End of Year Recap, 2022

Hello! 2022 has been quite a year. I’ve continued my inability to concentrate on television or movies, so there’ll be no recap of what shows I’ve enjoyed or movies I’ve watched. The answer is none. Always none. I have hit a slight reading slump, preferring rereading favorites or sticking with trusted authors. However! I have been writing. Here’s what I’ve done and a peek at what’s in store.

Website:

Flash fiction didn’t last long, did it? I’m hoping to change that this year along with a new series. I’m still undecided on the theme of the series, but I’ve got a few weeks. Surely it’ll come to me, right? Right? *sob*

Publishing:

Publishing has continued to roll right along with some books being easier than others, but that’s always how it is. I’ve written and published three books this year: one longer novel at around 90K, and two shorter ones at around 50K. Still, three books is a lot for me! That doesn’t include writing two others before the year was out that’ll get published in 2023.

First off, the longer novel. Draxton’s Destiny is a book that needed time before I could write it. It was a tough one. At times I hated it, but now it’s one of my favorites. It published in June, 2022, and recieved some very kind reviews. The Edgeworld Chronicles will remain a trilogy with a few novellas centering on characters no within the main arc. Fieryl and Ta’Naii need their own book.

Brienne and Izabel were published in March and September, 2022, respectively. On the shorter side for a novel, barely over 50K each, they run concurrently though Izabel does give some spoilers for Brienne. They didn’t gain the traction Draxton received, but I’m pleased with their reception. The Wolves of Sorrow series will remain short novels, and the overarching plot is beginning to develop.

So…what’s next? Jelayan will get published on March 21, 2022, and Sorcha will go live in June (for now). The plan is to wrap up Edgeworld with the Ravyn toward the end of the year, which means I have some writing to do.

Writing:

With all that publishing, there’s been a bit of writing! Jelayan and Sorcha were both written this year, with Sorcha being my NaNoWriMo project. It was giving me fits, and sometimes a deadline is what I need to get motivated. It worked, and after a total of FIVE separate starts, I finally have a book I’m willing to send to beta readers.

The reason I haven’t started the Ravyn’s book is a separate project I’m hoping to refine and query for an agent. Yes, I’m going to try the soul-crushing path of traditional publication. It’s another romance/UF centered in my local area. It’s a book I’ve been wanting to write for years, and I finally figured out where I wanted to go with it. Currently at 65K+ words, it probably needs about 15-20K more to flesh it out. I’ll say more when there’s more to say!

Reading:

And here is where I’ve fallen down. I haven’t been able to get into new series. At all. I’ve enjoyed books set in established series. I’ve done a massive shit-ton of re-reads. But completely new stuff has been difficult, and I continue to need things I knew I could trust. Nalini Singh remains my go-to author for a comfort read, and I’ve reread most of her Psy/Changeling series this year, but there have been a few standouts.

Currently Reading (as of 05Dec2022): Nothing right now as I’ve been editing Jelayan, but Pearl Sky by Elizabeth Hunter drops on the 6th and Sweep of the Heart by Ilona Andrews drops on the 13th. They’re high on my list of must-reads.

Most Anticipated Book: Hands down, Black Hellebore, Grace Draven. Though it’s only a novella, we return to the Wraith Kings series and Ildiko and Brishen as a couple! Very, very squee! I love this series and this couple and can’t wait to revisit them.

Upcoming Books to Watch: Darke Passion, Rosanna Leo. Three ghost hunting sisters rid folks of unwanted supernatural visitors. I’m sure there’ll be shenanigans along the way. And probably some kissing. Definitely some kissing.

So, that’s it for 2022. Publication for the next two Wolves of Sorrow books is pretty set in stone unless Sorcha ends up needing a complete rewrite (please, no). The Ravyn is next up on the writing schedule, then Hinata‘s book. After that… I’ll start brainstorming a series to replace The Edgeworld Chronicles on my roster, finish out the Wolves of Sorrow, and maybe bring the wolves of Bright Perish or the cougars from Extinction Crag to Barif. I think the other provinces need a chance to play.

For those who got this far, thank you for reading. Thank you for hanging in there. And finally, if you’ve bought a book or told someone to buy a book or left a review anywhere, thank you a million times over. It means so much to me.

Happy New Year and may 2023 make some improvements.