~2013~ The Year in Review

As is often the case with bloggers, I start each year with a list of goals for the year (writing-related) and end each year with a summation of the year and which goals I managed to reach. I don't always do the end-of-year post, but I really want to get on schedule with that. 

That said, you can see my original blog post HERE. Let's see how I did... 

I've clipped my original goals post (above) and crossed off the things I accomplished. As you can see, again, I managed to complete 3 of 11 goals. I almost made 4 of 11, but I only managed part of goal #4. On the other hand, Intrigue actually made it to the "published" stage, so that goal was taken a step further than planned. 

Other projects morphed and changed through the year. Two of my Regency shorts that were meant to be in anthologies (#7 on the list) became something slightly different. As both are closely related to Heartless, I decided they should be in their own anthology and then I decided to write a third short story to kind of tie them all up. The third story is nearing completion and the cover for the anthology is done. Watch for it to be released early in 2014. 

I'm disappointed in myself for not having accomplished #9 and #11. I managed 3 critiques. I hope to do much better with that goal in 2014. :) Number 9 went fine for the first part of the year, but I let RNC2013 (August) get in the way and while that convention was fun, in so many ways it was just too much stress. I think conventions aren't really for me. 

This year held quite a few firsts for me, the best of which was meeting some awesome online friends in real life. :) I was able to meet my very best friend, fellow writer Linda Boulanger, which was the highlight of my year. Meeting the lovely, wonderful ladies of InD'tale Magazine was a very, very close second.

And the icing on the cake was this year's book sales. This was by far my best year for sales. I made My Lady Coward free at the end of August and experienced a sales spike for all my books in all the stores they're in. My Apple sales went from 14 (seriously) to almost 7,000. Granted, since all sales (including free titles) are reported to Smashwords, the majority of those, about 5,000 or so, were copies of My Lady Coward. However, those sales didn't happen until the last ten days of August through the end of November. (Apple hasn't reported my December sales to Smashwords yet.) Yeah, this was definitely my best year for sales. :)

Last, but certainly not least, I am deeply grateful to my readers, followers, friends, and supporters. You make this all worthwhile and I certainly could not do any of it without you. ♥ 

Tomorrow I will post my goals for 2014.

♥Happy reading, writing, and blogging!!♥

There's a jukebox in my head. It's currently playing

♫♪ The Smashing Pumpkins ~ 1979 (The year I was born. How great is that? lol)

Betrayal's Release...again & Cover Reveal...again

Again, I've allowed this poor blog to fall into neglect. That said, prepare for an onslaught of update posts over the next few days. ;)

First things first. I've finally completed the final edit/format on Betrayal and it's been sent off to my lovely formatting guru for the perfecting touches it needs. Meanwhile...

It's time for another Cover Reveal! Betrayal is getting a new cover and I really should share that, right? So here it is....

Isn't it beeee-u-tee-ful?? The design was done by An Author's Art ~ Cover Design. Yes, that's me. :) 

This book should be back on Amazon's and Smashwords' shelves by Jan 1, if not sooner. It will follow to Apple, B&N, Kobo, Diesel, and Sony soon after. 

♥Happy reading, writing, and blogging!!♥

There's a jukebox in my head. It's currently playing

♫♪ Linkin Park ~ What I've Done

~Regency Wednesday~ A Gothic Cottage in 1817

Oh how I love things like this! One day, when I'm über famous and rolling in blunt, I'll build myself one of these lovely little cottages and that's where I'll disappear when I want to write or design, or just need a moment to myself. 

Ah, dreams. They're what keep us alive. ☺

ARCHITECTURAL HINTS.

PLATE 18.—A GOTHIC COTTAGE.

  This building is suited to a small family, and would make a very convenient parsonage-house to a living of moderate income: it consists of a parlour, dining-room, and library; a kitchen, scullery, larder, &c. on the ground floor; and of four chambers and a dressing-room on the bed-room floor. The design is picturesque in its effect; and if executed with a judicious attention to the forms of the doors, windows, ceilings, &c. it would become a very simple and neat example of domestic Gothic architecture. It is intended that the roof should be covered with tiles, but great care should be taken that they are from some other building, and have lost the offensive glare that red tiles always possess when new, for such a colour would be fatal to the pleasing effect of the building.*

*Clipped from Ackermann's Repository, October 1817. Get the Google book HERE.

♥Happy reading, writing, and blogging!!♥

There's a jukebox in my head. It's currently playing
♫♪ Avicii ~ Wake Me Up