2014: A Year in Review & Top Blog Posts
December 28, 2014
After having published the first two books in the Jorja Matthews mystery series, No Mother of Mine in 2012 and Best Kept Secretsin 2013, I got to work on the third book in the series, Ties That Bind, expecting a release date in 2014. Obviously, I made the 2014 release date, even after hiring a new editor and working around her busy schedule, but my goals did not stop there. I also wrote and published a short ghost story, 1313 Psycho Path, which was released earlier in February 2014. I initially wrote the book and gave it to my boys as a Christmas gift in December 2013, but then we decided it was something we wanted to share with others. I have since been asked to write a sequel to the story, and because it was such a fun story to write, it is on my list of possibilities.
The first half of this year was spent publishing 1313 Psycho Path and completing Ties That Bind so that it could be sent to the editor for review. The second half of this year I spent time taking part in Camp NaNo during the month of July so that I could complete another short story I had also hoped to have published in 2014. The rest of the year was spent completing Ties That Bind, and then anxiously waiting for word back from my editor after her review of the book, which occurred in late September. The book was returned with edits in October, and the book was published in November. Having published so late in the year, it was difficult to schedule book events with the holidays in November and December literally taking up most of our time so I will plan an event next year. I already have a fun idea for a book event and, while it may be a challenge, I really hope it will work out as I imagine.
Another year is almost over and a new one is about to begin. How did this past year work out for you? Did you accomplish what you expected or are you going to continue tracking your goals into the next year? For me, it’s a little of both…
After having published the first two books in the Jorja Matthews mystery series, No Mother of Mine in 2012 and Best Kept Secretsin 2013, I got to work on the third book in the series, Ties That Bind, expecting a release date in 2014. Obviously, I made the 2014 release date, even after hiring a new editor and working around her busy schedule, but my goals did not stop there. I also wrote and published a short ghost story, 1313 Psycho Path, which was released earlier in February 2014. I initially wrote the book and gave it to my boys as a Christmas gift in December 2013, but then we decided it was something we wanted to share with others. I have since been asked to write a sequel to the story, and because it was such a fun story to write, it is on my list of possibilities.
The first half of this year was spent publishing 1313 Psycho Path and completing Ties That Bind so that it could be sent to the editor for review. The second half of this year I spent time taking part in Camp NaNo during the month of July so that I could complete another short story I had also hoped to have published in 2014. The rest of the year was spent completing Ties That Bind, and then anxiously waiting for word back from my editor after her review of the book, which occurred in late September. The book was returned with edits in October, and the book was published in November. Having published so late in the year, it was difficult to schedule book events with the holidays in November and December literally taking up most of our time so I will plan an event next year. I already have a fun idea for a book event and, while it may be a challenge, I really hope it will work out as I imagine.
I took part in only a few book events this year, a pretty low key schedule actually. The first was a speaking engagement at a local senior center the first half of the year. I just love senior citizens and I adore how much they adore my books. When I meet with them, I am reminded of my grandmother and I very much wish she had lived long enough to see me publish my first book. I know she’d be both tickled with joy and extremely proud. Another event that took place the second half of the year was a craft fair I decided to join in on for the fun of it. I hadn’t actually intended on selling any books at the fair, as I had actually made some ornaments and scrapbooks for the event, but my third book in the series came out just before the craft fair and I was given permission to use the event to offer the books I had available for sale. It turned out to be a fun event and, while I didn’t have copies yet of the third book with me, it was a great way to promote the series.
What I wasn’t able to complete this year was the final publication of my second short story I wrote during Camp NaNo. It’s just about ready to go but since Thanksgiving and due to the busy time caused by the month of December, I’ve had very little time to work on my writing. That is about to change and I look forward to getting back into my writing routine.
I may not have completed everything I intended to this year but I’ve come pretty close. I feel very accomplished by the fact that I published two books in 2014 and began working on two more. I will continue to track my goals from 2014 into the New Year, as I also add new ones to the mix. Completion of my second short story and scheduling a book event are two goals I need to complete, as I also continue working on the fourth book in the series so that it can be published in the fall. I also plan to join Camp NaNo in April again so that I can focus some more time on a YA novel I hope to publish sometime next year. It will be a challenge but I look forward to working on something completely different.
To finish off this post, here’s a short list of some of my most popular posts for 2014:
- Editing – learning the tricks of the trade give me, and readers, a treat
- What’s your scare threshold?
- Looking for a quick read before bed?
- Game Plan in the Works
- Please don’t hate the author…
This will be my last post for 2014. I always experience a combination of feelings this time of year… sadness that another year has passed so quickly but excitement at what a new year will hold. For me, 2014 was a good year overall with more ups than downs, and that’s always a good thing. I truly hope yours was as well!
