My name is Nicky Wells, and I’m a blogaholic.

There, I said it. I’m a blogaholic, and I’ve been in rehab. That’s why it’s been so quiet around here.

You see, what happened is this. Once upon a time, I was a enthusiastic debut author who started blogging to support her platform. I came at this technology completely innocent. I had no idea that there was a huge community of fabulous bloggers out there dedicated to their cause and content. It was a complete revelation. The possibilities were endless! The universe was mine for the taking!

So I grabbed at it with both hands, and then some. I spent hours designing my blog, forging links, building relationships, garnering a following. I developed a schedule that involved music and guests and posts about writing. My blog was thriving, and so was I. It was a heady, breathless, exciting time, and I cherished every moment of it.

But then, gradually, imperceptibly, things began to change. I no longer owned my blog, but rather my blog owned me. My blog turned into the Mephistopheles to my Faust. I became obsessed. I dreamed about my blog—when I wasn’t in the throes of blog-induced insomnia, that is. I worried about content. I fretted about comments. The blog became the focal point of my life. I would be out and about with the family, snapping photos… for the blog. I would be writing down little anecdotes… for the blog. I became consumed with awards, challenges, memes, blog hops, more awards, more hops…. Moreover, I had connected with so many amazing blogs and bloggers that I was running myself ragged, literally, trying to follow, support, comment, share the love, and keep my head above water.

And therein lay the problem. I didn’t keep my head above water. I couldn’t! Not even remotely. You know I can’t swim, right? Joking apart, I felt like I was drowning. Eventually, one day, everything came crashing down on me and I asked myself—what the heck am I doing, and why? Me, the most energetic, enthusiastic, zesty person I know (ha!), quite suddenly lost her oomph. What a shock!

Now I don’t like to whinge. Life’s simply too short. So just before Christmas last year, I took stock, and I put myself into blogging rehab. In other words, I decided to cut myself some slack, give myself a break, and put blogging on hold for a while. In corporate terms, I undertook some strategic regrouping.

Well, now. I’m not quite there yet with the strategic regrouping. I’m not quite cured. I can feel the obsession pulling at me once again even as I type. However, so many of you have been in touch with emails and via social media to ask when my blog will return to normal that I thought I’d emit a little sign of life. I am here, my friends, and I thank you for your patience and your support. You rock! And it’s for you that I’m blogging.

Therefore — to mix a few metaphors — I’m going to put the cart behind the horse once again, and then get back on the horse. Romance That Rocks Your World! is back in action but, for the time being, according to no fixed schedule. You’ll hear from me whenever possible, but I’m not committing to anything. I’m going write with pride and joy, and I’m going to have fun when I’m here—which means you’ll have fun along the way… just not according to a strict pattern. But hey, that’s the spice of life, right?

Most importantly, as I’m less blog-o-centred, I’m writing books faster than ever. Fallen For Rock, my fourth full-length novel, is finished and currently awaiting feedback from betareaders. Publication date is 1 July. My next Christmas novella is well under way, and once I’ve finished writing that—probably in about May time—I’ll start writing my fifth novel, which is completely planned in outline format. So the time that I don’t spend fretting about blogging I spend writing books which, ultimately, is what I’m all about. Does that make sense?

I hope it does.

So I remain with renewed vim and vigour and a cautious dose of bloptimism… Yours in rock and books,

Nicky Wells (blogaholic)
🙂

How about you? Have you ever fallen out of love with blogging? How did you cope, and what did you do to reignite the passion? I’d love to hear from you!