I was interviewed today by Tim W. Long! Check me out on his blog where I talk about fantasy, life, and being a writer.  http://timothywlong.com/blog_index&blogpost_id=1418446

This was me this week. Except for the makeup and looking good while I was freaking out. I had completely overloaded myself. I'm halfway through a manuscript I promised would be finished and polished by Halloween (it won't), I'm homeschooling my middle-schooler this year (totally worth it, the kid is absolutely soaring), and my marketing and advertising obligations were quickly becoming astronomically large.

I'm not complaining. I love this job, even when it kind of sucks. I like being able to stay home and patter away on my keyboard. I adore making up these stories in my head and being able to share them with the world. It wasn't the writing that was getting to me, it was all the other little stuff building up.

So, after blowing up at my family for no reason, something had to be done. I was too stressed. I stopped marketing. I opted out of Facebook (seriously, I've done this so many times I can almost feel Facebook rolling its eyes at me when I get to the deactivate screen). I'm ignoring my deadline. And guess what happened? I felt like I could breathe. It feels weird not having all that stuff weighing me down, like some kind of albatross around my neck. It's a pretty good feeling. 

I'm putting no pressure on myself right now. The book is basically writing itself and will get done when it's ready to be done. I hadn't realized how much more complex Jenny's world is compared to Niki's. So if you were looking forward to reading Jenny Undead in October, you have my sincere apologies. But this will be a monster (haha) of a book. At least 300 pages, my longest yet. I think it's going to be really good, though.

As for Facebook, I'm going through withdrawals (I can feel it oozing out of my pores), but I always enjoy being away. I spend way too much time there, marketing and whatnot. So now I'll be diving underwater, and when I emerge, I'll have a book (MY EIGHTH! What?). I'll be blogging intermittently, so you're not totally rid of me. 

I'm breathing now. Yay, me. 

Yup. I was always doomed to blow right on past this deadline. I suck. I went on vacation a quarter of the way through the writing, I got sick (twice) halfway into it, plus I hardly ever get any writing done in the summertime. These are all terrible excuses. 

So, yes, I suck. Jenny Undead will be late. So instead of Halloween, it'll probably be closer to Thanksgiving (fingers crossed). 

And this will mark my last book that I announce release dates for before they are written. I've never missed a deadline before, so I think I'll give myself a mulligan here. So if you're looking forward to getting your hands on Jenny (er, so to speak), I apologize.

In a bit of fun and exciting news -- at least for me -- this last time I was sick I outlined my upcoming sci-fi/noir/time travel/mobster/adventure novel, so stay tuned for news on that front.

So godspeed, fellow crazies. I'm off to tap, tap, tap away at Jenny Undead so I don't miss yet another deadline.