Y’all… 2018 has only just begun and it’s already kicking my butt. Or more accurately, 2017 gave me one last kick in the ass, setting off a bit of a domino effect…
I guess I should start out at the beginning. Being Alpha was rocking and rolling for me. I was working my ass off on it, and the pages were flowing like nothing I’ve ever written before. The book kept surprising me in the best way, and it’s totally nothing like what’s on the pre-order page. (Whoops! I’ll be updating that soon!) I worked through Thanksgiving and Christmas. Then took a couple days off to pack and move to Vancouver. My plan was to start working on the book again on the 30th, when our nanny arrived. (I can’t do anything without childcare, and our super awesome nanny was game to move with us to Vancouver. Amazing!) I have two more weeks of solid editing (Lola’s notes are legit, y’all!), and I was going to need every day to get it done. But then we got a text in the wee hours the morning our nanny was supposed to fly…
Something horrible happened to our nanny. Like seriously bad. I want to protect her privacy–so I’m not saying what happened–but I’m giving her a month off paid to recover. Which means I’m currently in a foreign country without childcare and no support system to help me out. I’ve got no backup babysitters here. No family. I don’t know anyone here, and I’ve got no one to watch Isabella while I power through my last round of edits. And there are a lot of them. I need full work days. Even if I tried to do it in the AM before she wakes up, during the two hours that she naps, and then try to power through some more at night… There’s just not enough time. I did the math because pushing my release date was a last resort. I know how long it takes to revise a chapter, and after trying to schedule my days to get it done, I came to the realization that I just don’t have enough hours in the day.
This all means that I can’t put the book out in February as planned.
Even after all the hard work and time I poured into it–through holidays, through my husband’s hiatus at work, while my parents were in town (and I hadn’t seen them in six months!!!), I worked my ass off and neglected everything else. Man, if I was going to push this book, I’d have done it months ago. I feel like I’m starting this year off with a failure, but I’ve been trying to see it in a different light.
My nanny didn’t ask for this to happen to her, and I can’t control the crazy twists and turns that life throws at me. Life is all about being able to adjust and roll with it. So, now I’m rolling with it.
When is Being Alpha coming out? July 17th, 2018. Anyone who pre-ordered via Amazon will get an email in a few hours alerting them of the changed date and giving them the option to cancel their preorder.
If this delay is upsetting to you and you cancel your pre-order, I totally understand and apologize. Just know it’s tough to for me to do this. I’ve had a knot in my stomach since I got that text from our nanny for a lot of reasons. But telling all of y’all the book isn’t coming as soon as I’d promised is a bit frustrating/disappointing/sad/depressing/etc. I’m starting 2018 with a set-back, but I’m hoping that won’t set the tone for the coming year.
This also means that I’ll be pushing Off Planet. AGAIN. OY!!! I pushed it before to do a print run, but now I won’t have time to dedicate to the launch like I need to… So after discussing with the distributor, we’re pushing to Spring of 2019.
But this is where the bad news ends!
I’ve already put up Chapter One of Being Alpha. You can read it by clicking on this link! I’ll be posting a new chapter every month until July! That’s way more than I’ve ever put out before, but I wanted to be able to share what I’ve got with you.
Aaaand I’m going to be putting out a few short novellas to introduce you to my new series Off Planet. If you liked Cipher, then be sure to check it out! I really love this world. It was the other novel that I wrote during my MFA, and had the most amazing mentor for it–Maria V. Snyder. She’s kind of the best!
I’m taking a look at the bright side here. For the next four (possibly twelve) weeks, I get to be a stay-at-home mom. I get to spend time with my little nugget, and that’s not so bad. I’m going to explore Vancouver and all it has to offer while my husband shoots his movie here. And I’m going to be writing as much as time allows. Because that’s what I love to do. Write. It’s my addiction.
I’ll also be posting more updates on this blog, my facebook page, and instagram. And if you’re looking for even more insight into what I’m up to, I share a bit more on the Ink Monster Superfans page. I hope to see you there. 😉
xoxo
Aileen
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