So this summer, I finally graduated from law school and took the Michigan Bar Exam. I took about 3 months off of my normal day job as a paralegal to focus only on studying for the bar exam. I think it went well, but I won’t know my results until the end of October, early November. It’s been an incredibly stressful summer for me since my sleep schedule was completely thrown off, I didn’t eat much, and I became a bit of a social recluse, but I’m glad its finally over and I can move on and get back to the things I truly enjoy.
The first update I have is about Stolen. I decided like 6 months ago that I wanted to rewrite it. I was having a hard time finding inspiration to write Stand so I went back to the very beginning and started reading the first book. But while I was reading I noticed how my writing has changed over time and I started to find inspiration in writing new scenes for the first book. I ended up writing them to see where they could go and they were a lot of fun to write, and so I’ve decided to include them in the new version of Stolen I’ll be publishing in the near future. My editor has already sent back her revisions so I’m just going through those right now. Once I approve the final draft I will be contacting my formatter to get it formatted and then I will begin the process of beta reading and then I will resubmit it to Amazon and Smashwords. If you already have the original e-version of Stolen then that version should either automatically update or you should receive a notification from where you purchased it to let you know a new version is available for download. Updating the new version should not cost you any money. Unfortunately, the same can not be said for the paperback since those can not be revised in the same way. So you will need to purchase a new paperback if that’s the version you prefer.
My second update relates to the final book in the series, Stand. I am currently working on the conclusion and have already posted the first chapter on this site under Stand’s page. I do not have a release date for it yet since I’m still very early in the process, but I’m hoping to have it out by the end of next year. I know everyone is eager for the final conclusion of the series, and believe me, I am eager to finish it, but I don’t want to rush my process. Rushing will just lead to a bad book and I want to finish strong for you guys. I promise your patience will pay off.
My last update is about me personally. My mental health has taken a serious nose dive this year. I’ve been struggling with depression, anxiety, OCD, insomnia, and constant exhaustion. This year has really taken its toll on me, but I am hoping that now that the stress of law school and the bar exam is over, I can get back to a normal, less stressful life. With that being said, please continue to be patient with me. I am only human, still have my day job as a paralegal (hopefully as an associate attorney soon), and writing is a hobby I enjoy on the side. I do the absolute best I can to write what I know you guys will love, but I won’t jeopardize my passion for writing by turning it into another job to appease the impatience of others. Its got to come from my heart, so I hope you guys understand.
I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy out there. I will update this blog as more significant updates come into play. If you want to keep in touch with me you can always find me on my Facebook group where I post more updates, teasers, and games for prizes. https://www.facebook.com/groups/142059833103253
Much love!
<3 Jay Marie