I read somewhere once that whatever you're doing at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve is indicative of how the new year will be for you. Well, at the stroke of midnight on December 31, 2021, I was in the children's hospital with my daughter, and to say that 2022 has been a year of ups and downs for her health, my health, and others in my family would be a massive understatement. While my main focus this year has been keeping my loved ones as healthy as possible, I still managed to do some publishing stuff. So, let's take a look back on the year to see what I accomplished, what I didn't, and what big changes I faced in 2022.
My original 2022 goals included:
(1) FINISH WARS OF THE HEART SERIES
GOAL ACHIEVED! I wasn't sure I'd actually finish this series, as I was really struggling with the final book, but I managed to write, edit, and publish the entire trilogy, and now all three books are available. So, if Jax is your favorite, go grab these books and find out what happens :)
(2) FINISH VAMPIRE WARS SERIES
As previously noted, I'd written and released a short YA vampire story called The Culling that was part of a multi-author collection. While that collection is no longer available and I have all rights back to my story, I had hoped to add more and republish it, but because of how much I struggled with Jax's series--and the numerous health issues--I didn't get this done. Maybe next year.
(3) CO-WRITE BOOK 2 of EON SAGA
Hahaha. NOPE! Though, I'm not the only one responsible for this, and my co-author and I just couldn't seem to coordinate our schedules enough to get the second book written. But, we do have a solid plan for the first book in this series, so stay tuned for updates about that.
(4) RELAUNCH WARPED REMAINS
Yeah, I'm going to be honest... this has been at very bottom on my list of priorities. Though I'm hoping to revisit this next year. We'll see.
(5) BRANCH INTO MIDDLE GRADE
Sadly, I didn't get the opportunity to actually write a middle grade story, but I've been thinking about one a lot, and it's starting to take shape in my mind. Fingers crossed!
(6) SELF-PUBLISH ADULT ROMANCE
I'm proud to say I did do this! I wrote and published 2 books under the pen name Lexi Lawton--Obligation and Obsession. I have two more books planned within this world, so be on the lookout for those.
While I did okay with my goals this past year, (though not nearly as good as I would have liked) so much more has happened that I never expected or planned for, so here's the quick rundown:
Professionally:
- I wrote a total of 370,324 words. That's actually 9,201 words MORE than last year, which I have no idea how I managed that, but I'll take it!
- I blogged a total of 12,632 words.
- I rebranded my author logo, and I'm so in love with it. (Thanks again, Courtney!)
- I released 5 books: Bound, Beholden, and Banished, all written as Kara. And two new adult romances--Obligation and Obsession--written as Lexi Lawton.
- I wrote book 1 of a brand new series that will eventually be published as Lexi Lawton. It's a motorcycle club romance, and a new genre for me, but I love this book and can't wait to share it!
- I dabbled in a bit of ghostwriting again--mostly story creation and outlines.
- I wrote a rom-com proposal for my agent, and she sent me some notes, so I'll be reworking that a bit.
- I attended two book signings and had a blast at both of them!
- I finally got to meet some of my amazing book people--Kris Riley and Andy Garcia-Ruse. This was a real highlight of my year.
- I've booked multiple signings for next year, too.
- I reconnected with my CP, Courtney, and we've been so much better about keeping each other accountable and trading our work for feedback.
- For Anaiah, I edited 7 full length novels and 5 novellas.
- I freelance edited 6 manuscripts.
Personally:
- My husband surprised me with a new kitten! His name is Salem, and he's all black. He's a jerk most of the time... except in the middle of the night when I'm trying to sleep. Then he wants to purr--LOUDLY--and snuggle into my neck. I love him though.
- My neighbor and best friend who moved away has moved back, and she's once again right across the street from me. I couldn't be happier about this.
- My other close friend has moved out of state and informed me recently that she's not coming back to Michigan, which makes me sad, but I'm truly happy that she's happy.
- The weight I'd gained back in 2021 is now gone again. I haven't really been dieting per se, but I have been way more stressed and active this year, so I'm sure that's a big part of the loss. Totally not complaining!
- I made a trip to NY to attend my aunt's wedding. Being a part of that and catching up with the family was great.
- My favorite aunt moved to Michigan! Now her and my uncle are here, and I love that. They also have a litter of puppies, and I probably spend a tad too much time at their house now. #SorryNotSorry
- The house my husband and I had purchased as joint office space has now been converted back into an actual house that we live in with our youngest daughter. My son and other daughter now live together (along with some friends) in our old house. I still have a dedicated room for my office, though, so it's all good.
- I, along with 3 of my 4 daughters, took our first annual Mother-Daughter Vacation. We were supposed to take a cruise, but for obvious health reasons, that didn't work out. Instead, we explored Michigan and visited Mackinac Island. (Which is totally gorgeous!) We're already planning next year's trip.
- During a signing I attended in Missouri, I took a day to drive into Lawrence, Kansas and take a picture in front of the sign. For those who don't know, Lawrence is a big part of the show, Supernatural.
- My husband, son, and I are in the early stages of launching a new business. More about this soon!
I even managed to read more this year:
- Dead Wednesday by Jerry Spinelli
- Hush-a-Bye by Jody Lee Mott
- One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle
- The Kill Jar by J. Reuben Appelman
- Raine's Fall by Erin Osborne
- Knight's Rising by Bella Jewel
- Savage Protector by E.M. Gayle
- Sinner by Lexi Timms
- All the Missing Girls by Meghan Miranda
- Fallen, Torment, Passion, Rapture, Unforgiven, and Fallen in Love by Lauren Kate
- Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman
- I Am Watching You by Teresa Driscoll
- Outbreak by Davis Bunn
- Creepers and Scavenger by David Morrell
- Peeps and The Last Days by Scott Westerfield
- Little Creeping Things by Chelsea Ichaso
- The Project by Courtney Summers
- Chain Letter and An Ancient Evil by Christopher Pike
- The Ash House by Angharad Walker
Overall, it's been a decent year for me, and I'm excited to see what I can accomplish in 2023. Stay tuned for my official goals post :-) In the meantime, tell me in the comments what YOU did this year!
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