Out with 2023, In with 2024
Another year, another opportunity to figure out what I’m doing.
Like many, I have seen my fair share of ups and downs over the past few years. The biggest up of the year was my two-year-old granddaughter becoming a big sister. In addition to keeping her momma busy, she now has a baby brother to entertain.
Workwise, I have gone from full-time occupational therapist to independent occupational therapy contractor. In many ways, this is a plus. I’ll have more control over my schedule and where I go. The flip side is that there are no benefits and my income is much less stable.
On the writing side, 2023 was a good year–the biggie being the March publication of And They Danced. I learned a lot from having a traditionally published book. I’ve participated in some fun promotional events including listing my five favorite mystery and suspense novels based in Texas at Shepherd.com, matching a beverage to go with And They Danced at KerryFryarFreeman.com, participating in my first book blog at Lone Star Literary Life, and two presentations for writers on ergonomics and health for writers. I took on the role of secretary with Sisters in Crime North Dallas, and I moved from the role of member at large to president of Writers Guild of Texas. Last–but not least–my short story, Song of the Siren, received Honorable Mention in the 2023 Writer’s Guild of Texas Kathryn McClatchy Flash Fiction Contest. It will be posted on the WGT website sometime in the next few months.
2024 is looking promising with two of my short stories scheduled to be published in the coming months. My short story, Healing Seeds, will be published in Texas Gardener Magazine on January 10, 2024, and I learned that my 1940s noir was accepted to the 2024 Sisters in Crime North Dallas anthology. I don’t have any details on that publication yet but stay tuned.
I keep writing. There are too many projects to count. The Tess Corona Chronicles is expanding as I continue to work on book three. I’m to the point that I need to know what happened in the past to make sense of how the characters respond to upcoming events–which means there will be a prequel. It’s too early to tell if it will be a full novel, a novella, or a series. Also in the works is a second edition of If You Touch My Mind. After ten years, I think it deserves a fresh new look. Don’t you?
May 2024 be a year of more ups than downs for all of us. Challenges are good for the soul and help us grow, but let’s keep them under control, shall we?
T
