I finished editing my latest novel in September, then spent the rest of the month writing a short story for an anthology that comes out in February. After months of intensive edits and scrambling to meet the Sept 30 deadline, I decided that October would be a time to recharge.

In the past when I’ve finished a book, I’ve given myself a week or two to catch up on writing-related things like updating my website, then I’d dive into the next project. But it never felt like enough.

This year has been different. I started October with a work conference in Austin, and I did nothing but read on the plane rides. By mid-October, I’d already read four books. That’s DOUBLE what I normally read in a month. (I’m currently on my sixth book this month!)

The first three are all heavy book that focus on death and/or suicide, so I needed to binge on lighter topics after that.

Of course, I’m never one to sit around and relax, so I’ve also developed a new project that I’ll be announcing very, very soon. It’s a nonfiction project that I’ve been thinking about for years, and I’m excited to finally release it to the world. I also picked away at the business side of writing to-do list (the imprint I’ve put on all my books—Left-Handed Mitten Publications—is officially an LLC!) and let the plot for my next book idea percolate in the background.

Which means…I’m currently outline my next novel, which I’ll start writing for NaNoWriMo! Are you participating this year? If so, buddy me! I’m @melaniehoo, and I’ve lost all my buddies when NaNo updated their website. This novel is an outdoorsy road-trip romance that’s been rolling around in the back of my mind for over a year. I’m tentatively calling it Chasing the Sun, and yes, it has series potential.