The Annual Year in Review

Congratulations, friends. We've survived another spin around the sun. How was 2019 for you?

For me, it was a year that will largely be forgotten. Between lack of success with the career, lack of success with the books, and just a general cloud of failure following me around, the less I remember 2019, the better. I have to repeatedly tell myself to try to keep it positive, keep it upbeat. I keep reading self-help books that talk about the power of positive thinking, but I'm also fairly certain that if positive thinking worked, then no one would be poor, hungry, or have to work at a job they hate--and that's just not the case. Life has a way of beating positivity out of you. But, enough of this downward spiral--the end of the year is time for reflection and looking forward.

I am very proud of the two books I put out: The Single Twin and Family Ghosts. Neither has really done anything sales-wise, but I actually put forth the effort and cash to procure a Kirkus review for TST, and perhaps if the review is good, a few people outside of my narrow circle of readers might find it. When THE CENTURION and THE SEVEN both did well with the Kirkus reviews, that's when I got calls from traditional publishers and indie film companies. Maybe something can happen with this book. Who knows?

The coming year has me relatively uncertain about what the new year will bring book-wise. I still have the third Teslacon novel lined up and ready for press, but we'll see if that actually happens. The first two TC books have not sold at all outside of the 80 or so copies sold at the Con itself.

As of right now, I have three new books underway, as well as the fourth Survivor Journals book and a sequel to The Single Twin started, but I will confess to not having written a single word on any of them for the last two months. After getting out TST, I just haven't felt the fire to write. Part of that is work-related. Part of that is seasonal depression. And part of that is just laziness. I have no problem churning out word counts. I don't believe in Writer's Block. I just haven't wanted to sit down and work for a while. I need to remedy that in the new year.

The new year will see me returning to Sherwin-Williams to schlep paint. As some of you know, I have done retail paint sales for many years, and now after more than five years of being unable to find a job I wanted in higher ed, I'm giving up on that field. Going back to hawk paint for Uncle Sherwin isn't a dream job, but it's familiar and the store is two miles from my house. I can't complain about that. In my whole life, I've had hellish commutes. My first job after college had an 80-minute commute from my apartment in LaCrosse. My previous job had a 35-mile commute. For the first time in my life, I'll literally be walking distance from my job. That's the primary reason I'm going back. I'll keep looking for something better, but until then--if you need paint, you'll know where to find me.

As for other plans for the new year: recommit to weight loss and the gym. Like usual.

As 2019 ends, I like to reflect on my favorite things from the previous year. For your perusal:

Best Books I Read:
Crownbreaker by Sebastien de Castell
The Crossing by Michael Connelly

Best Movies I Saw:
John Wick 3
Spider-Man: Far From Home
Avengers: Endgame

Best TV Shows I Watched:
Barry (Seasons 1 & 2 --I came late to this)
Letterkenny (any season)
The Mandalorian
Lost in Space (Season 1 & 2)
Evil

Favorite Record of 2019:
(--tough year for music as Marillion and Fish did not put out a new record.)
However, Brett Newski's live album "Going Solo is Better Than Being Alone" is very good.
Empty City Squares - "337"

Best Thing I Did:
I went on an Alaskan Cruise in August on the NCL Bliss. It was pretty cool. The boat was an engineering marvel. Alaska was really amazing. I'd like to go back to Alaska, but I don't know if I'd go on a cruise ship again.

Best Podcasts I Listened to:
Timesuck with Dan Cummins
Unexplained
Gilbert Gottfried's Amazing Colossal Podcast
Monsters Among Us
Spooked

Best New Restaurant I Ate At:
Meze in Sun Prairie (try it!)

The past year had a few heartaches, as well. My cat, Marley, passed away not long ago. She was my lap cat, my buddy. She had the loudest purr you've ever heard, and not hearing her constant revving around the house has made the house feel quiet and sad. For this reason alone, 2019 can go take a flying leap.

For 2020, I wish you all the best. I hope success finds you. I hope good things are lined up down the pipe for all of us. Be sure to let me know your little victories, as well as your major wins. Anything positive is good.

Here's the link to The Single Twin. Tell friends about it. If you can, give it a good review on Amazon, Goodreads, and anywhere else you can--blogs, Facebook, etc...

It takes a village.

Thanks for reading. And Happy New Year.
--Sean

https://www.amazon.com/Single-Twin-Se...