Time to say farewell

The time has come to say farewell, not only for me, but for Frightening Journeys too. Earlier this week, I came to a decision to bow out of the blog. It wasn't easy. I don't like to give up or set things aside without a good reason. Still, I felt with my family obligations, I couldn't wholeheartedly commit to being here each week anymore and hadn't posted in a long time. I had yet to tell the others when Nicole contacted me about putting the blog to rest. After consulting with Nerine and Sonya, we all agreed it was time.


We started FJ in October of 2008. None of us were published, just hoping and working hard to make it there one day. Each of us had families, jobs and other commitments, but we also had a dream to become published authors, helping others by sharing our pitfalls along the way. We said farewell to four wonderful ladies Heather, J.K. Mahal and Barbra Annino who started blogging with us, and Sandra Sookoo who joined us later and became a must-read author. And welcomed Nerine Dorman, multi-published author and editor, and authors Sonya Clark and Melissa Glisan. We've all grown as writers since beginning FJ and I can't help but think we learned alot from each other along the way.


As for my absence, well my husband is in bad health and has been since his car wreck in 2007. March of last year, he caught pneumonia and wound up in ICU for a week. Then in May he got very sick. We thought he had a virus, but he was back in the ICU with Diabetic Ketoacidosis. A month later he was put in for the same symptoms and we learned he has Gastroparesis, a complication of Diabetes. Since he was diagnosed, he has been hospitalized at least once a month, sometimes twice, for a week or more at a time. At last count he's been in ICU at least ten times. Needless to say, the stress of spending days at work, evenings at the hospital until midnight, trying to keep up with contract deadlines, edits and just for fun lets throw in the kids volleyball and cheer obligations. Things went crazy. They still are and I'm not sure if they will be "normal" again. 


I'm nearing the end of my Elemental Magic Series. Miraculously, I've managed to finish four of the five books amidst the craziness. The fourth will release next month. My editor and publisher have been very understanding, moving release dates around to give me more time to compose when his illness keeps me from work.  My bosses at work have done pretty much the same, allowing me to be off when I need to, etc. I am blessed to work with great people and I thank God for them everyday. Right now I'm really thanking God for my job in the lovely air conditioning. It's a heat index of 100 outside and that's mild compared to last week.


So, thank you everyone for following along with us. This doesn't mean we have given up blogging for good. You'll be able to find us on our individual blogs.  I try to post every couple of days at brynnacurry.com. I hope you'll visit me there. 


Nerine, Nichole, Sonya, it has been wonderful working with you ladies. I wish you all the best in everything you do. Thanks for letting me be a part of your journey. 


Until we meet again, be blessed.


Brynna

So long, farewell...

They say all good things must come to an end, and that seems to be true for this blog. After this week, there will be no new posts here.

We’ve had a good run, I think, but each of us Frightening Journey bloggers have decided that we can’t continue. I’m a little saddened, I won’t lie. The idea of a blog where authors of paranormal mysteries was originally my idea. It morphed, obviously, into a blog for paranormal authors. And that was a good thing.

Now we seem to have morphed once again. Or maybe we just outgrew this stage, like a child outgrowing his favorite shirt.

I will miss my fellow bloggers, but I hope I won’t have to miss you. I plan to blog at my own site (http://www.nicholerbennett.com) on a more regular basis.

Thanks for joining us on this “frightening journey” toward publication and may all your dreams be achieved.

Blessings!

Nichole

Making room for the art

I'm sure just about everyone has heard about "art imitating life." For an author, that phrase is even more true. Even in the sci-fi or paranormal genres, an author does write what's familiar. At least a little bit.

Even as a "paranormal cozy mystery" author, my life does manage to make its way into my writing. Some of the characters in my work bear a distinct resemblance to people I know in my day-to-day life. The locations I write about are ones I've actually visited.

I have trouble, however, making time for the art. Lately life seems to get in the way. Or, to use another phrase: "Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans."

I've been having trouble balancing my life and my art. Not just the writing part of my life, either. The knitting, the spinning, the painting...they've all been suffering lately as well. I'm not sure why. My theory is that there are a ton of changes going on in my world and it's sucking my creative juices right out of me. Maybe not, but it's better than having no clue at all.

So for all the creative people out there: what do you do when your creativity is on vacation? I'm looking forward to your suggestions!

Blessings!

Nichole