An Update On Life & the Next Book

...progress on both these things puts me at ease

I haven’t given a big update on life or the next book in a bit because so much has been in flux. In fact, life has been really chaotic for reasons I’ve outlined in other recent posts about this topic.

That being said, I know where I am going to move, and also, after a lot of back and forth, I’ve gotten help from my job and the huge increase in cost of living in my area with a pretty hefty bump in pay. Without that, I wouldn’t have been able to stay at my job or in the area I live. That alone was the cause of a lot of stress, anxiety, and depression I have been dealing with, which also got in the way of me being able to focus creatively, at the real job and with writing my next book.

I’ve been preparing for a forced move over the last few weeks and have gotten rid of most of my possessions. In fact, I donated thousands of books to Hospice and Goodwill - two organizations that have been there for my family in the past. While I had amassed a massive library over the years, it actually felt good to get rid of that big ass anchor and to give the books to someone else that can enjoy them. I obviously kept the things most dear to me, but the vast majority of what I was holding onto weren’t things I was likely to ever read again.

Anyway, my new place is small, but that’s fine. Also, I most likely will have to move again in May, as the owner is looking to put it on the market then. I could buy it, but he seems like he will be asking for a lot more than it is worth. Southern Florida is a housing clusterfuck of biblical proportions, right now.

Still, I have some peace of mind going into this new place, as I believe the change of environment and living next to some really good people will be great for me. I think that I will be able to focus on my writing a lot more. Especially, since no one lives above me and I’m not in a loud, shitty neighborhood where people blast their car stereos and yell constantly in front of my home.

Work has also calmed down a bit for now. So, that allows my brain a break.

All that being said, I’ve been in a good place and I’m working on the book with some ease and I’m pumping out new chapters rather quickly. I’ve written one story for the next anthology and I am currently working on the biggest story, which will take up half to a third of the total book. I’m halfway through that story at this point.

For now, that’s it! I need to get back to the writing grind and get this thing done. It’s a unique and interesting story and I have wanted to tell it since starting the Barbarians of the Storm series.