Happy New Year!

I’m not usually a big resolution person. I’ve tried the January diets and workout regimes. I can mostly keep up good behavior past January, but for a whole year? That’s rough. I do like to look at where I’ve been and where I want to go.

2023 was a big year in many ways. I found out in late summer that my first picture book will be published in 2024. I’ve seen some preliminary drawings and it’s exciting. Then in mid-November my agent Dawn Dowdle passed away unexpectedly. Every time I say that, write that, think about that, I pause. Now what? Do I still want to be a part of the publishing world? It’s full of rejection, and “you’re-not-good-enough” thoughts, and hard work that sometimes seems to amount to nothing. But I decided, yes, I do want to keep writing and working towards publication. I have a lot of silly stories that need to be told!

I hope you’ll join me in new things this new year. This is one of them. I’m learning all about Substack as I go. Hang on, it’ll be bumpy. I’ll pop back in with news of my publishing journey, craft shows I’m going to, what I’m reading, author friends who have new books coming out, and hopefully an interview or two.

Wishing you the best in 2024.

PS: what I’m reading – Storm Watch (A Joe Pickett Novel) by CJ Box, and The Wild Journey of Juniper Berry by Chad Morris and Shelly Brown

PSS: what I’m cooking for dinner – Skinny Slow Cooker Pernil (Puerto Rican Pork)