Not Dead, Just Emotionally Exhausted

If you’ve been wondering why it’s been quieter around here, or why Mine hasn’t been as promoted as it should be by now, just know....this summer has been a lot, and I owe you all a little bit of truth.

First of all, writing West’s book has been one of the most intense experiences of my writing career. He’s more complicated. His story is longer (so much longer) than I originally expected. Every time I think I’ve hit the emotional depth he needs, he shows up with another tidbit I feel like I need to add, while also trying to keep his humor in tact, and the family dynamic of Harmony Haven in play. It's a mind fuck, really. And even as of today, August 6th, as I write this blog...I'm not even sure I will make the deadline for the Sept 12th release. But I promise I'm trying!

And while West has been whispering (more like brooding) in the back of my head, life decided to throw some real, soul-shaking plot twists my way.

Early this summer, right after Catch was released, my mom was diagnosed with cancer. Let me tell you, I was not prepared for the mental spiral I would take after that phone call. You've all met her (she did a blog for me earlier this year), so you know how much I love her. She is undoubtedly my best friend. My rock. My soul sister. And knowing she was facing something I never dared to even think about was a rollercoaster of emotions for us all.

The same week I got the call from my mom, we also got a call from my father-in-law with his own medical dilemma. I have not received permission to talk about that from him, so I won't, but it's the kind of call that turned my husband and me on our heads for a while. In fact, we are traveling in September to see him and tend to some things. That trip is not a short one, nor is it a cheap one!

Which leads me to the fact that I have canceled all of my remaining signings for the foreseeable future so that I can be where I need to be. Not just with my time, but financially. And as much as I wanted to push through, smile, and keep up with deadlines and events, I’ve had to face the truth: I can’t do it all.

This doesn’t mean I’m not writing. I am. Like I said, Mine is still in progress, and I’m more committed than ever to telling West's story the way it deserves to be told. But I need to give myself the grace to do it at my own pace. And I hope you’ll give me that grace too.

Finally, the book world has been... heavy lately. Lots of noise. Lots of pressure. And if you know me, you know I’m the kind of person who carries other people’s pain in my own heart—whether it involves me or not. I've been told that it's a beautiful thing to feel deeply. But it’s also exhausting. And right now, I’m running on fumes.

So if you don’t see me posting much, just know that it’s not because I don’t care. It’s because I care so much that I’m trying to protect the part of me that creates.

West's story is coming. And in a season of my life where everything feels uncertain, that’s the one thing I can promise you: I will give you this story the way it needs to be done.

Thank you for being here. For understanding. For waiting. For promoting for me when I've been MIA (I SEE YOU).

And I love you all so much.

—Katie

PS: Mom has had surgery, she is on the mend, and a full recovery was predicted just last week with a little more medical intervention in the coming weeks. So we have been breathing easier and are ready to move forward.

“I don’t break down. I absorb. Quietly. Constantly. Until there’s no room left for anything else.” --West Brooks, Mine, Coming Sept 12th (hopefully lol)