2012 in review and a look ahead at 2013

2012 review

My publication highlights were Carina Press's release of Heart of the Dragon's realm, which seems to lie on a nexus of fantasy/romance/young adult appeal; and the appearance of my fantasy story "Unsilenced" in Beneath Ceaseless Skies. Thrillingly, the latter won favorable mention by Lois Tilton in Locus Online in her annual round-up of notable short speculative fiction. I'm in fine company there. Huzzah!

I finally fulfilled an ambition from childhood and wrote a short gamebook, Sigil-beasts, to vie for the Windhammer Prize.

And due to publisher/editor hiccoughs (life happens), I also took my first steps into online self-publishing. I learned a lot in the process, met some lovely editors and artists, and will continue to feel out this space. Which leads us to...

2013 plans

The new year will see a new novella from me, a romantic fantasy set in Ancient Greece titled Back Across the Styx. This will be the first in a set of stories taking place during various eras of far history.

I'll also be submitting a duology in the same world as Demon's Fall, tentatively titled Let Slip Glory and And Loose the Hound. I do have some other longer projects percolating, but I want to set aside some time to focus on more short stories that might suit sf/f magazines.

And I'd like to put in another entry for the Windhammer Prize this year, and perhaps even try for IFComp should ambition get the better of me and I remember how to code in Inform.

I suspect this will get confusing for my readers, so another goal is to revamp my website, dividing it into three parts: romance, fantasy, and interactive fiction. This should let you receive only the announcements you care about (although you'll be more than welcome to continue perusing all my work).

Finally, here's to hoping I leave enough breathing space between writing and the day job to resume regular correspondence with friends I sorely neglected over the last year!