Not Your Usual Suspects: thankful

NOT YOUR USUAL SUSPECTS

A group blog featuring an international array of killer mystery, suspense, and romantic suspense writers. With premises and story lines different from your run-of-the-mill whodunits, we tend to write outside the box. We blog several times a week on all topics relating to romantic suspense and mystery, our writing, and our readers. We welcome all comments and often have guest bloggers. All our authors can be contacted separately, too, using their own social media links.

We find our genre delightfully, dangerously, and deliciously exciting - join us here, if you do too!

NOTE: the blog is currently dormant but please enjoy the posts we're keeping online.

Monday, November 23, 2015

THANKFUL THIS YEAR - by Kathy Ivan

THANKFUL THIS YEAR

There have been a lot of changes going on in my life through 2015 and since we are quickly closing in on Thanksgiving, I thought I'd share some things with the readers of NYUS.

In December of 2014, I made a decision which has pretty much changed everything I've done in 2015. I decided to walk away from my day job and write full time. Now, that may not seem like a big thing. After all, lots of people do it all the time, right? Well, I had a steady, pretty decent paying job that I actually liked for the most part. I was a medical transcriptionist and I've been doing that almost since I got out of high school. (I'm so not telling you how many years ago that was—suffice it to say it was a very lont time ago.)
Walking away didn't make a lot of logical sense, but emotionally—it was time. I love writing and wanted to spend as much of my time as possible doing it. So after talking things over with my family, we agreed that I would take the plunge and go for it full time.

So in December, I walked away. Started writing full time. By the end of 2015, I will have released 10 books and/or novellas. Ten! The previous year I put out one. The year before that—one. In 2015—ten.

I'm very thankful that I can make a living doing what I love. Is it stressful? Without a doubt. Is it worth it? Without a doubt.

My goal for next year is to pretty much replicate 2015 as far as releases. I'm splitting my time between the romantic suspense (which I love) and contemporary romance. So expect to see more of the New Orleans Connection Series in 2016 (Carpenter's book is next, about ¾ of the way done now) and who knows what else might come about.

I'm thankful for so many things—my health, my family, my friends, and being able to do what I love. I'm also thankful that we have a place like Not Your Usual Suspects and its readers, that I can share with. Wishing each and every one of you a blessed Thanksgiving holiday. May you have a wonderful time with family and friends and lots of good food.

Until next time,

Kathy

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