Dear readers,

It’s time for a heartfelt confession.

I’m exhausted.

I love writing. I love getting to know these characters in my head, and I love being able to bring their stories to you. But I’m tired. Not tired of writing, just tired, in general. As most of you are aware, I recently started a new job. My official title is “Care Companion.” It’s my job to sit with and observe patients in the hospital who are, for their own safety, unable to be left alone for any period of time. Usually, it’s folks who suffer from dementia and are confused about where they are or why they’re there. Other times it’s folks who are depressed and are in need of emotional support. Regardless of the specific circumstances, it’s an emotionally and mentally draining job, even though it’s also rewarding. I love getting to sit and talk to new people- learning their individual stories and offering up whatever kind of support they require, whether it’s a simple smile, compassion, empathy, or calming a confused mind. But at the end of the day, I’ve depleted my energy.

I need time to decompress.

I need time to take care of me instead of someone else.

I sometimes need time to cry because the patient I had that day has a heartbreaking history, a heartbreaking diagnosis, or a heartbreaking end. Or all of the above.

Due largely in part to the toll it can take on my emotional and mental health, I have very little left in me to be “on.” Being an indie author isn’t as simple as writing the stories and hitting the publish button. There’s interaction and engagement. Marketing. PR. Tracking sales and ROI. I don’t have a PA- I do it all on my own, and the pressure to perform and pretend to be an extrovert can, at times, be too much for this introvert.

So, after some soul-searching, I’m taking a step back from social media. I am in no way going off the grid. I am still active in my reader group, BJ’s Little Bits, every day. I’m still reachable via Facebook Messenger and email. I’m not leaving you. 

What I am going to do is decline any invitations to participate in takeovers, despite my unwavering support for my fellow authors. I still plan to fulfill my admin duties in my other groups (aside of BJ’s Little Bits)– Book Crush Cafe and The ROMCOM Club, though I will likely schedule posts in advance, and I apologize if I am not readily available for interaction on those posts.

What does this mean for my future book releases?

Well, I know that many of you are anxiously awaiting Medicine Wheel #3, and I want to bring it to you. However, I want to bring you the best version of Sadie and Liam’s story that I possibly can, and right now, just the mere idea of continuing their story makes me nauseous. I don’t feel like this is the book I should be focusing on right now, and the last thing I want to do is force it. I have several WIPs that I’ve started and set aside over the past several months, and there are a few of them that I’m excited to dive back into. Therefore, Medicine Wheel #3 may or may not be my next release. If you are anxiously awaiting that book, please accept my sincerest apologies. I hope that when I finally do release it, it will be worth the wait.

What AM I working on?

Well, I can’t tell you which book will be the next release or when, but I can tell you that I’ve now got a title and basic plot for the next Syndicate book, which is Chace’s story. His woman’s name is Victoria, and she is a badass. I’ve also got a PNR series, a contemporary series containing F/F, M/F, and M/M pairings, and a couple of stand alones–one of which is a romcom and another that is a YA coming-of-age/mystery that is totally out of my wheelhouse, but wilding intriguing. And, of course, the continuation of the Medicine Wheel series, of which there will be SEVEN books, total.

I hope you all stick with me as I jump the track and my writing process and release schedule deviate from my previous plans. I will try my hardest not to make you wait TOO long for the next book, whatever it may be.

As always, thank you for your support and understanding. I appreciate every single one of you.

x Brandy

P.S. Despite my planned social media break, I will be hosting several giveaways throughout the month of May in honor of those authors and readers who supported me when I was struggling. It’s my way of giving back. So, be sure you’re following me on all my social media platforms–it’s going to be pretty epic. #MarvelousMayGiveaways