Strictly Business Is Out Now!

Strictly Business is officially available! 

I recorded a solo episode of my podcast, This Might Be A Draft, this week, which turned out to be surprisingly introspective as I discussed releasing Strictly Business. As much as I want you to love this book, I realized while recording that I released this book for me. If you want to give the episode a listen, you can find it here or wherever you listen to podcasts. 

Pulling the release of Strictly Business back in March gutted me. I don’t miss deadlines, and I have a complicated relationship with failure. I wasn’t in the right headspace—mentally, physically, emotionally, or spiritually—to complete the edits on time. Even more, in my gut, I knew the story wasn’t ready to be shared. I don’t know that any story is ever truly finished, but I do think each has a point when it says, “I’m ready now.” I didn’t have the “I’m ready” feeling. So I took some space, took care of myself first and foremost, and a month or so later, opened the Strictly Business manuscript once more. The edits came easily, and the small tweaks the story needed to feel finished were clear. 

And now you can read it. 

At the end of the day, this probably won’t be what they call the “breakout book.” It probably won’t be the book that catapults me into the next tier of authorhood. It will be a book I’m especially proud of, though. It will be a book that reminds me of the importance of resilience and trusting my instincts. It will be the book that marks a step forward into whatever the next step in this author’s journey is. It will always be the title in my catalog that I see as the one I had to fight for. 

Strictly Business feels a lot like real life to me. I wrote the first draft three years ago when I was in a similar place as my female main character, Olivia, taking on my first professional leadership role and striving to make an impact. Beckett is a blend of the country singers and songwriters I dated during my years in Nashville, and Olivia’s dogs? Well, they’re a tribute to my own boys. I nearly edited them out, or at least changed their names, but after having to say goodbye to my OG goodboy, Knox, earlier this year, I decided to leave them in as a tribute to Knox’s memory and the chaotic floof that is my Griff. 

Strictly Business is available on Amazon in eBook, Kindle Unlimited, and paperback formats. In the coming days, the paperback will also be available for purchase on a wider scale, and hopefully, in a few indie bookstores. I’m learning as I go, and this round is all about learning the distribution process. I hope you’ll give it a try. I hope you’ll love it. 

And now, I take a nap, read a lot, watch a lot of football (GO VOLS!), work on my needlepoint (while watching football), and then… It’s time for what’s next. 👀

Thank you for your support, your grace in the delays, and for cheering me on. It does not go unnoticed, and I appreciate it more than you know. 

Thank you, friend. I appreciate you.