I care. A lot. And the truth is, my lovely friends and readers, I don’t know when my next book will be out. I’ve had a bad year. Very bad. It’s ironic because I began with so many plans and so much energy and hope. I semi-retired from being a CPA so I would have more time to write. But in February, I had to have a medical procedure that led to a hysterectomy in August that turned into cancer. In March, I had a colonoscopy – not because I had a problem, but because my gyno nagged me to get one because I’m at that age when doctors say you should get one. I went in for a routine exam that became another health issue and began a year-long roller coaster – sick, very sick, then better, then very sick again. I mean the kind of sick where you can’t get out of bed, the miserable kind of Just Fucking Kill Me Now kind of sick. I’m having surgery later this week to fix the problem. I anticipate kicking this to the curb and emerging triumphant. Like Brunhilde.

You Go Girl!

Okay, so I now have no uterus – and no cancer! Lemonade of hysterectomy is that they also took out all the cancer. It had not invaded any muscle, so I was diagnosed and cured in a week. Dude! That’s righteous.

This week, I’ll have the part of my colon that hates me removed from my body and I’ve asked the doctor to step on it, burn it, curse it, and throw it in the alley. He won’t, because he’s a professional, but man, oh man, I’d like to murder it because it has been a ginormous pain in the ass – literally – almost this whole year.

What does all this mean for my writing schedule? It means I’m incredibly far behind. It means I am nowhere close to done with Mephisto 5 or the second historical romance in my Lennox series. I had such grand plans for this year. It just goes to show that you never know what’s right around the corner. All you can do is make the best of things and enjoy your life as much as possible. I have had some real bad luck, but at the same time, I am so lucky. I have a loving and supportive husband, two wonderful daughters, insurance to get the health care I need, and a brain. I figure I’m always good to go so long as I have a functioning brain. I mean, I could be an idiot. That’d be real tragic. Or maybe not – do stupid people know?

Anyway, I wanted to let my readers know. I am so extremely sorry. I’m absolutely devastated to disappoint you, especially when you’ve been so patient and supportive. I hope so much you’ll be patient a little longer and not give up on me or my books. As soon as I get rid of this body part, I am certain I’ll have a new lease on life and be dying to get back to writing. I miss my daily routine. I miss my characters. I miss the world I’ve built, and I am lost without that escape. Real life is sometimes just way too real.

My love to all of you and my deepest most sincere thanks to you for your patience and kindness and especially your eagerness for another story. It is truly humbling.

I promise I will update as soon as I have my life back, when I have a writing schedule I know I can keep.

Have a Very Happy Holiday. Be safe, be happy, go out there and rock it with all the love in your soul!