Greetings Crystal Keeper Fans! I’ve been rejuvenating my efforts to get back into the swing of writing. As always, life has thrown some curves at me. And they were some pretty big curves. There were a lot of changes in education, namely the Common Core, that has made it difficult for me to keep up with all my writing and still give all my efforts in teaching. Transitions are really hard in education, and this has been the worst and most difficult that I’ve seen in my career.

Then, I got blindsided by illness in December 2014. I got pneumonia and ended up in the hospital. While there, I went into Code Blue and cardiac arrest. Basically, I almost died, and the doctors were trying everything to help me pull through. I also had the complication of septic shock and the discovery of a heart blood clot. So, it was discovered that I have cardiomyopathy, a heart failure condition where my heart isn’t pumping enough blood to the rest of my body.

This has made it difficult for me to do much else but get better. I’ve been on medical leave from teaching, and I’m taking a year of absence to get my health back. The bonus of all the health issues is that as I start to feel better, I can start writing again.

So, over the next year, I’ll be working on The LOST SECRET OF TIME and finishing the Crystal Keeper Chronicles. I’ve always intended on doing so. But sometimes life just throws you a curve ball, and you have to adapt, pick yourself up, brush yourself off, and keep going.

All the encouragement is always helpful and appreciated. I’ve got a start on THE LOST SECRET OF TIME, and signed up for Camp NANO in April to make progress on the book. Things are underway, and I’ll be sure to give you updates as I move through the process. As for now, I’ll be continuing with featuring more Indie Authors once a month, and will try to get back into doing Indie writing posts to help out other authors.

So, hug your parents, kids, and pets. Positive thoughts can do so much. You just never know what path will lay before you. And with writing, everyone is on a different writing journey. I’m glad to be sharing mine with you.

Take care!-Tiffany Turner (Mrs. Turner)

Update: April 20, 2019

Since I wrote this post, I have spent a few years getting back my strength, getting into a writing routine, and returning to teaching with limited hours. I’m currently working for a private education tutoring company and going back into schools teaching after school workshops in Science, Math and Reading. Life it is a bit different now, but I am proud to announce I finished and published the last book in the Crystal Keeper’s Chronicles, The Lost Secret of Time. I’ve also been speaking on different Self-Publishing panels at local cons, working diligently on my romance pen name, Marilyn Vix, and continue to keep healing as I feel I’ve been given this second chance.

It just shows that no matter what happens, don’t give up. You can’t just throw in the towel, but think hey, what can I do with what I have now? Focusing on my writing and the support of my family and friends have made it possible to keep going, and of course, keep writing. If I’ve learned anything from all this, it’s to not let what life throws at you stop you. Keep moving towards your goals, and you can do anything.