I’m about to travel to my in-laws’ and my family is all fighting off a bad cold, it’s like a bad 80s sit-com at my house but there’s a lot to celebrate and, as always, more to look forward to.

This year:

-My favorite story of mine was published

-I was featured in books with some of my favorite authors (alongside Neil Gaiman and Chuck Palahniuk)

-I got some silly kiddie poems published (which is a great feat if you know anything of my hatred for most poetry)

-I won 2 MO Writer’s Guild Awards

-My newest children’s book won a New Apple Award

-Best of all I was crowned the Bards and Sages Magazine: Author of the year!

Laying it out there like that sounds amazing. I’m grateful and amazed that so many of you believe in me and my work. I am definitely not a perfect writer or person and it’d humbling to be recognized.

It is also terrifying because now I want to do more. The need to get even better and keep reaching higher increases with every publishing credit, every award. It sounds great but throughout all of these triumphs there have been countless rejections, great pains, heartaches, and self-doubt. Publishing is no fairy tale. It’s a tough industry and if this is as far as I get I am thankful to have gotten this far.

Of course looking to next year:

-I hope to win more awards

-Sell more stories

-Publish a new book or at least get one of my many babies under contract (This year was a year of short stories)

-Get back out there and see more of you in person (The book tour express has got to get going again. having a baby this year postponed it but won’t deter me. he loves traveling haha)

-And maybe get an agent (Just maybe…cuz…odds)