I know it’s cheesy, but I felt like reflecting on this year as an author because I finally got to work on my authors business!
This year was the first where I could fully support my author goals with my time. My kids were finally old enough to be home a bit by themselves so I could attend events. AND they were old enough that they could come to events and help with setup and teardown, while entertaining themselves in between. That doesn’t happen with kids in early elementary school, so I was truly lucky on that front!
This was also the first year that I had a dedicated website and blog, as well as an email list, which was wonderful for connecting with my readers.
I’m not used to juggling stories, which I did this year because I launched Good in Theory in the spring, started on Ashes and Other Inheritances around the same time so I can publish it in March of 2026, and started another novel this fall, which I am two chapters into. I worked at a magazine a few years ago, so I know from that experience that you have to be able to plan in advance for publications while also thinking about what’s launching right now, and this has been a similar experience. Cross-over, mixing up stories, and all the fun that comes with it!
I attended a couple dozen events this year, so it wasn’t easy doing all of these things, but I think it paid off, since I’ve started finding readers who enjoy my work. I even had a couple readers track me down at these events so they could pick up another book because they enjoyed one of mine already. This thrills me to no end!
As I’ve talked to readers this year, I’ve learned a lot. It’s funny how excited some people get when you have their favorite genre in stock and how disappointed they are when you don’t. I love that Pittsburgh authors are such a great community that they also recommend each other when someone asks for a genre they don’t personally have, and I’ve been able to return the favor by recommending authors I know.
One of my favorite reader diappointments this year is when a woman beelined to my books and asked, “Are they naughty?” with determination. I had to tell her that they are not (I write sweet romance storylines), and she huffed and ran off. I had to laugh. Y’all are serious about your favorite spice level!
Knowing that, I had to take a look at my own books and make some decisions this year too. I love the style that I write, but I will be tweaking it just a smidge for books after Ashes and Other Inheritances. Ashes is another best friend story with a side of sweet romance, but the slight tweak for the next book means that the sweet romance takes the driver’s seat. You’ll still get multiple storylines, supportive best friends, and personal growth, but this will hopefully allow me to participate in events, blogs, stores, etc. that are looking for romance rather than women’s fiction, since that’s a much more popular genre.
You’ll still get my nerdy/sassy characters and my lyrical writing in the next book, though, and I’m excited for you to read about Tara and Hector (after you read about Morgan’s story in Ashes, of course, launching in March!) And I’m keeping with my 0-1 spice level because, honestly, I prefer to write about my characters’ challenges and top it off with a sweet kiss.
As we approach the last few days of the year, I hope that you enjoy the holidays and find endless wonderful books to fill your time! See you in the new year!