2008 has been a challenging year for many of us, but I wanted to take a few moments to talk about some things that made this year a good year for me in spite of a couple of big disappointments.
Early in the year, I came up with my Tea & Mystery speaking series and was fortunate enough to share the presentation with several libraries in Ohio and one all the way up in Waterville, NY. These events have been lots of fun and I’m looking forward to doing many more in the coming months. I already have two scheduled for February, so remember to get in touch if you’d like to schedule one, too! More information about the presentation is available on my website.
After a fairly rough summer, I finally finished working on my third Rona Shively story, Keeping the Faith. It is the first full-length novel in the series and I’m anxious to get it in the hands of my readers. I’ve already started writing the fourth Rona Shively story and am getting really excited about the changes readers will see in Rona as she tries to figure out how to handle a very sensitive situation involving one of her longtime friends. There will be more info on this one later, but in the meantime you can read excerpts from all three Rona Shively stories at the website.
Another major change for me involved a new job as an elementary school librarian. I have to say that the first couple of months on the job were a little scary. I wasn’t sure I’d made the right decision at first, but by the time Christmas break rolled around I had changed my mind. I’m in this for the long haul. I love the kids, love the school and aside from writing, can’t think of a job that suits me better than this one. I’m very fortunate to have this opportunity to work with the kids and introduce them to all of the great things that books and reading have to offer.
With these things in mind, I’m heading into 2009 a bit more enthusiastically than I would have thought possible just six months ago. I’ve gotten lots of good feedback this year on my writing and marketing efforts. I’ve met lots of great people through social networking and through the speaking events I’ve presented. And, I’ve gotten lots of great ideas for some new stories. I’m very optimistic for many reasons and I’m hoping that I can maintain that optimism no matter how things go over the course of the year.
Best wishes to everyone for a wonderful New Year!
Until next time…
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