Failure is step one. Where do I go now?

The end of a era What we’re not going to do when we go...

Failure is step one. Where do I go now?

Day 30 of 365 days. 335 days left to go.

Friends,

Explaining why I killed my own series of books yesterday was exhausting. My hubby was not too pleased, to say the least. He thought it was irrational and emotional and compared it to throwing a small temper tantrum.

Here’s the deal. It was weeks in the making. It was a deliberate move on my part because I have goals. What my goals do not include is half-ass attempts and fingers crossed that people won’t notice my mistakes.

We have trained ourselves to point out each other’s flaws. We, as a society, got pissed when everyone got a ‘participation trophy.’ The most popular YouTube articles, TicToks, Facebook posts, Twitter Tweets, and Instagram photos are of people giving bad reviews.

I sat in a book club meeting with the nicest women in the world and watched as they TORE a New York Best Seller’s book to pieces. I cried for the author. I don’t know who she is, but I sent a little prayer up to the gods that she never heard what was being said about her pride and joy.

I have watched TikTok videos where books were kicked across backyards, set on fire, and torn apart (literally) just because they didn’t like the plot. The characters were too strong, too weak, too needy, too pretty, too ugly.

OR the worst. Where readers slam the author as a person because they didn’t like a fictional book.

And my book was on the way to being featured in one of those.

So, yes, I pulled my books. Because I know what the standards are. And just because I’m an Indie Author doesn’t mean I get special treatment. It means I have to work harder than traditional published authors.

After more than 20 years in the military, if there is one thing I have learned, it is patience, hard work, and never giving up when you fail the first four times.

Yes, I sold books. Yes, I had a community willing to take a ‘chance’ on my books. But I am set on this new path. It’s laid out in front of me. I have a road map, checkpoints, and peace.

Please stay with me, friends. The Raven Society will return, but better than ever.

And until tomorrow my friends, Keep Reading and Stay Caffeinated.