Happyy New Year, my dears! I've been trying to think of something profound to say, and I don't think I've managed that at all. 2018 was a difficult year for many of us. The world has felt as if it's burning down around us, and last January feels as if it was eighty years ago. For me, personally and professionally, the year had its ups and downs, and I'm trying not to dwell as much on the bad parts and the losses right now, trying to start the new year with hope and optimism. 

2018 saw two of my books published. I love and am so proud of The Merchant's Love and A Dance of Water and Air, and I'm so happy they're out in the world where you can enjoy them too. These stories and characters have a special place in my heart. I also wrote two books, though for a while I wasn't sure I would ever finish the second. Writing was difficult the second half of the year, maybe the whole year. But, A Harmony of Fire and Earth, the sequel to A Dance of Water and Air, and The Spymaster's Secret, the next book in the Tournai series, were both finished somehow. Harmony is already in edits and should be out in March. I submitted The Spymaster's Secret to NineStar just before Christmas. I took a writing break after that, to clear my head and clean the house and get ready for the holidays, but it's time to start writing again—and it's felt very strange not to be writing for so long! I have a contemporary royalty romance on my agenda and also Tournai 8, which is Griffin's book (with more dragons). We'll see what happens from there. I'd love to write more this year...I have far too many ideas that want to be written.

Sometimes I feel like the accomplishment is that we survived 2018 with our sanity mostly intact. I hope 2019 is a better year for everyone, that it's kind to us all, that it brings health and happiness and love and wonderful new books to read and so many good things. That's my new year's wish for all of us.

I'm a bit later than I meant to be writing this post, partly because I'm buried under deadlines and will be for most of January (more about that another time!) and partly because I wasn't sure exactly what to say. 2017 was a difficult year for most of us, for many reasons. There were so many good things too—for me, I saw The Dragon's Devotion out in the world, something I wasn't sure would happen about a year ago. I'm thrilled with it, and so happy that it's out there for you to enjoy too. I wrote two books and signed contracts for both of them. And I love those stories so much, as difficult as it was to write. But 2017 was hard and discouraging and scary too. I feel like I fought for every word I wrote, and sometimes not to just hide in a blanket fort with my books all day. I am so grateful for the authors who wrote all those books that kept us going, and I am so grateful for you, dear readers, for reading my books and being here and for all your kind words. They've brightened my year more than I can say. 

I'm determined that 2018 will be a better year than 2017 was. I'm holding on to hope that it will be—I'm fighting for it to be and a lot of other people are too and that gives me more hope because there is still good in the world. So, yes, the word will be hope this year. 

Now I need to get back to work. The last words I wrote last night were a first kiss. Seems like a lovely way to end the year, and now I can pick up right there in a new one.

I hope 2018 brings you joy and love and wonderful new stories to discover and all the good things in the world. Happy New Year!

I meant to write this post ages ago, to say something profound, or at the very least list out some of my favorite reads of 2015 for you because that's always fun (favorite book lists provide me with so many more books to add to my wishlist - if only my budget could handle buying them all), but time got away from me. Which I suppose is appropriate because time seems to have gotten away from me a lot in 2015. It's a bit of  theme. I can't quite believe it's New Year's now, which is a sentiment you're probably tired of hearing from me. I feel like as seasons changed and holidays popped up I always felt behind this year. And things got away from me too sometimes and I scrambled a bit to catch up. In any case this would be why my post today is a bit less impressive than I'd hoped it would be.

But I do want to take a minute to reflect some on the year that just ended. 2015 had its ups and downs, its wonderful moments and not so wonderful ones. I'm very grateful for so much that happened this year and very proud. I signed my first publishing contract and saw my first two books published. Signing that first contract was a giddy, brilliant feeling I never could have imagined before. Holding my books in my hands was amazing too. I dove into the process, worked hard, and learned a lot along the way. And acknowledged that I still have a lot to learn. I'm proud of those two books, and I'm grateful for everyone who has supported me in my quest to become a published author and everyone who has bought my books, read them, reviewed, let me know you enjoyed them. You are all wonderful. I'm grateful too for all all the wonderful books I've read that have given me hours of enjoyment and all the new authors I've discovered. Which if I wasn't so scattered I would have listed for you here. (Can I blame the craziness surrounding the holidays and a book release? Or would that just be excuses?)

And now I'm looking ahead to a new year. I have one book slated for publication in 2016 already, and I hope to have more. I hope to write more books than last year. Actually it would be great if I could manage to write a little faster, or at least procrastinate a little less. It's something I'll work on this year, right along with not letting time get away from me so much. I'm not one for resolutions because they're so easy to break, but I do like the idea of starting new in a new year. I like the feeling of hope that a new year brings. I always have. I'm hoping for good things in 2016, for me, for you, for everyone.

So happy new year. I wish you happiness, health, and all good things in 2016!