Phew, 2013 is almost over! Gotta say, it’s been a pretty tough year on multiple fronts. BUT, it’s ending on a high note–YAY!!
After several months of negotiating, I’ve started a new day job. It’s been a huge shift moving from a job where I had to juggle acute inpatient stabilization of folks, outpatient medication management, hospital psychiatric consultation, and mental health medication management in collaboration with the HIV specialists to a more focused role working with patients in the crisis intervention unit and crisis inpatient unit. It’s a different aspect of the continuum of psychiatric care and I see people in the most acute (high level of symptoms) stages of their illnesses. Since my first year of residency (8 1/2 years ago!), I knew I wanted to do Psychiatric ER work and I’m finally able to do it!
My new schedule (second shift, AKA evenings) allows me to be free of the alarm clock (except for Saturday mornings, LOL) AND I have more energy to write in the morning. After only a couple weeks, I feel much more refreshed and energized. Talk about a relief!
On the writing front, I struggled with burn out. Like SERIOUS I’m-gonna-quit-writing burn out. It was after writing and re-writing THREE novels in a FOUR month period of time. I met all my deadlines and polished up the manuscripts until they sparkled, but by the end, all my creative juices had been used up. *sad face*
Looking back, I can say the hard work paid off. But LORD, I wouldn’t want to have to do it again!
Anyway, born out of this revolving door of drafts, edits, and copyedits are:
TSAVO PRIDE (a self-pubbed, YA paranormal romance/horror short story spin-off to NEW PRIDE and SHIFTING PRIDE)
ENDURE ( YA Dystopian pubbed July 2013)
EVOKE (YA Dystopian; sequel to ENDURE; coming January 20, 2013 by Renegade YA)
THE ZODIAC COLLECTOR (YA adventure coming May 2014 by Spencer Hill Press)
PLUS, I have an essay in the Indie-pubbed collection titled: INDIESTRUCTIBLE: INSPIRING STORIES FROM THE PUBLISHING JUNGLE. 100% of proceeds are donated to BUILDON.org, a movement which breaks the cycle of poverty, illiteracy, and low expectations through service and education.
So, what’s in store for 2014?
- I somehow got my writing mojo back in late 2013 (like Nov/Dec late, LOL!), so I’m not quitting. 😉
- EVOKE and THE ZODIAC COLLECTOR will hit the virtual shelves as E-books and paperbacks.
- SUNSET MOON, a YA novella, will go through editing and polishing for a LORE anthology.
- BEAT, a YA thriller will be drafted (hopefully I’ll finish it by the end of February).
- I *might* try querying agents again. *bites fingernails*
- I NEED to get through my gargantuan (and still growing) TBR pile.
Ok, so it’s your turn to share. How was your 2013 and what’re working on in 2014?
Author Laura Diamond--Lucid Dreamer 