January 2020 marked a change in the lives of many, myself included. I’d been living a fairly charmed life until then. My books with Tule were finally taking off after a rebranding and a boost from a BookBub deal. After 9 years of hard work and little more than pocket money, I was beginning to see 5-figure royalties hitting my bank account. I worked part time 3 days a week which gave me the perfect work-life balance.
That year, I was on a research trip in Hobart, Tasmania. As we sat on the tour bus on our return from Port Arthur, the girl behind me was coughing and sneezing. Catching colds and flu are not uncommon when travelling, especially on tour buses and cruise ships, so we thought nothing of it. By the end of January, we knew it was more than just a common cold. By March 2020, my dream world had been turned upside down.
I’ll give you the abridged version because this isn’t a sympathy post. We had to make life-changing decisions in the uncertainty of the times. With WA borders locked tightly shut, my focus had to shift to what my family needed to keep a roof over our heads.
Big decisions had to be made, like dissolving a business partnership that had lasted 15 years, and selling a commercial property in the worst real estate market a pandemic panic could serve up. I found myself working four jobs - finalising the closing of the business, the sale of the property, managing closing our SMSF, working a new full-time job, trying to work through edits of my pending new release, and setting my husband up in his new contracting business. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, right?
Within 6 months I was broken, worn out, and quite honestly, a mess. I was also convinced I’d never have the time or energy to ever write again. I’d lost the love, the passion, the drive to write. Any downtime I had was spent playing Candy Crush on my phone because I was too brain dead to do anything else. Time I could have spent writing or, at the very least, plotting. Except, my characters had stopped talking to me. Or maybe I’d stopped talking to them.
What the universe was really telling me was that I needed to take a break from writing to allow the storms to pass. I found peace and healing back with a team of old workmates, and a good friend who knew what I needed. Solitude. Three years later, after working in a peaceful donga - which I fondly referred to as Alcatraz - away from the main building and hustle and bustle of the business, I came alive again.
It was wonderful to be a part of that team, but the writing bug had begun to bite now that the soul had healed, and I was still time-poor. Once again, the universe knew what I needed, and presented me with an opportunity to work from home. I grabbed it with both hands and a thankful heart. I’m back writing again, this time with a more mature view of my work and a better sense of direction. It took a few false starts to get back on the proverbial horse, but I got there in the end. Now, I get up at 4.30am, write until 8.30am, and then I turn around to the other side of my desk to work my day job.
Growing up, when things never quite went to plan, my mum always used to tell us to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and start all over again. That, Darksiders, is exactly what I had to do. Again. The moral of this story is: don’t give up, just take a break. Breathe. Go outside, lie on your back, and see the stars. Take your healing time and energy wherever you find it. The publishing world isn’t going away. Your readers won’t forget you easily, not if you’ve already stolen their hearts. Reach out to whichever deity is listening and ask for help. You’ll be surprised at who answers your call.
This year I received the rights back to 6 of my books which have now been given a second chance at life with beautiful new covers. My website has been revived, with a shop added, so please drop in and order your signed paperback or follow the links for eBook. Postage is included for Australia; international orders will attract postage. The first five paperback orders will receive a special gift of Doterra Wild Orange essential oil. Wild Orange Essential Oil’s energising and uplifting aroma makes it ideal for diffusion. Use it to promote a sense of joy and positivity into your home, workplace or place of study.
Juanita Kees
Juanita escapes the real world to create emotionally engaging stories steeped in crime, suspense, mystery and intrigue. Her books are set in dusty, rural outback Australia and on the NASCAR racetracks of America. Her small-town USA and Australian rural stories have made the Amazon bestseller and top 100 lists. Juanita also likes to dabble in the ponds of fantasy and paranormal with Greek gods brought to life in the 21st century.
When she’s not working, writing, editing or proofreading, Juanita enjoys travelling to discover new worlds for inspiration. Mother to two handsome heroes and partner to a car enthusiast, Juanita also has a passion for fast cars and country living.
Find Juanita at her website and Kees2Create Words Editing
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