What happened to 2020?
When 2020 started, I was in the midst of recovering from what I suspect was COVID (the symptoms line up and to this day I still have issues at times). But with my books and book world family, I was excited, anxious, and optimistic. I had 5 signings scheduled, 3 books in various stages of finished with upcoming release dates, and a generally good outlook for what the year would bring for all things Rexi Lake.
Then COVID happened. And things steadily fell away. Signings were postponed or cancelled. Holidays were lonely. Life became a struggle. Creativity went dormant in the face of figuring out how to get through the day.
Not all Bad...
Somehow, I did release a few novellas and those 3 books originally planned got out too. So it wasn't a total loss. But it wasn't as planned either.
I went forward with my rebranding plans and revealed those when I celebrated my 3 year publiversary in July. I'm excited to have this new feel that encompasses not just my whole collection of releases, but also gives tribute to where I started and where I'm going.
I also unveiled my Rebel Love pen name that will accompany the Sinner Angels MC releases (now pushed into 2021, but still progressing!) Again, the logo represents the past and the future. I'm incredibly happy with the doors I'm opening and I cannot wait to fully share the details and characters with you all.
2021 Can be Better! However...
2021 has begun similarly to 2020 already. 4 signings scheduled. 1 has already been postponed. 1 postponed from 2020 remains unscheduled still. Books I had planned to write in 2020 for 2021 release didn't get done, so they've been pushed to 2022.
The Christmas Day 2020 release I had planned came out a month late, but since we're still in the crazy ways of COVID, I did it anyway instead of waiting for Christmas in July or December 2021. It's not a novella meant to be read as a standalone. It has things in it that reference prior books and gives clues that will be coming in future ones. Amara's story is tentatively on my schedule for the end of this year. Some questions will get answered. Others won't. But I can tell you: Jake and Rachel are integral to the future of the Colorado clans.
What else can 2021 hold?
So, now I'm looking ahead at this year. I'm fairly certain signings scheduled for the spring won't happen. Which means I might have more time to write until we get back to a routine that includes vacations. I'm not claiming this is set in stone. Things can happen, life doesn't always go according to plan. But my tentative release schedule is this:
3 Claimed Novels
2 Sinner Angels MC Novels
1 FairyFales Novella
1 Fated Mates Novel (In addition to Mistletoe Magick.)
1 Eternal Steel Novel (This will be the expanded, full length novel of Eternal Steel Beginnings, which was released in a 2019 Anthology.)
1 Standalone Christmas Novel
I will be striving to keep the website up to date, the blog current (approximately one post each week), and to stay on a schedule. 2020 became a free-for-all without a routine. 2021 needs to be different. With life still on hold, I am determined to build myself a routine again with what I have. And to hold myself accountable to it. (If I don't, I'm sure my mini me will!)