What a year it’s been for everybody. My beautiful country of Australia started the New Year in the grips of a crippling drought, followed by the worst bushfires in our history. Just as we were coming to terms with all of that heartbreak and loss, Covid-19 hit. This world-wide pandemic is something no person alive today, has ever seen before in their lifetime, and it’s something we have all been in ‘together’.
Like millions of others around the world, I have had holidays and events I was looking forward to cancelled. However, I feel very blessed that I work in an industry where my job has been secure throughout this crisis. Others have not been so lucky, with both people in the household losing their lively hood due to Covid-19 shutdowns. At times my day job as a nurse feels like a double-edged sword. I have secure employment, but have to go and care for patients on the frontline, day in and day out. Luckily, the hospital I work in, has not seen many active cases to date. My heart goes out to those around the world who have lost love ones to this terrible virus. Here’s hoping the vaccines bring us all some hope in 2021.
With years like this one, we all have to try and focus on the positives, and the things that keep us going through difficult times. For me, my writing has been my saving grace. It has kept me busy, kept me engaged with others, and helped keep me sane in these crazy times.
Despite it being a very difficult year for us all, I have achieved many great things. I published three books, have published almost 100 blog posts, gained subscribers to my site, engaged with readers, engaged with other authors, read many books by fellow self-published authors, and have been hard at work, writing two new books, both due for publication in 2021.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank my subscribers, readers, and last but certainly not least, other authors, who have showed me no end of friendship and support, throughout my journey this year. It really is the most wonderful and supportive community out there.
I am looking forward to bringing lots of exciting new content to the blog next year. There will be guest posts from many and varied members of the writing and reading community, author interviews, interviews with my characters, book reviews, excerpts from my upcoming books, insights into my writing journey, and a few exciting giveaways for my subscribers to enter.
I can’t wait to bring my readers more laughs next year. ‘Not Dead Yet’ (novella), will be published in April, and ‘Tis Not the Season to Be Molly’ (novella), will be published in November. I have decided to delay the publication of my upcoming novel ‘Scattered Scones’, as I will be querying it with agents when completed.
This will be my last post for a couple of weeks. I am taking a short break, and the blog will return on the 12th January. I hope you all had a lovely Christmas, and were able to spend it with your loved ones. I wish you all a Happy and Safe New Year.
I will leave you with some advice from my friends on surviving the silly season;
‘If you buy the kids Lego for Christmas, invest in some industrial strength boots, before attempting to walk through the playroom’
‘Be grateful, you get six whole weeks to avoid the bitchy Queen Bee and her disciples at the school gate’
‘If you and your other half have some much-needed time off together, try to arrange a sleepover for both kids on the same night. If this is not possible, go to the hardware store and buy that bloody lock for your bedroom door.’
Natalie (Main Character from ‘Crayons & Chaos’)
‘There is no use starting a diet during the festive season. Just give up and eat it all, it’s Christmas.’
‘If you have any ideas on what to be buy a brooding teenage daughter. AKA ‘The Queen of Darkness, let me know. Thanks’
‘Does breaking a sweat while wrapping Christmas presents count as exercise? Asking for a friend.’
Kate (Main Character from ‘Making March’)
'Not Dead Yet' coming April 2021
'Tis Not The Season To be Molly' Coming November 2021
'Scattered Scones' coming 2022