Annette Dashofy's Blog, page 4

Looking Back: 2023

Every year, I take a few moments to post here about what the past twelve months have brought, followed by my hopes and goals for the coming year. Starting with a retrospective of 2023:

If you want to read my list of goals from January, click here. 

How did I do? Well, I met all my writing deadlines. All three books I anticipated releasing did indeed come out on time. I'm still waiting for the print release of Keep Your Family Close, but the digital came out on December 8. 

Accounting-wise, I managed to get caught up in time to get my tax stuff to my accountant, AND I'm proud to say, I've done much better with keeping up on the income and expenses this year! In fact, my spreadsheets are done! Most of them, anyway. I still have to compile my mileage, but that's pretty easy. 

I also did better with my fitness goals. I'm still not where I'd like to be (and the holidays have done a real number on my workout routine), but I'm definitely improving. 

Where I failed was travel. For that, I partly blame my sweet furry office manager, Kensi. 

In April, less than a week before I was supposed to leave for Bethesda, MD, and Malice Domestic, Kensi had a rather terrifying "episode." I thought it was a stroke. Three vet visits later (all within a few days), she was diagnosed with heart problems, although the fainting episodes aren't necessarily related. I did make it to Malice, although I was a worried cat mom the entire time. Hubby took care of Kensi, and a dear friend was on call in case of emergency.

Kensi, however, will now be on heart medication for the rest of her life. So all of my travel has been limited to very short trips. And Hubby has to stay home to at least TRY to get her pills in her while I'm away. 

I did make it to San Diego for Bouchercon. Again, worried cat mom. But Hubby and my dear friend sent daily photos AKA proof of life to let me know she was doing well. 

I did not, however, make it to New Mexico. Nor did we make it back to Lexington, Kentucky, despite me judging this year's Dr. Tony Ryan Book Awards and being invited to again attend the award ceremony. 

The last few months of 2023 have been a rollercoaster, as well. You can check my last two posts for details. To summarize, my agent and dear friend, Dawn Dowdle, passed away unexpectedly in mid-November. A couple of weeks later, I was fortunate enough to sign with  Paula Munier of Talcott Notch. 

Overall, 2023 was a mixed bag. But Kensi is still with me and being her silly self, and I'm looking forward to an exciting year in 2024. 

Bouncing Back

What a wild rollercoaster ride November was. Losing my friend and agent, Dawn Dowdle was rock bottom. But what's that saying? When one door closes, another opens? I guess it's true. 

Earlier this week, I accepted an offer of representation from the amazing Paula Munier of Talcott Notch Literary Services. 

Paula asked me some tough questions when we first talked. She made me take a good luck at where I am with my writing career and where I want to go. Stepping out of one's comfort zone is never easy, but life is too short to avoid taking the big chances and shooting for the stars. If nothing else, Dawn's sudden passing taught me that. 

Think about it. A new year is coming. What big dream have you been pushing aside for the sake of playing it safe? If you had a chance to do (or write!) what you've always dreamed of, what would that be?  

In Loving Memory

Yesterday evening, I received news that completely knocked me for a loop. My beloved agent and good friend, Dawn Dowdle had died. 

I'd just talked to her on the phone about a potential new contract last Tuesday. We laughed about some publishing business silliness. We emailed back and forth over the next several days. She'd been having some relatively minor health issues that were supposed to be treated yesterday. 

She died of a heart attack Sunday afternoon. 

Even as I type it, I can't quite believe it. 

I can't even fathom what her daughter and husband are going through. 

Her huge extended family at Blue Ridge Literary Agency, myself included, are reeling, heartbroken, devastated. 

Right now, no one really knows what the future of the agency will be. We're all sitting tight, waiting, and remembering Dawn. 

 

Catching Up...AGAIN...Part 1

It's been so long since I last posted and so much has happened, there's no way I can fit it all into one post. Especially since I'm busy with the second draft of a new book. So I've decided to catch up a little at a time. 

First up, HELPLESS, my 12th Zoe Chambers Mystery came out in May. It's my first foray into straight suspense, rather than whodunit mysteries, and the reviews have been outstanding. I'm so happy. And relieved. 

