Most authors know that having a strong presence on social media is extremely important these days, and many (if not most) struggle with the amount of time it takes to develop and maintain their author platform. Before my first novel was published, I spent many hours a day researching what needed to be done and how to do it efficiently. There are a lot of apps that help to save time, and once a routine is put into place, things get easier.

However, life can easily get off balance and start to spin out of control. I once did a post about keeping the balance, and I’ll admit that I fell off the tightrope this spring. Although I finished writing Unexpected Peril early and had enough time to take December off for family and travel, January was the beginning of a steady fall downhill. My two daughters added many things to their schedule, and it all peaked the first three months of this year. I found myself spending a lot of time packing and unpacking, and we were traveling almost every weekend for competitions and tournaments.

Add that I had an editing deadline (the worst kind) over my head the entire time that had to be extended, and it was a recipe for disaster. By March, every area of my life was in complete chaos, and like most mothers in America, the rest of my family seemed oblivious to the limits of my super powers–even thinking I can be in three places at once almost every night of the week.

In the end, the eBook of Unexpected Peril was released on time with some editing issues that I found while proofing the paperback. The revisions were quickly made, and things are back on track with the release. However, I have not done much marketing on this novel, and I’ve pulled back from social media for a while. I’ve not been blogging as much or very active on Twitter. I’ve basically been doing the minimum on my social media.

Right now, I’m trying to get my life back in balance and my house organized. That requires planning and shopping for shelves and such. I’m also using this summer to train my children to do more, as I’ve canceled almost all of their summer sports and activities. We’re also having a lot of discussions about their future activities and their capabilities to help out–AKA, Mom’s on a mild strike, and the family needs to realize she is an actual human with many limits to her “super powers.”

I plan to start writing again next month, after I make some changes to Unexpected Metamorphosis to reflect the same writing style I used with the other two books in the series. Until then, I’ll do my best to answer emails and social media messages. My heart is tied to writing, as it is my passion. I just have to take some time to focus on getting back on balance–mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I’m working on finding the calm again.

Let me know in the comment section if you relate–not just authors, but all moms/dads in general. It’s easy to suddenly find yourself drowning in life’s demands.

Oh, and don’t worry if any of this will affect the release of Unexpected Beginning. I would never leave my readers hanging and am greatly honored that many of you highly anticipate my book releases. Thank you all for your support and love for Alissia.