Starting Over

A few years ago I read a blog post by an author on deadline who hated the book she'd written so much that she deleted it. With something like 28 days left before she had to turn in the book, she deleted it and started again on page one. What?!

I thought she was nuts! Seriously, had she completely lost her mind?! Then 2017 happened to me...

The year began with a virus that turned into pneumonia. Two courses of antibiotics later, I barely felt better. Pneumonia turned into the stomach flu and after two months of being sick... I'd completely missed my deadline to release Haunted. I was forced to postpone.

Fast forward a few months of frantic writing whenever the day job permitted. I finally had the first draft done. Hallelujah! Until I read through the book from beginning to end and hated it. Yes, hated it. This is not the story I wanted to tell. This didn't do Kirk and Ava justice. So what did I do? The only thing I could do. I deleted the book.

Yes, you read that right. I. Deleted. The. Book.

I finally understand why that author made the decision she made so many years ago. I know exactly why she deleted the book and started over instead of attempting to fix the parts she hated. Because sometimes it's just easier to start over. Sometimes you have to accept the fact that what you have is garbage and go back to the proverbial drawing board.

So that's what I've done. I threw out the disastrous first take on a story was meant to be hauntingly beautiful but completely missed the mark. Why? In favor of writing the story you, my readers, deserve. The story I always meant to tell. One of two lonely souls who realize how much more they can be -- together.

Yes, I still plan on releasing HAUNTED this year, followed closely by FIERCE in the Spring. Until then, keep watching my website and facebook page for updates. (I'll be sharing HAUNTED, Chapter One soon!)