Where am I going ....

... and what am I doing in this handbasket?

I need to stop setting artificial milestones for myself. Lordie, isn't it enough that I'm published? Hell, I'm multi-published? I can't compare myself to other people, and I keep doing that and then wishing I was doing this, that or the other thing.

Damn it! Be happy!

Seriously, what is it about human nature that makes us strive for something more than what we have? By any measure, I've achieved some success but I keep thinking I should do more, should do better, should sell more or write more or achieve more. At some point, I've got to sit back and say, "Okay, you done good."

Not yet, though.

To that end, I have come up with A Plan. And I'm letting you in on the fun at the outset. Mark your calendars or whatever.

I've got 2 books that have a writer as the protagonist. One will be out next spring. That author, Bea Emerson, writes as Raphael Emerson (stay with me, this gets good). Rafael writes sexy mysteries. No, I'm not going to write as Raphael (not yet at least). But if I sell my paranormal series, that's going to be written by Bea Emerson. Bea has always had a hankering to branch out, so I'll put a mention in her book next year that she just sold her paranormal series and ...

Voila. New identity created.

Now the other book hasn't sold yet (but it will. I'm sure of it). That book has Jane Renard who has the pen name of Phire Fox because Jane is a college professor and she writes erotica.

Yep. I'm going to write some erotica under the name Phire Fox.

What a hoot! Can't wait to (1) get these books sold and (2) start my new, secret identity.

It might get really, really interesting. Especially if I throw Rafael Emerson into the mix and write some dark, sexy mysteries. Can I juggle four identities?

Stay tuned and find out.