I honestly almost forgot about this blog. If it weren't for one friend asking about blogging over books and another making a comment about this blog, I would have forgotten for a while.

My fourth book releases tomorrow. The last post I put up on this website spoke about my 2nd book and writing my 3rd. Both books had their ups and downs in the process. My second book, though unique, has had some issues that I will likely go back and do a bit of editing and re-release it. I also have a new cover for it that is amazing.

My second Loki book will lead into a 3rd. I didn't really realize that when I started writing it. I'm also thinking I might zip in and write a novella for Loki.I miss that snarky voice in my head.

"Ice Burns" which has changed titles about fifty times is the first "novel" I finished. You could say that this was the book that made me feel like I was actually a writer. I'm not saying that writing short stories or any other type of writing doesn't make you a writer - it does. Finishing a work of this length showed me that I have the determination to finish a large work.

It's too easy to quit sometimes. There are moments in writing that you wonder if everything is crap. I know that I've struggled when storybuilding that I wondered if what I was writing would be interesting to anyone else. It's normal, though.

I've also been lucky to meet several other authors during this journey. When you doubt yourself, find others who are like you and you'll feel better. I've always had one, maybe two writer-types around me, but it felt like we were more focused on our own experiences than we were in realizing where our struggles were.

Writers, authors, artists - especially with the same focus - are amazing resources. Even though we write alone, we need others. If you're self-published, this is especially true because it has a heavy learning curve.

I'm not always a people person. Weird, right? Sometimes I don't want the world intruding on me and being around people is incredibly tiring. Writers, like the books we love, are there when you need them. Most writers want to help each other - we want to know that we can depend on each other so we're more than willing to assist when someone asks.

I love that I can easily say "we" in that.

I feel vulnerable with this book. I feel like my main character is so vulnerable and struggling in a way that I have in my life. No, I'm not at risk of going evil (though that would be fun!), but the dark side of me is all of my insecurities and sometimes it's hard to quiet them. We all have dark and light that we have to either listen to or ignore. If things don't scare you or make you nervous/anxious/angry/sad, you aren't alive.

Something I like to tell people who are afraid to do something, especially something new is this: If you aren't afraid, it really doesn't mean anything to you. Pushing through hardship of any kind highlights how important something is to us. The only way to succeed is by acknowledging that what you feel is normal and pushing on.

So, what are you waiting for? Get out there and be more than you are.