by S. Usher Evans
When I started my publishing journey, I was so focused on the
journey itself that I neglected to properly process the destination,
i.e., a completed series. I was always focused on the book I
was writing, the book I was editing, the book I was promoting, etc. Now
here I am, almost two years after earning my "published" card, and I
find myself staring at an omnibus version of my space pirate bounty
hunter series--four books, seven short stories, and a prequel novella.
So I’m taking a few moments to process (for a brief moment) that I made
it here, and what it means.
When I wrote the first Razia book in the spring of 2014, the process itself revealed a lot of truths about myself. I was going through a "quarter-life-crisis" where I'd decided to question every decision I'd made to figure out if I was making it because I wanted to, or because I was scared of the alternative. Turns out, I was usually scared of the alternative, so I made a concerted effort to stop living my life out of fear.
Fast forward to today: I live back in Florida near my friends and family, I quit my soul-crushing consultant job, I started a publishing company, I traveled to 26 conventions in 18 months to spread the word about my books, and I have a complete four-book space opera series, one standalone fantasy, two in a fantasy-romance trilogy (one of which comes out today), and one in a YA fantasy series.
The thing is, I'm no longer having soul-affirming realizations while I write, but when I finished Razia, I did go through a bit of a mourning period. My bratty bounty hunter first walked into my brain when I was 15 years old. I’d just seen Angelina Jolie in Tomb Raider and I wanted to write a character as cool and calculating as she was. Over the next 15 years, Lyssa evolved not only into a complex, layered individual, but a fully formed imaginary friend that I called on to entertain me during boring college classes and, later, boring meetings. Since publishing Double Life, I’ve always been daydreaming about her next adventure, her next scene, forward motion always. But now, there's nothing more to write.
The final two pieces and the omnibus of Razia are releasing on my 30th birthday on June 12th (but you can preorder them now). I released the first book on my 28th birthday, marking my emergence from a period of deep depression. And now closing the Razia chapter means closing the chapter on my twenties and embracing a decade where I finally know who I am and what I’m doing with myself during my rotations on this earth.
But there will still be that bittersweet sadness of a passed youth, knowing that a chapter of my life is closed but also knowing there’s a brand new one waiting to be written.
When I wrote the first Razia book in the spring of 2014, the process itself revealed a lot of truths about myself. I was going through a "quarter-life-crisis" where I'd decided to question every decision I'd made to figure out if I was making it because I wanted to, or because I was scared of the alternative. Turns out, I was usually scared of the alternative, so I made a concerted effort to stop living my life out of fear.
Fast forward to today: I live back in Florida near my friends and family, I quit my soul-crushing consultant job, I started a publishing company, I traveled to 26 conventions in 18 months to spread the word about my books, and I have a complete four-book space opera series, one standalone fantasy, two in a fantasy-romance trilogy (one of which comes out today), and one in a YA fantasy series.
The thing is, I'm no longer having soul-affirming realizations while I write, but when I finished Razia, I did go through a bit of a mourning period. My bratty bounty hunter first walked into my brain when I was 15 years old. I’d just seen Angelina Jolie in Tomb Raider and I wanted to write a character as cool and calculating as she was. Over the next 15 years, Lyssa evolved not only into a complex, layered individual, but a fully formed imaginary friend that I called on to entertain me during boring college classes and, later, boring meetings. Since publishing Double Life, I’ve always been daydreaming about her next adventure, her next scene, forward motion always. But now, there's nothing more to write.
The final two pieces and the omnibus of Razia are releasing on my 30th birthday on June 12th (but you can preorder them now). I released the first book on my 28th birthday, marking my emergence from a period of deep depression. And now closing the Razia chapter means closing the chapter on my twenties and embracing a decade where I finally know who I am and what I’m doing with myself during my rotations on this earth.
But there will still be that bittersweet sadness of a passed youth, knowing that a chapter of my life is closed but also knowing there’s a brand new one waiting to be written.
—-
Bio:
S.
Usher Evans is an author, blogger, and witty banter aficionado. Born in
Pensacola, Florida, she left the sleepy town behind for the fast-paced
world of Washington, D.C.. There, she somehow landed jobs with BBC,
Discovery Channel, and National Geographic Television before finally
settling into a “real job” as an IT consultant. After a quarter life
crisis at age 27, she decided consulting was for the birds and rekindled
a childhood passion for writing novels. She sold everything she owned
and moved back to Pensacola, where she currently resides with her two
dogs, Zoe and Mr. Biscuit.
Evans is the author of the Razia series, Madion War Trilogy, and Empath, published by Sun’s Golden Ray Publishing. Her latest book, The Island, releases April 26th.
Evans is the author of the Razia series, Madion War Trilogy, and Empath, published by Sun’s Golden Ray Publishing. Her latest book, The Island, releases April 26th.
Congratulations on discovering what you want to do when you grew up. :) Many people would envy your former life. Finding what works for you (and what's best) is phenomenal. Best wishes.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
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