The End of a Review Blog

In February of 2015, I signed up to do a Valentine’s Blog hop and took a dive into the deep end of the review blogging business. Over 1000 new releases have passed through this blog and 82,479 visitors stopped by to visit.  As a writer myself, it was important to me to treat the authors and their books right. I ran a tight schedule, took on a small army of reviewers, and was meticulous in the appearance of every post. My goal was to bolster this genre I love, both as a reader and an author, and I hope I’ve done that.

However, the last couple of years have been hard on my writing. Not because the blog took too much time, but because it became one of many handy excuses why I didn’t have time to write. Admitting that the words weren’t coming was painful, but hey, look at me doing something writing adjacent! That counts, right? Only, it didn’t for my words, my books, and the characters my readers keep asking me about. My days of 5K word counts have been over since my surgery two years ago and I only put out one book this year. That’s not a career, it’s a hobby, and not what I worked my ass off for the first 12 books to create.

So, I’m letting go of all those handy excuses. I have taken on a part-time job, but otherwise, if I’m in this chair, keyboard in hand, it’s to write. It’s to plot. It’s to promote my books. And hopefully, kick-start this aging body back into gear. My goal is the continuation of my existing series, some standalone stories, and two plotted MF books that will be written under a different name. My to-do list is full, the distractions have been removed from my path, and I can only hope it works.

As for reviewing. You may see one here or there. Talking about books I love is one of my greatest joys, but there will be no schedules, no blog tours, no obligation. Just reading for fun. And if this works, if 2019 goes the way I want, who knows? Maybe I’ll call up that army of reviewers and say “ready to give it another go?”

Thank you to all the authors, tour companies, and publishers who have entrusted us to do right by the stories. It has been a pleasure.

And thank you, the readers who have stuck with me, encouraged and yes, pushed me. The books are coming, I swear.

• Jessie