It Wasn't Exactly Writer's Block

 

I’m happy to announce the release of my latest book, The Cottage on Dare Lake, the second book in the Dare Lake trilogy.

Almost three years have passed without publishing a new book. My last book was released in October 2020. Sure, I wrote some new material off and on over the last few years, but I couldn’t quite push myself hard enough to complete a manuscript.

I enjoy the fiction I create. A lot. So what happened? What got in the way of my creative output? Life. That’s what happened.

So a little background. In 2020, I did the work I need to do to reactivate my CPA license, and along with that, my work hours, responsibilities, and workload increased. As I’ve said before, accounting is a skill I learned to support my writing habit. (Which, by the way, includes my traveling habit. Because I absolutely must travel to research settings for my books, right?)

On to what happened. The first big thing that stalled my writing progress was the birth of my first grandchild. I spent a lot of time in 2021 caring for my grandson. He calls me Nana.  No regrets for the hiatus during this time. Spending time bonding with my little buddy is one of the greatest joys of my life. My accounting hours took a hit. I spent less time on the job and more time with the family. No regrets. Though my writing time suffered. It was almost non-existent.

Then in 2022, as the 2021 tax season approached (As a CPA, I always lived in the past), I made a promise to my employer to make up for the previous year’s decreased hours. I worked my posterior off during the 2021 tax season, which officially ended in October 2022. BUT I still spent a lot of time with the grandson BECAUSE his mom was expecting another baby, my second grandchild, and she needed my support as the birth of grandson number 2 approached. What’s a Nana to do? I have my priorities. My writing time was once again limited because I still had that accounting job.

Years ago, I read a book about trimming the excess branches off my tree of life. You know, getting rid of things that don’t add value or meaning to your life. I was in a good spot to do some trimming as I had just reached retirement age. (Sorry, I don’t remember the name of the book any longer and a browser search didn’t help me locate it.)

In September 2022, my husband and I took a much-needed vacation to Washington state to visit Mt. Rainier and Olympic National Park, which included lots of day hiking. It was a good time to reflect on my life and how it had changed, and more importantly, what my life was missing. By the time I got home and back on the accounting job, I’d made up my mind. It was time to retire. I put in my years as a CPA, and I still have priorities that don’t include surviving another tax season.

So now, I spend time with both of my grandsons and have plenty of time to write. I’ve spent more time on my hobbies, like scrapbooking and baking. After nine years of public accounting, I finally feel like my life is back in balance.