Second, Where the Guilty Hide is FINALLY available in paperback in the US. It took a lot of trial and error and manually pushing buttons by my UK publisher, but it's out there! I won't go into the frustration involved in not being able to get my books into US bookstores. And I've been assured this won't happen when the second Detective Honeywell Mystery comes out in print early next year. 

That would be Keep Your Family Close which has my absolute favorite cover of all of my books! It's up for digital pre-orders now. 

Check back for more catching up soon.

Agatha Nomination for Fatal Reunion!

I am over the moon to share the news that Fatal Reunion has received an Agatha nomination (my sixth!) for Best Contemporary Novel! You can find the entire nominee list here.

You would think that six nominations in, I wouldn't be surprised by the news. But I am more stunned with each one. I never take it for granted and never assume I'll ever walk that path or wear that "NOMINEE" ribbon at Malice Domestic ever again. I'm beyond grateful to those who wrote down my name on the nomination forms. 

Release Day!

I may have started 2023 with lots of hope for a productive January, but the Universe quickly revealed other plans. My husband staggered out of bed on New Year's morning and announced he felt lousy. No, we did not go out partying on New Year's Eve. On January 2, he tested positive for Covid. After two days of playing nursemaid, I also tested positive. 

Thankfully, we both had mild cases. His was worse, but I think that's because I learned from his mistakes and from the virtual doctor's appointment he had before I started feeling crappy. 

Still, mild or not, it knocked me down for a couple of days. Days I didn't have to spare. My deadline for the second Detective Honeywell Mystery is February 1!

The good news is I've made up for lost time. And we've both recovered, which is even better news. Barring unforeseen disasters, I will make my deadline.

More good news is today is the digital release of Where the Guilty Hide! It's being well received so far, which is always a relief.

Mark Baker of Carstairs Considers gave it 5-stars. Check out his full review here.

I've done several guest blogs about behind-the-scenes aspects of the story. Last week I was on Jungle Red Writers, talking about What If and If Only.

And today, Dru Ann Love has allowed Matthias Honeywell to tell us a little about himself; I'm on the Wickeds discussing Beer Cans and Tombstones; and Donnell Ann Bell has given me a spot to talk about setting. 

Check out these wonderful blogs when you get a chance. And if you haven't ordered your digital copy of Where the Guilty Hide yet, find your favorite format here. 

Looking Ahead...

Here we are, beginning a whole new year. It'll fly by, I'm sure. As I age, the hours, days, weeks, and months seem to gain momentum. So it's only natural that my biggest hope for 2023 is to SLOW DOWN. 

Having said that, I still have goals for the year. Here's what the first quarter looks like.

January: Complete my second/third draft of Detective Honeywell mystery #2 so I can meet my February 1 deadline.

February: Tackle my 2022 accounting stuff. Once again, I failed at keeping up-to-date with recording expenses, so it all has to be done NOW. Also, work on a second round of edits on HELPLESS, the 12th Zoe Chambers mystery. And begin outlining the 13th one.

March: Work on developmental edits on Honeywell #2 and begin drafting Zoe #13 

If all goes according to the schedule, I should have THREE books coming out in the next twelve months!

So much for slowing down. But I do plan to begin each day with some "me time," be it meditation, yoga, or exercise. Or a combination. 

Much of the rest of the year's writing goals will depend on how the Honeywell series sells and if I get a request for more than the two books currently under contract. I still plan to outline the third one, because I left so much hanging at the end of the second one! 

Other goals for the year involve travel. I want to take a trip to visit my friend in New Mexico. I haven't seen her since pre-pandemic times. Then I plan to attend Malice Domestic, the Pennwriters Conference, and Bouchercon in San Diego. 

I've started lining up a few personal appearances, but hope for more. (If you have a bookstore or library that would be interested in having me visit and/or teach a workshop, have them reach out to me!)

And that's about as far as I've gotten with looking ahead. Last year was so amazing and so busy, I have little hope of matching, let alone surpassing, those accomplishments. 

I wish you all a happy and peaceful New Year.  

