2023 in twelve photos, one from each month
I don't know about you, but to me, it feels like 2023 absolutely flew by! I blinked and the whole year disappeared. And yet, a year ago, also feels like a long time ago—maybe because so much happened this year and the world is kind of on fire. I've been thinking a lot about what to write in this 2023 wrap up post. I keep seeing posts in which people list all their accomplishments, the million books they published and everything, and I always feel like my own aren't quite enough. And I have to remind myself that I have accomplished things this year! I finally published To Love the Dragon King, which I am very proud of for many reasons—because I finally finished after so long of difficulties writing, because it's my first self-published book and I did so much of it on my own, because I think it's pretty damn good book. Then I got started on the second Dragons of Ivria book and playing with ideas for a new cozy witchy series.
I'm getting more on top of things little by little. My newsletter is going out regularly, and there are more posts on this blog too. I loved doing more in person events this year, too, including Rainbow Book Fair in NYC and GRL in Virginia. It was wonderful to meet so many readers and other authors. I hope to meet more of you in the coming year! And in not writing events, I also went on a long-postponed Italian adventure with my best friend, which was absolutely amazing.
There were setbacks and disappointments too. I didn't accomplish everything I wanted, and my first (and hopefully only) bout of covid and the lingering struggles with fatigue after it derailed some of my plans for the end of the year. But I'm going to continue to try to be kind to myself (which is difficult!) as we move into a new year.
After the last few years, I hesitate to even say what my 2024 writing goals are for fear of jinxing myself, but my hope is to publish both the second Dragons of Ivria book and the first witch book. Fingers crossed.
Finally, I'm sharing some of my favorite reads of 2023. Some of these books were published in 2023, some are older, and as always, it was tough for me to narrow it down.
These are roughly in the order in which I read them:
A Restless Truth by Freya Marske
A Master of Djinn by P Djeli Clark
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
The Tarot Sequence by KD Edwards
Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree
The Doomsday Books by KJ Charles
Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett
Lavender House by Lev AC Rosen
Resurrection Reprise by Hailey Turner
The Mimicking of Known Successes by Malka Older
What were some of your favorite books of 2023? And what are you looking forward to in 2024 (both in books and otherwise?
Last but certainly not least, I want to say a huge thank you—for buying/borrowing/reading/reviewing my books, for sticking around even though it took me a lot longer than planned to get To Love the Dragon King into your hands. I appreciate it so very much. Happy New Year, my darlings! I hope 2024 brings you joy and peace and all you're hoping for.
Last but certainly not least, I want to say a huge thank you—for buying/borrowing/reading/reviewing my books, for sticking around even though it took me a lot longer than planned to get To Love the Dragon King into your hands. I appreciate it so very much. Happy New Year, my darlings! I hope 2024 brings you joy and peace and all you're hoping for.
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