Well, this is a hard year to reflect back on. Everybody knows about all the awful shit that happened and it’s been well covered elsewhere, so I’m not going to get into it except to say that I hope we all survive. I’ve had some hard stuff to deal with personally, including a knee and a back injury. A few weeks ago, a student was found with a loaded gun in my school. My first publisher, Torquere, is going down, and I have two YA novels caught in the death throes. All Romance Ebooks is going down, too, and it’s unlikely they will pay for my books they sold in the last quarter. I feel like my world has been shaken in some very fundamental ways by these breaches of trust.
But it hasn’t been all bad. My family is healthy and thriving. My friends all still like me. (I hope.) My students keep coming back to me for help and we laugh every day. I’ve gotten some new birds on my life list and I’ve taken some photos I’m proud of.
I had a wonderful summer at camp with long days spent writing and kayaking and swimming and dozing in the sun. I watched spectacular sunsets and thunderstorms, and fell asleep every night to the sound of waves. With the lake levels at record lows, I was able to see into the backs of some underwater caves I always knew were there, but never dared explore. I soared with peregrine falcons and dove with loons. And I ate lots of good food off the grill.
Now we’re back in our winter abode, which is toasty warm with snow falling outside and lots of birds at my feeders and the tallest mountain in Vermont just outside my window, and sunrises and northern lights and stars. I know how lucky I am to live in two such places, and I draw strength from the beauty around me to help heal the wounds that the outer world inflicts.
I had a novel, Depth of Return, released in September, and I’m really proud of it. I just finished a draft of the sequel, Cricket, and I hope to submit it soon. I have another novel tumbling around in my head that I’m really excited to start working on next.
Thank you all for following me here, on Facebook and Twitter and, of course, for reading my books. I’m usually around if anyone wants to chat, and let’s hope for the best next year.