Looking Back at 2022

It's time for my annual assessment of the current year before I make plans for the new one. Click here to read my goals and hopes for 2022. 

I did well, overall. Fatal Reunion came out on schedule in May, although too late for Malice Domestic or Pennwriters. But I did attend both conferences and had a blast.

It just came out in audiobook too!

The NaNoWriMo project not only found a title, but a home, and is coming out next month from One More Chapter/HarperCollinsUK!

Where the Guilty Hide will release in digital on January 20. It comes out in print in the UK on March 2. I don't have a print release date yet for here in the US. 

The 12th Zoe Chambers mystery, Helpless, is with my Level Best Books editor, awaiting its May 2023 release. It's a bit of a departure for me. More suspense than whodunit mystery. It was a wild ride to write and hopefully will be the same for my readers!

My "mini book tour" included a trip to Florida for Sleuthfest in July, where I had a great time hanging out with old friends.

It was my first time on an airplane since before the pandemic, and I only experienced one flight delay and no missed connections. I call that a success.

My big FAIL was my personal decluttering goal. In my defense, I have a good reason. The contract I signed with One More Chapter required me to write three books this year: Two for them plus Helpless for Level Best. Housework has suffered, but I've made all my deadlines (so far).

There were a couple of big events that I hadn't planned on. Being tasked with interviewing James Patterson definitely counts as BIG. 

And winning the Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award was HUGE. 

Looking back, it's been a wonderful year. 

Once again, I���ve been remiss in postinghere. To be hone...

Once again, I���ve been remiss in postinghere. To be honest, until last week, I didn���t have a lot to blog about. WhereThe Guilty Hide is still with my publisher as is Helpless. 

I���ve made great progress on the secondDetective Honeywell Mystery, as yet untitled. Beginning next week, I���m goingback into Book Jail to finish the first draft, hopefully before my developmentaledits on Helpless come back from my editor. 

So I���ve been busy writing. Except forlast week. 

I mentioned back in June that DeathBy Equine had been named a finalist for the 2021 Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award.Last week, Thursday, November 3, was the cocktail reception at Castleton LyonsFarm for the award presentation.

Most of a writer���s life is taken up bythe stuff I just shared. Drafting a new book, editing another, waiting to hearfrom publishers. Getting nice reviews is often what keeps us plugging onward.And PLOTTING onward. To be nominated or named a finalist is nothing short of adream. 

My husband joined me on my road tripfrom our Pennsylvania home, through West Virginia to Lexington, Kentucky. It���sbeen a while since we traveled that far by car, and we had a blast.

My fellow finalists (Dawn LeFevre andJennifer Morrison) and I took part in a book signing at the Lexington Joseph-Bethand got to know each other a bit. They���re terrific and so are their books. Iwas 100% convinced one of them was the winner. No doubt in my mind. 

Later that afternoon, Hubby and I gotspiffed up and headed to Castleton Lyons. The cocktail reception was held in aroom above their historic Stallion Barn, which, Hubby pointed out, is nicerthan our house. I got to pet Gio Ponti���s nose and inhale the horsey smells, whichis perfume to my nose. 

By the time everyone arrived, there hadto be a hundred people in that room. There was a huge check, but no name on it.The three crystal trophies sat on a dresser behind it. 

Each of us had a gorgeous poster, whichHubby wanted to steal. We didn���t have to. They gave them to each of us. 

After a lot of schmoozing and drinking(in my case, ginger ale to calm my stomach), each of us was called up to thepodium to talk about our books. Thanks to alphabetical order, I got to gofirst, which was good. I was able to relax and listen to Dawn���s and Jennifer���samazing talks.

Besides, I figured I was done for the evening.

Then Dr. Tony Ryan���s son, Shane, took themic to name the winner. Hubby and I were in the very rear of the room because Iknew the name being called wouldn���t be mine. 

Except��� 

Shane said, ���And the winner is���Death By������ 

At which point, I think I blacked outfor a second. Hubby thought he was going to have to catch me. But I gathered mywits, threw my phone at him, and said, ���Take pictures!��� and made my way to thepodium once again to make an acceptance speech I had never rehearsed. 

