I’ve put off writing this post for over a month, hoping things would improve, I could make up for lost time, and live up to the promises I’ve made to my readers. I’ve finally had to concede that it is time to let go of certain expectations and move forward with what is.

If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you know I’ve been experiencing some unexpected health issues. As a result, I was not able to release Book #2 in the Riley Russell Mystery Series in December as planned…nor in January, which was my (now obviously over-optimistic) revised release date. I started thinking, “Okay, sometime in the first quarter. That will be doable!” And The Fates laughed and laughed.

In my arrogance, I had simply assumed that if I tried hard enough to overcome, if I did what my medical professionals told me to do, if I just put my mind to it and plowed ahead (shades of “Just do it,” anyone?), I could make things happen on my timeline. But as anyone who’s ever battled an autoimmune disorder knows, that is magical thinking at its finest.

I am wiser now.

As a writer, you really fine-tune your research skills. I put mine to work learning everything I can about my condition. I now have a medical team that I trust implicitly. They respect me as an intelligent, inquiring human being and take the time necessary to discuss what I’ve learned and whether or not something I’ve uncovered can be used in my treatment plan. My new, wiser self knows that the medication I started today works well for a great many patients, although not necessarily all. It’s also a long-term treatment, with results typically taking months, not weeks. They say knowledge is power. My plan is to move forward with all the knowledge I’ve acquired (and undoubtedly will continue to acquire), looking ahead to the day when I am feeling like my old self again. That’s one of the things Riley and I have in common: when we set our minds to something, we’re not easily deterred.

Meanwhile, writing continues to be hit-or-miss, with some days a veritable white-out of brain fog, others blissfully productive with fingers flying across the keyboard, barely keeping up with my thoughts. But every day I sit down at the computer and try. If Riley appears and gives me that “Where the hell have you been?” smirk of hers, then I know it’s going to be a good day. If she doesn’t, I try not to take it personally. There’s always tomorrow.

So, I’m not promising a specific release date (or month or even quarter). All I’m promising is that I’ll keep at it until it’s everything you as a reader expect from Riley and me. (In the meantime, did you catch the recent excerpt from the next book?)

With your continued support and encouragement, I’m confident Riley Russell #2 will be on the shelves sooner rather than later. Thanks for sticking with me.