Plotting and Planning World Domination
That’s a pretty lofty title for this post. This coming from a guy who keeps telling the lovely ladies of the Shea abode that I’m king of the castle to peels of laughter. But anyway…
Now that the dust has settled with the whole Samhain madness, I’ve been taking some time to sit back and look over the landscape, considering my options for the future. Writing has taken a back seat to quiet contemplation, as well as talking to other publishers about new opportunities. This actually came at a good time. I was getting so bogged down, I couldn’t tell my ass from my elbow. Sometimes you don’t know how deep in the reeds you’ve wandered until you’ve been pulled out of them. Writing has become a full time job, in addition to my other full time job, and handling a family that counts two disabled people among the four. Being able to go in my room and write has always been my escape, my refuge, my sanity. The shock of Samhain’s news when they let my friend and editor go got me out of that room for a spell, which has freed me up to attend to other pressing matters that needed my attention desperately.
Lupus has become a big part of our lives, and I’m working with the Lupus Foundation to find the best doctors for my wife. We still need to get to the bottom of my youngest daughter’s illness. And my oldest is about to get her license while applying for colleges. Huge milestones! God, I feel old. I love the family I’ve created. Their health and happiness is always my top priority, and right now, they need me more than ever.
So even though I haven’t written a word this month, I have been busy reorganizing the old to-do and wish lists. We all need a break from time to time, even from the things we love. One thing I am doing now is editing a middle grade book I wrote a few years ago. That baby needs a spit shine so my agent can shop it around. I’m also putting together ideas for other books in non-horror genres, as well as getting the bones together for a short story called DASH GIRL I’ll publish in 2016. I already have the cover. Gotta get the guts together. (I feel like I’m living the Ed Wood movie!)
I do have some exciting news about new books that will be out in 2016 that I plan to announce soon. Anyone who joins my Dark Hunter Newsletter now will hear it first, as well as be eligible to win free books. Trust me, you want in on this news.
My main man Jack will be coming to the studio to film our Monster Men Christmas special, and we have loads of interviews lined up. Any beer suggestions for when we film?
So what’s the point of all this? I guess it’s just to let other writers know that it’s perfectly fine not to write. And to tell you that bigger and better things are on the way. 2016 is going to be amazing.
Hunter Shea 
Reblogged this on and commented:
Hunter Shea is Plotting and Planning World Domination
Everything you say is so true. Every delay and/or detour brings new discoveries that enrich; if not immediately but eventually. Onward and upward! Keep up the great work. I never read horror before but your terrific work is slowly converting me to be a better fan. All the best, jk
As always, thank you! I’ll have you reading splatterpunk and watching serial killer movies in no time! LOL
Hunter, hello –
I love your writing, but it sounds like you got caught in a machine. Maybe a pleasurable one, in some respects, but whenever you find yourself unable to stop to check that you’re life is in balance probably means your life is out of balance. Although the circumstances aren’t of your choosing, it sounds like the shift and the awareness came at just the right time.
I’ve taken several months away from writing. There were other aspects of my being that needed attention. I wasn’t sure I was ever going to return to the craft – that’s how burned out and out of balance I was – but one day, I woke up and knew I had something to say. It feels good to be writing,not just to fill some quota or add to my “virtual shelf space” – but because what I’m saying comes from an authentic desire to understand the world and my place in it. The funny thing is, I’m having fun again in a way that I haven’t in years, and I’m doing it writing things I’ll probably never even publish.
As for beers, I don’t know if you can get it where you are, but Strange Land Brewery of Austin produces some of the finest I’ve ever tasted. Sanctum and Bourbon Porter are very good, and I enjoy Ploughshares in the warmer months. Almost any of their small batch beers are worth a try, too. Mmm, beer!
-aniko
PS Best of health to your wife and daughter, and happy license-getting and college-applying to the other Shea lady!
Life always has a way of correcting itself! I think I had written about 5 books in a row with nothing more than a week break in between, and while it was providing the mental break I needed each day, I didn’t realize I needed a bigger kind of break. I already feel different and ready for more! And there are some big, important changes coming.
So glad to hear you’re writing again. I love your work.
And thank you for the beer recommendations! Have a great weekend!
I’m happy to hear you feel rested and ready for more writing adventure! 🙂 I hope you can find the beer… .if not, check it out next time a book tour takes you to Texas. Happy weekend, to you, too!