am leaning towards writing it again from the beginning, only because the words will flow together better. I feel I have grown as a writer since I created REASON TO BREATHE, and I want that to be evident in the beautiful story that is the end.

Besides, Emma killed Jonathan in the first version of BARELY BREATHING that I wrote three years ago, (I know, crazy, huh?!) and so he's currently not even in OUT OF BREATH. And now, he can't be ignored, can he?

Yes, a lot was changed in BARELY BREATHING, the ending being the most drastic. And I do have another secret... OUT OF BREATH is my favorite!

Need to talk about it? I am finalizing the details so that I can make a guest appearance at your Book Clubs via Skype. (Remember, the camera adds 15 pounds, so don't judge - ha!). I will post the details on my web page ~ www.rebeccadonovan.com, when I have everything in place! I can't wait to meet you all!

Also, I'm working with a design company to create new covers for "The Breathing Series" so that they can be put into print! Yes, you will be able to hold it in your hands, breathe in the pages, and then throw it across the room for real!

BARELY BREATHING is currently available on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007Z0ODCY, Barnes & Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/barel..., and Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view.... It will be available on iBooks, Kobo, Sony and Diesel within the next few weeks (Sorry for the delay! Not my doing, I swear!).

I also republished BB on B&N and Amazon on May 8th due to bloops I did not catch in my sleep deprived state while fighting to meet my publication deadline. You may delete it from your Nook and then re-upload it, so that you have the latest version. And you may email Amazon requesting that they send the most up to date version to your Kindle. I apologize profusely for the numerous errors. It is not the reading experience I wanted you to have.

If you haven't already discovered these pages, I post on Facebook often ~ (https://www.facebook.com/ReasontoBreathe , https://www.facebook.com/TheBreathing... ). I like sharing...

Wanna know one more secret?

I couldn't have done any of this without all of YOU, so thank you for your devotion, emotional tirades, and words of praise as I share Emma's life with you. I am grateful you are there to read my words!

Okay, fine. I'll tell you one more secret... someone dies in OUT OF BREATH. Was that a bad secret? Ooops.