On one level, I hated 2013. It was so stressful. Financially and personally. I’m not a negative person. I tend to be a glass half-full gal all the time. Things not going your way? Don’t worry! It will soon turn around! Unfortunately, even the most optimistic crack under pressure. I dropped weight (not a good thing for me) and even had a fainting spell which was nowhere near as fun as romance novels lead one to think. In short, it was a year heavy on the lows and light on the highs.
However… and it’s a big However… professionally I have enjoyed modest success with the release of my first novel Better Than Good. I decided when I submitted it to Dreamspinner Press in late 2012, that I’d just give it a shot. I had no clue how extraordinarily rewarding the effort and the aftermath would be. I love writing. It’s something I’d set aside while real life was bigger than the stories in my head. But having re-found it, I realize I hadn’t really lost it at all. Creating, forming and sharing my work with an audience is not only a perfect creative outlet, it has proven to be a wonderful coping mechanism. Instead of losing myself solely in other people’s books, I am giving life to the characters in my head. Amazing!
Books have always been the one true constant in my life. I love everything about reading… from the weight of a book (or how much space it takes on my Kindle) to the cover art. I love words. Clever words, cutting words, words that make you think, smile and cry, and maybe transport you to a world you never could have dreamed up yourself. To quote Ray Bradbury “Love. Fall in love and stay in love. Write only what you love, and love what you write. The key word is love.” I love romance novels, I love men, I love stories that celebrate equality and the pureness of the gift of love. If Mr. Bradbury was correct, I believe I may be back on the right track.
So perhaps (being the rosy eyed gal I am) I should be grateful to what I may have otherwise only considered a craptastic year and instead think of this past year as one of growth and learning. It’s a thought. After all, as a new author in 2013, I released my first novel and signed contracts on the next two books in the Better Than series. (Better Than Chance will be out Jan 22nd…yeah!) I set up a twitter account (LOVE twitter), Facebook page (not great at that) and started this blog/web page. I learned you’re never to old to start something new. You just need to do it! I did it and it’s been better than good 🙂
In fact, being the ever-optimist I am, I have great hopes that 2014 will be an amazing year!
Happy New Year everyone!
