Hi, Readers. Most of you know I reached a milestone last month—the publication of the third and final book of the Driscoll Lake series.
It’s hard to believe five years have passed since I began writing the first draft of Unseen Motives. There were many times I thought I’d never complete it—let alone edit and publish. But one book led to a second one, then a third.
Now, they are done. And having never completed a series before, I felt a little lost at first. When you’ve lived with characters for several years, it’s sad to see them go. At the same time, I was relieved and felt a sense of accomplishment.
Then came the blog promo tour, and those in themselves can be exhausting. I’m grateful for those who hosted me and for all those that followed along and left supportive comments along the way.
Afterward, I decided to take a little time off (at least that’s what I planned). But the writer in me couldn’t let go. I’m already thinking ahead.
So, what is next? I have a few ideas.
The first is to put together a book of short stories. Years ago, I did a First Friday Fiction feature on my blog. Some of the stories are in the mystery/suspense genre. Some are one-shots, others spanned a period of several months.
The plan is to take several of these stories and rewrite them. A couple of them I never finished, so I want to do that. To make the book a decent length, I’ll need to write a few more.
I’m also planning my next series. The books will still contain elements of mystery, suspense, and romance, but I plan to throw in a little folklore or legend into the stories. I purchased a journal and have already been brainstorming ideas. The plan is to begin writing the first book in the fall.
Another idea is to revamp the First Friday Fiction stories that I don’t want to include in the short story collection and create a page on my website with links to them. And speaking of the blog, I’m toying with some ideas for a couple of regular features. I’ll write more about that later, if and when I plan to implement them.
I also want to enjoy the summer. My husband has a different work schedule during non-school months, and we are able to spend more time together. Another thing I want to do is catch up on my reading. My TBR list would probably reach to the moon and back (well, maybe across the state of Texas). And it’s forever growing.
What about you? I’d love to hear about your summer plans. Leave a comment.
16 Responses
Congrats on finishing the series, Joan. I’m about a third of the way through Unclear Purposes at the moment and am enjoying it thoroughly. I love the sound of a short story collection. I’m busy revising my latest book FALLOUT and am writing a how-to book for writers … Creative Solutions … and as if that all isn’t keeping me busy enough, yesterday I had an idea for a book which just won’t leave me alone, lol. So, it’s looking like a busy summer here! Enjoy your time with you husband. I look forward to seeing what you come up with next 🙂
Oh, those writing muses! They just won’t leave us alone. 🙂 But that’s a good thing. I look forward to your next book and what you have in mind for future stories. Glad you’re enjoying Unclear Purposes!
Ooo, a new series with folklore woven in sounds fab. I’m still plugging away at the umpteenth (okay, maybe just the third) rewrite of my first novel.
Thanks, Priscilla. Sometimes those edits and rewrites seem to take forever. But just think what the finished product will be!
I’m really looking forward to your next works, but I understand you wanting a relaxing summer. (And it’s already roughly a third over!)
Can’t wait to hear more about your plans.
I’m not taking off entirely. I actually want to plan this one out before I begin writing. (Can you imagine?) LOL But I don’t mind having some downtime. (And did you have to remind me of how quickly time is passing?) LOL
I always feel momentarily lost when I finish a series, Joan, but you gave the gang in Driscoll Lake an exceptional send off. I’m looking forward to the new series with folklore and legend intertwined–especially if a certain character may show up 😉 And the short story collection sounds grand!
My writing normally slows down a bit over the summer. I had planned to release my own collection of shorts by August or September but have now decided to hold it for an April release. Right now I’m still cleaning it up. And I have a new WIP I want to get back to. First though–pool time—assuming the %#^@ weather ever warms up and the rain takes a hike!
I’m excited about the new series. And I don’t have to guess which character you’re hoping will make an appearance. 🙂 Hope you get some decent weather soon. We’ve had lots of rain this year and cooler than normal temps. But I think summer weather is about to make its appearance here.
There are rumors the sun might make an appearance today. One can only hope!
And I figured you’d know who was hinting about, LOL.
I’m halfway through the third book in the Muddy River series. And I just finished plotting the fifth book for my Jazzi Zanders cozies, so I’ll start that when I finish All The Missing Children. But in the summer, if my husband says, “Hey, let’s take off today,” I’m up for that:) And I like having more friends over for weekend meals, too.
Sounds like you’re busy, but I like the laid-back feeling of summer. We all need a break now and then.
I like to step back in the summer, and it’s always been my time for reading. So far, I haven’t cracked a cover. I have two books to polish up pending autumn and winter releases. I’m also dabbling with a new project. Once the books are polished, I intend to dedicate some time to my TBR pile. I always have more ideas than time, so the well is fully stocked, and so is the reservoir beyond it.
I recall one summer when I would get home from work, change, grab a book, and head for my backyard hammock. Those were the days when I had a lot of free time. I’m like you, Craig. I have more ideas than time.
I’ve stepped back from writing and am enjoying the garden this year. At least for a month or two- deadlines are looming, lol.
Glad you have new ideas brewing, love that feeling!
I miss having a garden. My dad always grew a large one each year. Both my husband and I have work schedules that don’t give us adequate time to tend to a garden the way it needs. Thanks for stopping by today!
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