Something "Else"

    Writing is a very interesting business. You don't find too many writer's that write books in more than one genre, and the ones that do are not always good at it, if at all. For some reason, this is a question that I have been pondering for some time.
I think it really started when I figured out that Book 1 was, even though it fit into several, a genre book. And I couldn't help but wonder, can I write something 'else', 'else' meaning something different. Something that, for me, really had nothing to do with vampires and that wasn't young adult. I don't know why I had that criteria, but I did, so it's a thought that has been bouncing around in my mind for some time.

Not that I don't love The Series, and the genre's that they fall in, I wouldn't have written it if I didn't. I have written other things, some were of the supernatural nature, others were not. But I have never really fallen in love with something the way that I did The Series.
And now, sitting in the position that I am in, I feel like this is something that I should explore. That I need to try new things, something outside my usual box. Spread my wings, so to speak.
There are many other things I am interested in. I love a good caper novel, I've always had a thing for spy books, and I love a good coming of age story. I am of course nuts for historical fiction, I'm fascinated by ancient Egypt, love Private Investigation, and I am also very interested in comic books. Serial killers have always been an interest, and I have a book about Squeaky Fromme sitting in my head that is just waiting for it's time to come out.

But with all these other loves, I wouldn't know where to begin. And what did this story mean to me? How much time and energy would I spend on it? Did I want to do a lot of research like I did with The Series?
So while I still love and am devoted to my Series, I am allowing myself the time and space to explore. Because being confined as a person and a writer is a scary thing, and I don't want to do that. It's a way for me to explore myself as a person, and explore my grief from losing a very dear loved one this year.

And grief....oh, I could go on for days about grief! I don't understand it at all, but I can tell you that it is complicated and ever changing, and it will make you feel things that you did not believe you were capable of. Grief gave me a new playing field of emotions, and I think a new level of depth to my personality that I did not previously possess. Grief has shaped me in ways that I have never dreamed of, and brought a new level of devotion to my writing that is unbelievable. I had no idea how much I relied on my stories to get me though the day - and now I don't know where I would be without them.

So, I am exploring. Trying to remain optimistic while I wade through these deep and sometimes treacherous waters.