Stepping back from writting

My life has been a whirlwind of activities since July 2008 and it has taken it's toll on me. In July, the first book in my Darkness series, Seducing the Darkness, was released. Since then I have not had a single break from writing and I am talking, writing day and night. Each book has the first chapter of the next book at the back so of course, the next book in the series has to be written, at least the first chapter, right after the previous book has been written. So from July until now, I have written eight books. That's eight books in seven months. Whew!!

In that time, my father fell ill in August with Pneumonia and passed away five days after being admitted in the hospital from lung cancer. It was a great shock to me and my siblings because we knew nothing about his cancer. My father didn't want anyone to know. So I took a few days off to deal with my grief and to tend to my fathers funeral. I'm the only daughter that lives close to my mother, so I did a lot to help her through this tough time. Including helping her pack to move and sell off some of my fathers stuff. Not an easy thing to do but I did it.

While helping my mother during the day, I would have to attend to my writing at night. All of this stress put my body on overload and I got sick. I was in bed for nearly a week. I just couldn't fight it. By the time I felt somewhat well enough to get up, I had to make up the time I'd been down and wrote like a mad woman to make my deadlines. During this time, I was still helping my mother, and being a dutiful wife and mother. And dealing with my own grief.

I pushed myself beyond my limits to get the Darkness series written. I had deadlines and me being an obsessed idiot, I have to get my work in before the deadline. So I pushed myself even more. My health began to fail and my emotions were all over the place.

While writing the series, I was also doing edits on the previous books as well as promoting myself and my books which included interviews, chats and a Radio spot. I've been undergoing several medical tests and still helping my mother, taking care of my hubby and three kids and all my wife and motherly duties.

Christmas came and the stress continues. The first big holiday without my father and it was my duty to make it as pleasant a day for my mother as possible. Then my daughter began to get sick with a cough that wouldn't go away. And a month ago, told me she couldn't hear out of one ear. She;s had some hearing problems throughout her life, but this was drastic. So now I have that to deal with.

I've had so much on my shoulders since July that it finally dragged me down.

A week ago, I had a meltdown. All the things I was responsible for in my life had piled up like building blocks. When the last block was placed on me, it shook the foundation and sent it all tumbling down. It was then I realized, I just couldn't keep going on as I had been. And I did something that was so hard for me that it actually took me several days to draw up the courage to do it. I had to ask for an extension.

I pride myself on being early when handing in my manuscripts. But I knew there was no way I was going to be able to meet my latest deadline. It was with great relief that it was granted. Thank you Crissy! :)

So now, I am taking a much needed break from my writing to mend not only myself, but my daughter as well. But fear not, I won't be gone long. Just long enough to make myself better in body and mind.