I can't believe it's been another whole year. At times, 2023 felt like it would never end, and at other times, the months were just flying by. This has been a year full of ups and downs for me personally, and professionally... well, it wasn't my best. But before I get into all that, here is a rundown of my original 2023 goals:
1. Stay Healthy: I struggled quite a bit this year with fatigue, and as a result, I haven't slept well (oddly enough), which means I then end up in pain. As a result, I've had my Fibro meds increased twice this year, but I think I'm finally at a place where I'm good. The pain and fatigue aren't affecting my daily life as much as before. I haven't been working out like I used to, and I really want to get back into doing so. I've also been adding more carbs into my diet, slowly, and I'm managing that pretty well.
My daughter who was diagnosed with Crohn's a couple of years ago is still doing well. We've had to increase her meds, too, but she's definitely in a much better place.
My parents have been having quite a few health-related issues this past year, though. My mom has to have retina injections every few months. She had cataract surgery on both eyes, and she was recently diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. My dad had extremely high blood pressure and ended up in the hospital with stroke-like symptoms. BUT -- they are both still with me and getting better each day, and I'm so incredibly thankful for that.
2. Keep Writing and Publishing: Sadly, I didn't do so well with this. I didn't release any new books this year, but I did completely rebrand my Cursed Series, which was a much larger undertaking than I expected. I've been working on various projects, but with all the doctor's appointments and health scares, writing has been difficult. I'm close to finishing something new, though, and that's exciting.
3. Treat My Business Like a Business: I did accomplish this! Though it took me most of the year, I have finally found various programs and tools to help me be more productive on the business end without working too hard. I've certainly seen the benefits of consistent online activity, and I'm excited to keep going into 2024.
4. Expand My Audience: The increased online activity has certainly helped with this, but I've got some exciting things in the works, too, that will help with this. More about that below!
5. Read: I read sooo much this year, and I absolutely love it! I've even expanded into some new genres that I like a lot more than I thought I would.
While I might not have accomplished as much on the writing and publishing front as I would have liked, I did have some pretty big wins this year...
- My very first pit bull, Nico, was staying with my daughter for the past few years, but he's now back with me. I love him so much, and he gets along with Crowley so well. I know he doesn't have many years left, so I'm enjoying every single moment with him.
- My daughter's boyfriend asked me to go on a cruise with the two of them next year, and I am super stoked for that. I'll be going with my best friend, Nicole. YAY!
- I took my second annual mother-daughter vacation. This year, we went to Missouri and visited Branson. While there, we went to the Celebrity Car Museum, and I got to SIT IN THE SUPERNATURAL CAR!!! This was definitely one of the biggest highlights of my year.
- The husband and I, along with our best friends, went on an overnight trip for our wedding anniversary. We had so much fun!
- I made a trip to NY for a family reunion, and catching up with everyone was wonderful. While there, we drove to Buffalo so my daughter could meet her boyfriend for the first time. We visited the zoo and Niagara Falls, which was a blast.
- I plotted and planned a new series with a co-author that we're actively working on for the new year. We've got some big plans, so stay tuned for updates.
- I stopped pressuring myself and tracking everything. In the past, I always kept a calendar where I'd track how much time I spent writing, blogging, editing, etc., and my word counts. Because of life, I haven't written much and seeing the blank spaces and the big fat 0 on my calendar was stressing me out. I felt like a failure. So I simply stopped. It's taken off a lot of pressure, and I'm unsure if I'll start tracking again or not.
- I stepped out of my comfort zone this year and really scared myself silly with different haunted houses and spooky locations. My daughter and I would go do something scary every weekend, and it was awesome.
- My cat Luna became very ill, and I almost lost her. But through a lot of love (and vet visits) she's healthier than ever! She continues to gain weight, and she still insists on sitting on my lap while I'm trying to work.
- My daughter and her boyfriend got a new puppy. A pug named Loki, and I love playing with him and then sending him home. I forgot how much work a puppy is, and I'm too old for that. lol.
- I started a couple new collections. Y'all know I have a huge Twilight collection beyond just the books, and now I've started a Supernatural, The X-Files, and Stranger Things collections. That might seem odd to include here, but I thrive on the hunt. I love going to thrift stores, antique stores, craft fairs, etc., and finding cool things to add.
- My eldest daughter got a new puppy this year, too. A German Shepherd named Eden. I haven't had the chance to meet her yet, but I hope to next year.
- I decided to start a snow globe collection, mostly because I buy one each time I go somewhere new. They make great keepsakes. My husband even bought me a new cabinet with a light to put them all in! He's really the best.
- I took a very intense 3-day online class about marketing, and I learned quite a bit. I've also made some great new connections via that class. It also prompted a new idea for a non-fiction book.
- My long-time agent passed away very unexpectedly. (To be clear, that is NOT a win!) As a result, I've now signed on with a new agent. Cindy Bullard at Birch Literary. She's great, and I'm excited to see what we do together. She'll be starting by hopefully selling the subrights to my Cursed Series.
- My cat, Finn, who had been with my daughter in Missouri is back with me. He wasn't getting along very well with one of her other cats, so he came back. He's getting along pretty well with my cats here, and he even likes to play with Salem on occasion.
- I've been blogging more regularly, too, and I'm being consistent with sharing my thoughts about the books I'm reading.
As I mentioned above, I read so much this year, and I even ventured into some new genres. Here's my complete list:
- Charm by Tracy Wolff
- Coop Knows the Scoop by Taryn Souders
- Lost in Michigan, & Lost in Michigan Vol. 2 by Mike Sonnenberg
- Michigan Haunts and Hauntings by Marion Kuclo
- Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
- Million Dollar Outlines by David Farland
- The Shadow Sister by Lily Meade
- Fragments of the Lost by Megan Miranda
- Paranormal State by Ryan Buell
- The Unplanned Life of Josie Hale by Stephanie Eding
- Haunted America by Publications International, LTD
- The Haunted by Danielle Vega
- The Girl From Widow Hills by Megan Miranda
- Grip of Fear, Grip of Darkness, Grip of Terror, Grip of Death, Grip of Madness, Grip of Evil, Grip of Honor, & Surviving Chaos by Sam J. Fires
- Camp Murderface and Camp Murderface: Doom in the Deep by Josh Berk and Saundra Mitchell
- What Lives in the Woods by Lindsay Currie
- Daybreak on Raven Island by Fleur Bradley
- Camp Slyvania by Julie Murphy
- Hawkins Horrors by Matthew J. Gilbert
- Suspicious Minds by Gwenda Bond
- Darkness on the Edge of Town by Adam Christopher
- Judgment Road and Vengeance Road by Christine Feehan
- The Sorority Murder by Allison Brennan
- Someone We Know by Shari Lapena
- The Sleepover by Samantha King
- Fourth Wing and Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros
- A Court of Thorns and Roses, A Court of Mist and Fury, A Court of Wings and Ruin, A Court of Frost and Starlight, and A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas
- The Girl in the White Van by April Henry
- Playing with Fire by April Henry
Overall, it hasn't been a terrible year considering. I definitely had a lot more personal wins than professional, but that's okay. Stay tuned for my official 2024 goals post :-) In the meantime, tell me in the comments what YOU did this year!
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