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Hi everyone,

So, it’s not quite 2015 yet, but I figure we’re close enough to the end of the year to talk about the next stage of my career, and what to expect in terms of new releases in the next twelve months.

First, a bit of reflection. In November, I published the fourth book in the Brian McDone mystery series. It’s called Eye Snatcher, and I happen to think it’s the best book I’ve done. Great fun to write, and readers seem to be enjoying it too, as dark as it is.

Anyway, the launch of Eye Snatcher marked the last of my 2014 releases and my tenth book of the year (yeah, I totally had to go back to Amazon to check that). That’s quite some going, I realise. Granted, half of those books I already had written and backed up, but it’s still impressive, right?

And the truth is, I’ve thrown everything at my writing this year. I’ve done everything I can to make myself successful in the career I love. I write full time, work at it eight hours a day–sometimes way more than that. Writing is what I love, so I spend a hell of a lot of time doing it. If I had a “real job”, I’d be forced to spend time doing that. So why would I spend less time doing something I love? Go figure.

I say I pushed myself to the limit in 2014, but that’s not true, actually. Not true at all. Ten novels published in a year is an incredible feat, I know. But I’ve taken extended breaks. Like I say, most of the books I launched in 2014 were already books I’d had written and backed up for ages, and ideas I’d had planned out from 2013 and much, much further back (Sunlight has been mapped out since I was eighteen and I wrote The Hunger a long while back… wow).

So in 2015, I’m going to set myself a new challenge.

I’ve spent the last few weeks since finalising the fourth McDone book putting together a load of ideas, a load of plans, for 2015 and beyond. Literally — I’ve been locked away in my room for loads of time just thinking up new story ideas, planning out new books way into the future, revisiting manuscripts I’ve written in the past and seeing how I can improve them. Creative downtime, I call it. Something I do at least once a year. I’d recommend it.

But now I’ve finished. I’m out of the writing dungeon. The chains are off. And the ideas are flowing.

In 2015, I’m going to publish the following books.

Dead Days: Season Four, Five and Six, McDone 5 & 6, Blake Dent 3 & 4, a psychological mystery called I Saw You, and a brand new ten part monthly apocalyptic serial…. as well as another brand new trilogy.

I’m not even going to count how many books that is. I’ll let you do the maths.

Granted, several of those books are already written and are ready to release, I’m just waiting for the right time. Some of them are well developed and have been brewing in the pipeline for a long time, just waiting to release. But a few of them are just ideas and books I’ve yet to write.

But I’ll get there.

That’s my goal.

That’s pushing myself to the limit.

I’ll slow down the publishing schedule in 2016. It’s inevitable — my backlog of books and ideas will be well and truly depleted. Maybe just write one season of Dead Days and a few other things here and there.

But in 2015? No way.

2015 is my year.

Hope you’ll join me for the craziness.