Looking Back on 2022 and Forward to 2023

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Looking Back on 2022

What a year!

We started the year with my husband needing surgery. Unfortunately, Covid hit me, my husband, and one of the grands who lives with us, delaying his surgery. That was rough, but we got through it. He finally got his surgery in late February. Thank goodness all went well.

Not long after that, con season started in earnest. It was a whirlwind of cons starting with JordanCon in April and ending with CONjuration in November. In between, we traveled to LA for my daugher's wedding.

For some reason, my body decided to bookend the year with another bout of Covid in November, then a virus that became a sinus infection. A little note many of you don't know: I'm allergic and/or intolerant to all but one antibiotic. That antibiotic 1) is not the best for a sinus infection, 2) really wasn't touching this sinus infection. Ultimately, I spent most of November and all of December fighting the sinus infection. In frustration, I gave in and attempted an antibiotic that I sometimes can tolerate. It's never a picnic, but it did finally kick the infection to the curb.

Just in time to meet my newest grandchild, Haxton! And for a fantasy writer, his name is perfect. Why? Haxton in Old Scots means one who trains and cares for the Lord's falcons. How cool is that?

I did manage during 2022 to read 64 books, surpassing my goal of 60. If you want to see the highlights of my books read, you can check it out my Year in Books results on Goodreads. Make sure you follow me while you're at it. And, hey, here's an idea: if you've read my books, would you mind reviewing them on Goodreads, too? Reviews help more than you realize.

I had several achievements over 2022 including winning the Imadjinn Best Fantasy Novel award for my  second book, The Watchers in Exile. Then in mid-December, I released a short story collection, Pieces of Her: Being a Woman is Not for the Faint of Heart. This collection includes stories in women's fiction, weird nature, and a magical realism story to wrap it up. 

What's behind the title? Each story looks at the pieces of existence that make up women's lives. It's 2.99 for the ebook on Amazon, so please go check it out. (I would really love it if you'd leave a review, too. Amazon tends to promote books that have 10 or more reviews, so it really does help.)



What's coming in 2023? 

My illnesses did slow me down a bit, but you'll see re-releases of The Watchers of Moniah trilogy, another short story collection of speculative fiction, and I'm hoping to get my next book out this year: Plunged In Purple.

I'm also scheduled to attend JordanCon in April, Atomacon in May, and Imaginarium in July. There may be more cons on my schedule, but those three are confirmed.

If you want to be sure not to miss any announcements, your best bet is to subscribe to my newsletter. Seriously, you get a free short story for subscribing, free short stories in the newsletter, subscriber-only contests, advanced news, sneak peeks, giraffe news, and so much more. Don't get caught with your eyes closed!

To close out this post, I want to share my word for 2023 with you. Each year, I choose one word to live by. This year my word is REJUVENATE. I want to rejuvenate my relationships with family and friends, as well as rejuvenate my faith, health, and writing. 

Two questions as I close:

  1. How many books did you read in 2022 and how many do you hope to read in 2023? I'm aiming for 55 this year.
  2. What is your word for 2023 and why?

Please share your answers in the comments on this post.

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