A 2024 writing reflection

Okay, I wasn’t really invisible. But, oh, the possibilities…

Instead, in late 2021, I disappeared from my public writing life. Stopped sending emails. Did not publish or submit anything. Did not share much on social. (Even abandoned one social channel entirely.)

I didn’t stop writing. I simply didn’t want to market myself or even publish.

At a core level, I needed a break.

So many factors were part of that decision. Peak COVID despair. A promotion at work that involved more deep thinking and relationship management. Returning to training jiu jitsu. A puppy with never-ending puppy energy.

I honestly had less time. So the little time I had for writing was reserved for the actual act of writing. Not publishing. Not marketing. Not sustained interaction on social.

But then, in the middle of this year, all that changed. I wanted to again share my writing and to connect with people who love books.

One of the strangest things about my publishing break was my perception that it was only six months, when in reality it was about two years.

Of course, everything related to my book marketing and publishing was broken.

My website was out of date. My email service had tanked. My graphic design program no longer worked.

But I tackled all these obstacles and ended up publishing 3 books in 2024.

War Hound

This dark fantasy novella was born from mourning the death of my previous dog. I wanted to write something about the power of dogs in our lives. Hoping to add more books following the life of the pup as he grows.

A novella of second chances in a war-torn medieval fantasy world.

The Lost One

This story had been long brewing. I wanted to evoke weird occult feeling from True Detective in a Northern California settings with my own set of conflicting partners. I was able to draw deeply from the time I spend on ranches and farms in West Marin to build out the setting.

An investigation into the edge of madness.

Grampus and Other Tales of Holiday Horror

I think I had the most fun with this one, probably because my whole goal with this collection was to write fast, twist the holidays, and create something that I wanted lots of people to enjoy. It’s been a great success with lots of reviews, and I even gave away 2,000 copies for free helping me connect with more people.

You’ll never look at the festive season the same way again…

That’s my 2024 round up. So happy to be connecting again with people who love books.

Stay tuned for what’s in store for 2025!