Where did the last several weeks go? 2014 was a wild ride for my family and I, and it went out par for the course when we buried my beloved grandfather. I started the year with a full contingent of grandparents and now I have one. Sad as that is, it was also an amazing year in many ways, and first and foremost in my mind stands the writing, publishing, and warm reception of The Madness of Mr. Darcy. It was book so unlike anything else I have ever even attempted to write. It demanded so much of me emotionally. It was a remarkable experience, but I am looking forward to concentrating on more lighthearted subjects in 2015 with my first children's book, The Prodigal Husband, Being Mrs. Bennet, and The Importance of Being Darcy. More on all these projects to come.
Some of the great treats of my holiday season came in the form of recognition for my writing. It is with pride and excitement I am announcing my inclusion in the new, re-born AustenAuthors.net. My next post will be on that subject. I was delighted to find myself the recipient of a wonderful review of Holidays at Pemberley by Jody at A Spoonful of Happy Endings (read it here). I was even more than delighted to then find myself included in her "Top 10 New To Me Authors" list for 2014. What an honor! Next, Becoming Mrs. Norris was voted one of the top five completed stories on A Happy Assembly in the month of November at jaffrecs.com! So cool, especially as it is Mrs. Norris we are talking about and reader nominated. Last but not least, I received a long coveted place on Meredith at Austenesque Reviews best of 2014 list, when The Madness of Mr. Darcy tied with KaraLynne Mackrory's Haunting Mr. Darcy for favorite Pride and Prejudice variation. Thank you, Meredith! It's absolutely thrilling.
As I look forward to a fresh new year, I have a ton of writing I plan on doing, but I also want to start doing more reviews again. One of the best things about 2014 is a started reading at my regular pace again for the first time since becoming a mother. I hope to now figure out how to balance reading, writing about, and writing books all at the same time. If I can master that by 2016, it will be time for another kid.
I hope everyone had wonderful holidays and happy New Years celebrations. Here's to 2015!
Your year sounds like a real mixed bag, but I guess the flip side of that is that you got some really good times to balance out the really bad times. Congratulations on your Austen Authors news, and on how well The Madness of Mr Darcy has been received, it's had such wonderful reviews. I know just what you mean about returning to pre-motherhood reading levels, it takes a few years!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ceri! I hope you had a good New Year. Yes, the reading machine is finally back up and running, thank goodness! It was a bit like being a boat without a rudder, reading has always been such a big part of my identity, but now we're back on course (fingers crossed).
DeleteHello Alexa! Hope you have a wonderful 2015 full of success and satisfactions! And I really hope you can do everything you want to achive, like a superhero, and have a baby in 2016!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Loren! A wonderful 2015 to you, too! I'm feeling a bit like a superhero these days. We'll see how long I can keep it up.
DeleteBy the way, just found your blog. Looking forward to digging into your reviews!