I know it’s overdue, and I apologize for the delay. Unexpected Metamorphosis was written in about three months, as I was in a dark place and needed to get some things out of my head. Back then, I wrote until around three or four in the morning and woke up around nine o’clock to homeschool my three young children. I had a lot of energy and got a lot done back then. I even worked out almost daily!

Shortly after my first novel was published, I put the children in public school and started writing and marketing every day. Living in the Atlanta area, I was involved in author groups and worked to get a book out each year. It was hard work, but it was doable. However, as with everyone, life gets complicated, and things can easily get derailed.

While writing my fourth novel, I had some family issues with my mother and a sibling, and I tried to fix a few things. After a long period of trips for court dates and meetings, I finally collapsed on my couch exhausted and drained, with nothing accomplished.

During this time, I had a young teen dealing with some depression, and I was getting Unexpected Metamorphosis ready for a second publishing. After a few years in the industry, I realized my first editor had let me down a bit, and I wanted things fixed.

Unexpected Metamorphosis was republished, and we moved to a small town on the Gulf Coast, away from the fast pace of Atlanta. We downsized and thought our move would slow things down a bit. However, things didn’t go in that direction. In fact, life got a bit crazier.

We dealt with major renovations, only to have to redo some of them a year later when some water damage happened. My teenage daughter’s depression escalated into some scary times, and my daughter-in-love called from Florida to see if I could keep my granddaughter for a while and help to get them moved here.

By that time, I had decided to set my writing aside to give my full attention to my daughter, and I soon found myself potty training and being a full-time caretaker of a two year old. Things got better for my daughter, and she moved out for college. My daughter-in-love eventually moved in, and we helped to get her settled in this town. I got into a new routine and was about to start writing again.

Then, Covid! While most people’s lives slowed down during the quarantine, mine only got crazier. My daughter’s depression intermingles with anxiety, and she immediately decided to leave Kansas to come home for online schooling. She brought a massive, shedding, and formerly abused dog home with her. This meant I had seven people in my home and two dogs. Life for this writing introvert changed drastically.

If that wasn’t enough, my daughter’s boyfriend soon lost his job and moved into our game room. Shortly thereafter, my daughter-in-love reignited things with my estranged son after years of being apart, and he moved here from North Carolina.

Nine people! That means nine people and two dogs were in my home last year. And they weren’t a nice little clan of my children. We had a variety of ages, with a variety of personalities and struggles they were dealing with.

My daughter-in-love and granddaughter moved into a nearby house, and my son found a place through a veteran’s program. We’re now down to six people in my house, and with my granddaughter visiting her other grandparents in Florida until August, I’m back at my desk full time.

That means I’m back at my writing! Things have finally settled, and Unexpected Legends is my top priority at the moment–well, starting next week. I’m about to go backpacking in the North Carolina mountains to give my brain a good reset. Nature always gets my writing juices flowing, so it’s perfect timing.

I apologize for the major delay in the last book in my series. It bothers me greatly, but I can’t turn my back on people who reach out to me. If you’ve read my writing and know Alissia, you know she’s been through a lot. It would be a waste not to use all that pain and suffering to help others in their difficult times of need. That’s what it’s all about. She can get old and bitter, or she can get old and wiser.

As for me, I choose to grow old and wiser. I wish I had more energy, but I’ll take the patience I’ve gained through the years over the chaos of youth. My daughter still deals with great bouts of depression and anxiety, but she’s headed in the right direction. She’s working on her college degree, and I’ll continue to vacuum up her dog’s hair all over my house. Her struggles are real, and I don’t regret putting my writing aside to help her get through the pain. With an unexpected appendix surgery and wreck that damaged her hand, she’s needed a bit more help.

Surrounded by young ones, I remember my struggles at their age, and I won’t ignore their pain. In fact, I got a tattoo last year to continuously remind me of my purpose when I start to grumble about other people’s chaos.

Each time I want to complain, I lift my arm and read those words. I can still give a heavy sigh and eye roll (which I do almost all the time), but I give my attention to the one in need.

Get ready for Unexpected Legends! I’m back at my desk and ready to write. I promise it’s worth the wait. This last book will have all your answers. There’s a LOT going on in it.

Until then, please consider leaving a review/reviews on Amazon if you’ve read the other books. Amazon’s algorithms work with those reviews, and they really are important for authors. Besides, I love hearing what people think of Alissia and my writing. When things get chaotic in my personal life, those reviews from my readers give me a smile.