My 2022 Books [plus Why as well as What’s Next…]

I’VE GOT DATES AND STUFF!

Oh gees, do I have some stuff…

I’ve got my cover designer and editor booked for my upcoming projects. So I thought I’d share the good news with all of you!

BY A HARE (Slow & Steady, book 1) – May 23rd

(World Turtle Day!)

THE VELVETEEN TORTOISE (Slow & Steady, book 2) – June 16th

(World Sea Turtle Day!)

A PLANET OF ORCS AND ORACLES (Planet Orc, book 1) – October; maybe the 14th?

(For, um, Orc-tober Valentine’s Day???)

I hope to have pre-order links available for By a Hare and The Velveteen Tortoise by early April. A pre-order for A Planet of Orcs and Oracles will happen late summer. (Fingers crossed!!)

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This pretty much fills up my 2022. I’m not a fast writer, so getting BAH and TVT published back-to-back is only possible because I wrote those books in 2020 and 2021. However, I am working on publishing more consistently. My plan is to spend the time between releases writing my 2023 books.

What will those books be? Good question. I kinda know yet don’t know.

If you’ve seen the Facebook post floating around regarding women with ADHD that describes me to a “tee”.

Since I started publishing in 2018, my diagnosis has impacted my productivity and mood. What I’ve come to realize is that I can’t force a book. When I couldn’t write Bane in 2018, I wrote Sarda and Frenetic (an unpublished MS that will probably remain unpubbed). When I tried to tackle Bane again in 2019, I revised and released Rein. After that, I buckled down, wrote Bane, and proceeded to have the worst summer of my adult life. All I did for seven-solid-weeks was Bane.

No one in my family got a summer tan.

Only took the kids to the pool twice.

I gained a lot of weight. Like, a lot.

My mental health suffered.

Then, some how, I managed to bang out The Ugly Dukeling in August and September like it was no big deal.

I dunno. I really don’t.

2020 came. I tried to write Culler and….wrote a free serial about alien tortoises instead.

In 2021, I said ‘Dammit! Culler is getting done!’ Then spent the year writing another alien tortoise serial.

In the beginning of 2022, I said ‘E-FREAKING-NOUGH! I’m writing Culler!’ and ended up plotting Let Down Your Hare (Slow & Steady, book 3), started plotting the entire Planet Orc series, and have begun jotting down ideas for two more Dukeling books.

So, yeah. ADHD. Plus mood dysregulation disorder. And yes, that is another term for bipolar. Wee!

I also live with:

Eldest son – ADHD, Autism, anxiety

Twin son – ADHD, mood dysregulation disorder

Twin daughter – ADHD, Autism, anxiety, oppositional defiance disorder

Did I mention that they’re all teenagers now?

A few weeks ago, it all kinda hit me. Why in the heck am I fighting myself? Just embrace this scattered-ness, Bex!

If I wanna write about alien tortoises on Monday, I’ve got a crap-ton to write about. Orcs in space? Yep. Got myself covered there as well. A bloodthirsty, insanely loyal alien family comprised of nobility and outlaws? Culler’s been waiting for me to get back to him and Seph’s still worried sick about her son.

What I can say is that — barring something totally unexpected — the first two Slow & Steady books will publish in May and June. If my output is steady, I’ll have my draft of Orcs & Oracles done by the end of summer and then will spend the fall and winter on…

Well, anything I want to write.

So, if you’ve got questions for me, feel free to ask.

Xoxo,

Bex