Technically, they belonged in the box on the shelf behind where they rested, but I'd needed to find something in one of the books and pulled them out. They never were put back away. But as I looked at this pile over the weekend, I realized it was time to arrange them nicely.
My bookcase came yesterday, my dad and I (mostly my dad) assembled it last night, and I put my books out. Doesn't this look awesome? I mean the books. :-)
When I first put the books out, I thought, wow, this looks like so few and yet I've done eight full-length books, a novella, and three short stories. One of the shorts is ebook only, so it can't be displayed, but this looks like such a small collection.
But then I really started to think about it. I read somewhere that the vast majority of published authors only write one or two books and quit. I didn't quit. I will admit to seriously thinking about quitting a few times, but I've never actually gone through with it. There are too many characters who have stories I'm dying to share with the world. Right now, I have so many I'm keeping a project list and I regularly adjust the priorities as new characters come in and make demands.
Looking at all my books, also reminded me of a few other things. Like the fact that before I wrote Ravyn's Flight, my first published story, I asked myself the question: "If you never get published, will you still write?" The answer, BTW, was yes, but there was a period of time where I wondered.
Then there was the memory of after Ravyn was released and wondering if I'd be a one-hit wonder. It was two years between RF and The Power of Two, my second release.
Looking at the collection, also reminds me of the characters in those books; the problems I had with them and their plots; the hours, days, weeks, months that I spent writing them.
The bombshell Damon dropped on me halfway through Ravyn's Flight that meant I had to go back and foreshadow it. I'd had no clue.
The four month deadline for The Power of Two and being scared to death because before then, the fastest I'd ever written a full book was a year.
Mika saying and thinking things that had me going OMG, my mom is going to read this book!
Rushing Wyatt's first kiss with Kendall in Eternal Nights and getting stuck for nearly six weeks until I realized what the problem was and fixed it.
The way Ryne from In the Midnight Hour took over my head while I was still writing another book and wouldn't shut up, even though I had a deadline for said other book breathing down my neck.
Trashing all but two chapters in In Twilight's Shadow two weeks before the book was due (and they weren't consecutive chapters!) and starting over again. Fighting for every word in this book because not one came easily.
Trying to write Edge of Dawn in the hospital while I was visiting my dad after he had his kidney removed. I'll always think of this book as my medical book because of all the events that surrounded its writing and its release.
With In the Darkest Night, I'll always think of Kel. The way he took over my head and dominated it for months and months. How sweet he was and how much he needed to heal emotionally.
Those books aren't simply a collection of paper or even a gathering of story, they are memories. Not just writing the stories, but working with my agent, the editors, and copy editors, and others at the publishers. So yeah, this is pretty darn awesome. :-)
