Advent Calendar Day 1

 HAPPY HOLIDAYS! 

So that was 2022. 

It could have been worse, right? Not the year I planned, but I've come to accept that the best laid plans, etc. Just as I've come to accept that life is never going back to the way it was pre-pandemic. (We'll just lump it all under that umbrella, shall we?) And while I can't deny that I occasionally lapse into IN MY DAY with my long-suffering nieces and nephews, I've still got my nieces and nephews and everyone else I care about, so that's the important bit. 

The world turns and another page in this book of life turns with it. Which is the way it's always worked, really. That is the lesson of history. The universe is change; our life is what our thoughts make it. 

AND CHRISTMAS COMES BUT ONCE A YEAR.

(And, yes, of course you may sub "Christmas" for the winter holiday of your choice, or no holiday at all. You do you.)

  

For the last couple of years, I've struggled with whether to do the "Advent Calendar" or not. The truth is, blogging doesn't get the engagement it once did--and Blogger is especially problematical as far as commenting on posts. But the point of the Advent Calendar isn't to get a certain number of comments or views. It's to say THANK YOU to you, my readers. The point of this calendar is simply to give you a moment or two of holiday cheer. A little bit of comfy-coziness to start your day.

In case I haven't said it enough: Thank you for buying and reading (and re-reading and re-re-reading) my books. Thank you for allowing me to earn my living doing the thing I love best. Thank you to those readers all over the world--translations in another four languages this year!--who consume my stories in languages I can't speak. Thank you to my wonderful patrons whose kindness and generosity help me through those leanish months where life gets in the way of spinning stories.

I appreciate you all very much. Full stop. Writers write for themselves, but we publish for others. I publish for YOU. I want to give you the best books I can because I want you to see the world the way I do: a place where kindness, the willingness to communicate, and the courage to love can change lives. I want you to love the way my books make you feel--ideally, kind of the way the holidays make you feel. ;-)

So what's ahead this month? As in previous years, I'll probably share a couple of favorite holiday songs or a poem or a some inspirational photos or a vintage cartoon or a cocktail recipe (or three). There will likely be codas toward the end of the month. There might be a giveaway or two. And I believe at least one of our talented and generous previous contributors will pop in with some fiction or art. 

In other words, every day will be as much of a surprise to me as to you. ;-D   

Happy Holidays, my friends. May all your days be merry and bright!