Okay, it was a variation of the fiveacceptance speeches I���ve never had a chance to make during the Agatha Awardbanquets. 

Now, a week later, I still can���t quitebelieve it. I have that big check with my name on it leaning against a wallhere in my office. The poster is in the living room along with the crystal trophy,a replica of the round tower, whichDr. Ryan had constructed of field stone at Castleton Lyons, to honor a similar structureat the Rock of Cashel in County Tipperary, Ireland. I keep looking at thesetreasures to remind myself, yes, that night really did happen. 

I am nowan ���award-winning author.��� 

Oh, and on my way out of the awardceremony, I stopped to again pet Gio Ponti���s nose. He definitely brought me luck!

Once again, I’ve been remiss in postinghere. To be honest...

Once again, I’ve been remiss in postinghere. To be honest, until last week, I didn’t have a lot to blog about. WhereThe Guilty Hide is still with my publisher as is Helpless. 

I’ve made great progress on the secondDetective Honeywell Mystery, as yet untitled. Beginning next week, I’m goingback into Book Jail to finish the first draft, hopefully before my developmentaledits on Helpless come back from my editor. 

So I’ve been busy writing. Except forlast week. 

I mentioned back in June that DeathBy Equine had been named a finalist for the 2021 Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award.Last week, Thursday, November 3, was the cocktail reception at Castleton LyonsFarm for the award presentation.

Most of a writer’s life is taken up bythe stuff I just shared. Drafting a new book, editing another, waiting to hearfrom publishers. Getting nice reviews is often what keeps us plugging onward.And PLOTTING onward. To be nominated or named a finalist is nothing short of adream. 

My husband joined me on my road tripfrom our Pennsylvania home, through West Virginia to Lexington, Kentucky. It’sbeen a while since we traveled that far by car, and we had a blast.

My fellow finalists (Dawn LeFevre andJennifer Morrison) and I took part in a book signing at the Lexington Joseph-Bethand got to know each other a bit. They’re terrific and so are their books. Iwas 100% convinced one of them was the winner. No doubt in my mind. 

Later that afternoon, Hubby and I gotspiffed up and headed to Castleton Lyons. The cocktail reception was held in aroom above their historic Stallion Barn, which, Hubby pointed out, is nicerthan our house. I got to pet Gio Ponti’s nose and inhale the horsey smells, whichis perfume to my nose. 

By the time everyone arrived, there hadto be a hundred people in that room. There was a huge check, but no name on it.The three crystal trophies sat on a dresser behind it. 

Each of us had a gorgeous poster, whichHubby wanted to steal. We didn’t have to. They gave them to each of us. 

After a lot of schmoozing and drinking(in my case, ginger ale to calm my stomach), each of us was called up to thepodium to talk about our books. Thanks to alphabetical order, I got to gofirst, which was good. I was able to relax and listen to Dawn’s and Jennifer’samazing talks.

Besides, I figured I was done for the evening.

Then Dr. Tony Ryan’s son, Shane, took themic to name the winner. Hubby and I were in the very rear of the room because Iknew the name being called wouldn’t be mine. 

Except… 

Shane said, “And the winner is…Death By—” 

At which point, I think I blacked outfor a second. Hubby thought he was going to have to catch me. But I gathered mywits, threw my phone at him, and said, “Take pictures!” and made my way to thepodium once again to make an acceptance speech I had never rehearsed. 

Okay, it was a variation of the fiveacceptance speeches I’ve never had a chance to make during the Agatha Awardbanquets. 

Now, a week later, I still can’t quitebelieve it. I have that big check with my name on it leaning against a wallhere in my office. The poster is in the living room along with the crystal trophy,a replica of the round tower, whichDr. Ryan had constructed of field stone at Castleton Lyons, to honor a similar structureat the Rock of Cashel in County Tipperary, Ireland. I keep looking at thesetreasures to remind myself, yes, that night really did happen. 

I am nowan “award-winning author.” 

Oh, and on my way out of the awardceremony, I stopped to again pet Gio Ponti’s nose. He definitely brought me luck!