Ghosts of Christmas Past Present and future

12-30-19
​Last Christmas- Ghosts of past, present, and future...

     The end of the year approaches, what ghosts will you carry with you into the new year? So much of our lives is reflected in our writing. Happiness, struggle, pain, and fun all shine through in each of my stories (to me anyhow). Many people talk about their emotions and feelings, but I feel more comfortable expressing myself creatively. How do you reflect on your life?

     I decided to take today simply. I browsed through Instagram for some inspiration and was smacked in the face with deep thoughts and introspection. Quite a few authors and readers had some some extremely insightful posts. I read through them and felt a little drained they got me thinking so hard. 

     I feel excitement and fear about the upcoming year. The last year and a half has been trying to say the least. So much loss and sadness that is out of my control. Alzheimer's, my mother's passing, taking care of my comatose MIL, then her passing, all while juggling middle school age children and trying to keep a sense of normalcy through it all.  I am not complaining, but I am afraid life is about to toss me another challenge that I am not quite ready for, yet. I am gearing up. On a positive note, I may be able to look at the approaching year and say, "This is my year!" Either way, time will move on and I will surely figure out the direction it will take.

     In the land of denial where I blissfully exist everyone is healthy, succeeding, and happy. Ghosts are best in books. The ghosts I carry will be ones of the books I've written and ones to come. 

     The Ghost of my Past- my first published book Hour of Trial is not my first written book. About ten years ago, I started a historical fiction novel but couldn't get through the revisions. I think it means too much to me. I started HOT and finished (including revisions) within a year. Even the the topic is dark it is full of pithy conversations and snarky humor. I will go back to the other book when I am ready...maybe in a few years.

    The Ghost of my Present- my current book Unknown Hours I wrote during a tough time in my life. After quite a bit of struggle and loss I was much more serious and motivated. Writing helped me process the feelings I was experiencing in my real life. UH the second in the series and is focused on action. It moves fast and the characters are kept on their toes. I had an editor for this book which changed the game for me. She is currently re-editing Hour of Trial, which I will rerelease soon. 

    The Ghost of my Future- my upcoming novel Final Hours is the last of this series. It is suspense filled and if you haven't figured out the answers to questions raised in previous books you can find them in this book. Although, if you are looking, all the answers are in each book. I had several readers say they went back and reread the Hour of Trial before reading Unknown Hours and figured some of the questions out. 

The ghosts of the future are scarier to me as I don't know what they bring. Hopefully a fun bag of treats and excitement.

What are your plans for 2020?