New Adventures

This week was one of those weeks where I got a number of things done but I am starting to think towards the future. I go through that a cycle. It usually happens when I am editing multiple books. I am so focused on getting my editing done that maybe my brain needs a break and starts to think about what I want to take on next. Maybe it is the repetition of editing. In some ways I love editing. It is a beautiful process in my opinion. You take this manuscript that you have poured blood, sweat, and tears into and you make it better. You tear it apart in order to build something better. The thing with editing is that when you spend months doing it, your creative brain does get a bit over the consent working instead of creating. I believe that is what has been happening this week.

What ends up happening is when I am suppose to be resting or hanging out with my kids, or talking to my mom, my mind begins to think about what I want to write next. I think about which characters I want to dive into next. I start to think of the future of my series and what I will do next. This usually gets Savannah’s wheels turning and she starts throwing scenes at me. As you know, I plan to work on Liam’s story in like two books. He has given me a small glimpse of what is in store for me. I have to say I am a little nervous about his book. I am also excited to spend some time with him as well. My brain also dives into what I can do to gain more readers. How can I get my name out there more than I already am? The creative juices start flowing and sometimes it is had to stop the thoughts from taking over everything. This week that happened. It is a thought I have had on more than one occasion which normally I push it aside. It is a crazy idea and I already am super busy. Why do I need to do one more thing? I have no answer to that last question. Anyway, I have been thinking about starting a book group for authors and readers alike. I am part of a number of book groups that I do a lot of takeovers on Facebook. I take part in events on these pages as a reader. I have learned a number of things from all of these pages. So why start another one? The answer to that question is because I want to create something with a few of the friends I have made. I want a place that is for my friends and myself.

I have been thinking about this idea for a long time. I have always dismissed it until the other day when a friend and I were talking. I actually have no clue how we started talking about it but it just sort of happened. When those moments happen, I tend to look at them as a sign. If it was meant to be then we wouldn’t have started talking about this. As soon as she said the words I knew I wanted to do it with her and another friend. These two authors, I trust and I have built a friendship with. I have opened up to them on more than one occasion, so I know I can trust them. In order for me to do this, I need to be able to trust the people I am going on this adventure with. For me, trust is not an easy thing. I trust few in my life because I have been burned too many times to count. The fact that I trust both of these ladies says I am making the right decision. The other sign was as soon as my friend said the name she was thinking of for this page, I knew it was what we were meant to do next. I heard the name and my wheels started turning. I am a bit OCD when it comes to certain things. I like to have a calendar, where I have everything written down. I like to know what I am doing from day to day. I am a person you can set your watch by. So my brain started thinking about schedules. What would we post? When would we post? Do we let authors just post anything and everything, whenever they want? I started there with my part. I started writing down a posting schedule. I started thinking about what I want to see in a book group page. I wrote the schedule in a matter of thirty minutes. Shortly thereafter I started thinking about graphics. Now, I am still learning how to make graphics for my own teasers, so doing this group would mean I need to improve my skills. It is something I have wanted to get better at and now this will push me to learn more than what I have done so far. I can feel the excitement building inside of me the more we talk about this idea.

The questions that I am now thinking about is when is the right time to start a new adventure? I have a full schedule as it is. Should I be doing this? The answer to these questions is first off yes I should take this on. Part of the reason I have dismissed the idea in the past is out of fear of being able to do it by myself. I worry I will fail to make the page interesting. There are already hundreds of book groups out there why do we need one more? The answer to that one is, you can never have too many book groups. It’s like having to many books, there is no such thing. The answer to my first question is maybe not the answer any of you want to hear. It is never a good time to start an adventure. There is always reasons not to start something new. What if I fail? What if I screw up? What if no one joins? Those are all valid fears but what if you succeed? In some ways that is just as terrifying. The thing is if you listen to those what if’s or say I can’t because of this or that. You will never do anything. You will never know if you can succeed. Sometimes you just have to jump in with both feet and see what happens. That is what I am doing. Living scared is not the way to live. I have learned that the hard way.

So take the leap. Start that adventure you have always denied yourself. If you fail there was a lesson for you to learn. And try again. If you succeed keep going. Do not worry about what it will mean to fail. Just keep going. Keep working hard. Keep dreaming big. And above all else take a chance on a new adventure. Until next time!