In case you’re here and missed the big announcement, my 4th novel, Shadow Empire, will be coming out in February 2024. What I don’t advertise too strongly in that announcement is that this is my first release in over 8 years. It was less than a year between my first and second release, and about a year and a half between books 2 and 3.

So what happened? Well, life happened. Joy. Disappointment. Uncertainty. Depression. And then finally, a breakthrough.

Let’s start with joy. About 9 1/2 years ago, I became a dad for the first time. I wanted to be great at it. The kind of dad who pours in his heart and soul, is always present in mind when present in body, and is present in body as often as possible. I wanted to be a great husband to my wife, and a big part of achieving that for me was making things work so that my wife could transition out of her full-time career into a more flexible freelance role so she could be at home with our daughter.

This meant I had to get serious about advancing my career, which I did. We ended up moving states, I got the opportunity to work for some amazing companies helping them improve their digital marketing and website performance. And two more kids came along, meaning my wife needed to work less and I needed to make more at my day job.

And you know what? My first 3 books didn’t do all that great. People who have read them generally love them, but we didn’t do great at getting the word out. They didn’t catch fire. So, writing, for me, went on the backburner so I could focus on my family and the career I was building to support them.

I was still writing, though. But when I had about half of the 4th book done, I took a step back and realized I hated it. Cue disappointment. One year of delay became two. Then three, four, five…. Cue uncertainty. Maybe I was never good at this to begin with. But that can’t be right, people still ask me even after years when the book is coming, they’ve reread the series so many times already. Well then, maybe if I was good at this once, I’ve lost the magic.

Cue depression.

You see we have so many goals and dreams built up in our heads. Since I was a kid I told everyone I wanted to be a writer, and by that I meant I wanted to be a storyteller. As I got older, it became just as much about seeking the wealth and freedom that was possible with a successful writing career. But wealth and freedom could also be sought elsewhere, and those dreams became absorbed by my more down to earth career. I wanted to be a great husband and father, and I was able to throw myself wholeheartedly into that dream.

And so my dream of becoming a successful writer was put on hold. For 8 years I struggled with a kind of writer’s block where I could still write but I couldn’t find the story I wanted to tell. And it was tough. Many times, I wanted to give up on writing entirely. But I physically and mentally could not do it. I began to dread hearing that question I once loved: when is the next book coming? Is it coming?

I dedicated Shadow Empire “for the dreamers” because sometimes we need perspective that just because a dream is on hold, that doesn’t mean it’s over. These last 8 years have been a blessing for me and for my family in so many ways, but there was a part of me that was missing. As if I wasn’t reaching for my full potential. And there came a moment when I just decided, I’m going to finish this thing. I set aside time every night to write, at my desk and in my office. And guess what? I produced several more bad ideas. But my mind was at it again, and the gears were working.

Then one day, while I was working out in the morning, the whole thing just fell into place. I knew the exact story I wanted to tell, how I wanted to end it, and the high points along the way. So after 8 years, probably over a million words of trashed chapters and plot lines, I wrote about 75% of what is now the completed novel from March-July 2023.

There are days when I still can’t believe Book 4 exists, much less in a state that I am proud of and can’t wait to share with readers and fans. But for everything there is a season. I’m not sure I could have written this book, and by extension Book 5, 8 years ago. Life, marriage, parenthood, the general struggles we face…these have all deepened me as a writer, and I think have prepared me to deliver two killer final installments to the Shadow Saga.

So for all those reading this who have a dream that’s on hold, don’t give up. Persevere. Your breakthrough might be just around the corner.