And A Way We Go

One of my favorite analogies of life in general comes from an old circus act that's rarely seen these days: Plate Spinning. (I also may be a big Radiohead fan, so there's that as well). The idea that every plate requires not your full attention, but just enough to keep it moving, is one that resonates and--in some small way--gives me hope.

Most authors these days are master plate spinners. Balancing day jobs, family and social life, church or community obligations, they squeeze a few moments of their day into putting words down on a page that hypothetically no one will ever read. It's quite an insane act, when you think about it. Then add to their plate the marketing requirements to actually get their work out there and it can, on occasion, lead to disaster.

Which is why, if you know any authors, we tend to step away. Sometimes it's through disappointing friends by hiding in our writing havens instead of going out. Other times we may disappear from social media for a time, or allow those marketing efforts to fall by the wayside. Too many plates going at once, one is bound to come crashing down.

All this to say, it's been a while. Though I may have neglected, for a time, my blog, and some of the marketing around past projects, there's one plate that's continued to spin. Because, as we've already established, us authors are a little insane. And the one plate we don't drop is the one that sometimes causes us to drop others.

So yes, there are a few projects on the horizon. I have a short story collection I'm quite excited about, one that feels like the culmination of the overall theme of my writing over the past several years. Another novel is completed, with a second marching towards the finish line. And, somewhere between, I'll be releasing an omnibus version of The Creation Series.

In addition, I'm making some changes to the website and marketing behind what I do. I've released (quietly) a logo for my Production Company, Pricks Like Thorn Media. And there are some long term plans to add more than just printed words to the wheelhouse. (Though all things in time).

While there will be updates on releases and cover reveals of my own work coming, I'll be getting back to the book reviews I've done as well, though in a different strain. As a published author, there are some challenges inherent in "reviewing" fellow authors. Share what didn't work for you, and you're bashing; give a glowing review, and you're expecting something in return. And yet being honest with our personal experience--which can vary so greatly from someone else's--is what we're all really hoping to share. So instead of a traditional "love it" / "hate it" post, my reviews going forward will have a bit of a different vibe, though I'll wait for a future post to explain how that will evolve.

So while I may have a ways to go to get where I'm hoping, I've found a way to go to get me further along that path. Besides, this has always been about the journey, not some fictional destination. I hope you'll continue to join me.

And away we go.