Like the title to this post says, I have some good news, and some bad news. Okay, let’s get the bad news out of the way first.

I haven’t done any meaningful writing in the last few weeks due to a series of personal setbacks. Whoever came up with that saying – when it rains it pours – certainly had it right. Lately, I’ve been chasing after a number of household problems like replacing a hot water tank, and they’ve been coming at me one after another.

But normally, all that isn’t a big deal. It’s everyday life, albeit at an accelerated rate, and shouldn’t stop me from getting my work done. Except for one more setback that is an absolute nightmare for any of us depending on their laptops like I do – the dreaded computer crash.

I spent a week trying to get the darned thing going. Another week getting my hands on another laptop and configuring the needed software I use for my writing. Then probably still another week reconstructing my files from old backups. To add insult to injury, prior to my old computer crashing, I remember thinking computer malfunctions just didn’t happen anymore.

Okay, now for the really bad news. I know many of you were waiting for the next book in the Pinewood Valley Series I was working on titled Heartbreak Pass: A Wilderness Survival Romance. Even though I managed to save 99% of my files, the folder that contained all the files for that book was lost because I had neglected to do a backup in the last few weeks.

I’m sorry folks, it was a stupid mistake. One that I won’t repeat again. I’m going to make sure I back up my work on a weekly basis from now on. What really kills me is that I had almost half the book already written and was on schedule for a late summer release. So now the big question – where do I go from here?

For the last few months, I’ve had the idea for a superb romance series rattling around in my brain. I’m so enthusiastic about this story, it’s practically going to write itself. If you liked my other books, I’m sure this new series will not disappoint.

Now for the good news. Rather than retrace my steps and rewrite Heartbreak Pass, I think I want to start my new romance series instead. I’m not saying I won’t continue the Pinewood Valley Series at a later date, but this new romance series is crying to get out. When I feel this strong about something, I know I have a winning idea on my hands.

I don’t even have a working title for this new series yet, but all that will fall into place soon. I’m planning on starting work on Book 1 this week, and I’m hoping to have it out in mid-September just after Labor Day. This is a very rough estimate at this point, so don’t hold me to it, but I promise to get it out to you as soon as humanly possible.

Thanks for being patient, and stay tuned for updates.