Another year has (almost) come and gone, and as I sit here planning my 2025 goals...I can't help but look back and reflect upon 2024.
I published a short story in Ignite Your Soul: A Romance Charity Anthology in July, and I published my 15th book, Riverside Reverie, in August.
I did a few events throughout the year, starting with a speaking engagement for The Tiffany Show International Women's Day event in March, where I went on stage to share my story in front of hundreds of women. I did the Ignite Your Soul Author Event in August, and the NEW Expo in October (where I read a scene from my latest release on stage). I closed out the year with the Markham Home For The Holidays in November and the Night Market in town here in December.
I was interviewed for Lemons Listening Library Podcast earlier this year (you can listen to the podcast on Spotify or watch it on YouTube, and I was featured on an episode of The Tiffany Show, which aired on cable TV! I also went on the CKDO Radio with Chris Koppin. Probably some of the coolest things to happen to me this year!
Creativity-wise, it hasn't been as productive as a year as I'd hoped. I was hoping to be ahead of schedule with two books written and pending editing for next year, but alas...I took a lot of mental health breaks this year to just be. Plus, I read a lot of books. We also did some small home improvement projects around the house, and enjoyed several camping trips with family and friends.
In 2024, I wrote 48,255 words (as of today, December 28th). Most of those words were finishing up Riverside Reverie and writing my short story Going Under for the anthology, but I also started Last Resort (another Hartwood Creek Romance), and I'm very happy with the progress I've made in it thus far.
I don't really know what my goals are for 2025, aside from just...keepin' on. I'm going to keep writing, keep saying yes to new experiences, and keep moving forward.
I'm not going to push myself too hard, because I'm realizing how quickly time flies and how you just can't get it back when it's gone. So I'm going to enjoy the now, however that looks in the moment.
I am still aiming to publish two books in 2025 (Last Resort and hopefully Off Balance, the 3rd book in my Forgotten Flounders series) and one anthology short. I also plan to lengthen my short story Going Under that was included in the Ignite Your Soul: A Romance Charity Anthology, and make a newsletter freebie. It'd be nice to beef up Rebel Christmas too, so I can finally get that book formatted for paperback! But even if I only get around to publishing one book and the anthology short...I'll still be happy with that.
Truthfully: I'll be happy if I can just focus on myself and my writing this upcoming year!
As of now, I'm slated to do 1 library event and 3 book signing events. I'll be at the Cobourg Public Library January 22nd from 6:30 PM until 7:30 PM, Rose City Romance Conference in Windsor, Ontario in June, Electric City Love Con in Scranton, PA in August, and Ignited By Books Author Event (formally Ignite Your Soul Author Event) in Toronto, Ontario in September.