Yes, I took a break. A long break. It wasn't a choice; I just struggled a lot with my writing after the pandemic. I started many projects but finished none. I would get about a third of the way through, and my brain would shut down. I tried everything. Meditating, taking long walks, less caffeine, more exercise, and even drinking. lol

Nothing helped. 

I also backed away from social media for a long time to protect my mental health. And I was dealing with some physical health issues. If you've ever dealt with cluster headaches, you know. If you haven't, consider yourself lucky.

If you gave up on me, I understand. If you stuck around, thank you! I'm going to do my best to stay connected. 

For those of you who are still here, I'm happy to announce I've finished book two in the Lake Tahoe Romantic Suspense series. I think I'm naming it the Tahoe Nights Series. Book two is Wade's story, and it's a good one. I'm not about halfway through book three, which is Lucas and Mae's story.

I pushed myself past that quarter mark in the book and just put words in print. That was the key: writing even when I wasn't sure it made sense. I just kept writing, sort of like the old NANOWRIMO way. No plot, no problem. I just vomited words out and made sense of them later. 

It created a mess to edit, but I think I've got it in pretty good shape now. I just need to beg my old critique partners to take a look at it for me. Hopefully, they still want to read Dana Mason stories. 

Eventually, the story came to me. Eventually, my characters started talking to me again. It feels good. Since August, I've determined that writing is excellent for my mental health, but not great for my physical health. I've been drinking more caffeine, taking fewer long walks, and doing less exercise, but my writing brain is working again, and it feels good.  

Maybe one day I'll be able to get my body and my brain in sync; until then, I'll just keep working on it.  

Also, for more about what I've been up to, check out my latest newsletter.