2018...where the hell did you go?

No, seriously. Where did the last 365 days go?

This year was CRAZY.

From a writing perspective, I finished my YA Fantasy, THE UNHINGED, and am 50% through drafting a new book, an Adult Contemporary Fantasy called A HALLOWED WRATH. I haven't been as diligent on my sites blog. Honestly, I've been too focused on writing to keep up, but my goal for 2019 is to put something up here at least once a month. I also got to see my wonderful CP, Robin Hammer, in July at RWA's National Conference, along with some other writer friends, and my heart was so full of happiness after spending time with such inspiring authors.

My day job kept me busy as well. I was in Amsterdam in January to present a masterclass and a client's summit, and flew to various US cities to meet with clients every single month this year. I love what I do, where I work, and my team of amazing professionals, so even though it can be exhausting to travel for work it's worth it.

But it wasn't all work. I was fortunate enough to travel to Jordan, London, and Indonesia with my husband, seeing extraordinary places and meeting truly fantastic people. I went to so many concerts for artists I love across the spectrum of music, including one of my all time favorites, Shakira. I hadn't seen her in over two decades and it was such an experience to see her live again.

Overall, 2018 was full of good and bad, highs and lows. But when I look back on the year, I'm choosing to focus on what I learned, how I grew, and where I found happiness and contentment even amidst the dumpster fires happening all around us. In 2019, I'm going to keep taking a stand where I can, continue fighting for the things I believe in, but I refuse to lose sight of the every day beauty. Like spending time with my senior pup Rasta, celebrating successful day job wins with my team, working tirelessly to put words on a page that eventually become a story, and exploring the world with my life partner. I hope when you look back on the year, you are able to embrace the wonderful things you have accomplished, no matter how large or small. I hope you are able to find beauty in the little things. I think we could all use a bit more of that in our lives.

A snapshot of my 2018