If this were the Regency or Victorian era, I would be preparing to put off my blacks and revert to half mourning later this month. It is not. While I know that grief will continue to come in waves, I can tell you that since New Year’s the fog has lifted.
I’ve been absent so much I posted this photo on Facebook as “proof of life.” As you can see I enjoyed a gin and tonic at a lovely holiday luncheon.
“Yes, Caroline,” you may ask, “but are you writing?” The answer is, I’m starting slowly. I bought a lovely 2025 planner just for writing. It is pink with colorful tabs. The primary goal for January is to publish Snowed by the Wallflower.
I just finished the final read through which gave me a few minor tweaks I’ve yet to complete. Once that is done I will format and upload the final copy to Amazon and other vendors. I have promotion to schedule and I need to make sure I have it on my web bookshelf by the 25th of January also.
That done, my next big task is to review all the book my earlier publisher, SoulMate, removed from Amazon when they went out of business, and make some decisions. I own the rights but I need to dust off manuscripts, review for possible editing and added content needed, decide if they need new covers and so on before I make decisions about how to republish them. The task may be spread over months
Which books? Dangerous Works, Dangerous Weakness, Dangerous Secrets, The Renegade Wife, The Reluctant Wife, The Unexpected Wife, and The Price of Glory. None of them are currently available in ebook. Print is limited to what few books were in stock.
I would prefer not to put of writing new stories until that is done! my hope is to balance the republishing project while building inventory for 2026. So that is another set of decisions, Do I pick up what I was working on eighteen months ago? How about the one I started before I left SoupMate (Aeneas’s siblings need books and do other minor characters) Do I design a whole new Regency or Victorian romance series? Do I dip my toe into historical mystery? How about moving toward straight up historical fiction–the kind that requires maps and character lists in the front? I hope have definite plans and a book started by February 1.
Speaking of February, I’m learning Italian. I plan a brief trip to Florence and Assisi the end of that month. Travel is my passion—after writing, of course. It may feed a need for one of those options above.
Meanwhile, every Monday on the new planner says “But first, Coffee.” This blog helps keep me on task, and let you in on my progress progress. I’m also hoping to get a newsletter out by the end of January also.
So good to have you back! Hope the writing goes well.
I’m so glad that things are starting to get back to normal, but can only imagine the grief you carry with you. I look forward to seeing which direction you decide to go, and to the rerelease of some of your older titles, as I missed some of those prior to starting to read you.
All the best for a very happy and healthy new year Caroline!
Delighted to see you back Caroline and hear about your future plans, as well as your wise comments on the process of grieving. Warmest best wishes