I’m not going to make a new year’s resolution. Too often, my good intentions slide away like a spring thaw before January is even a memory. No, this year I want to think about plans, goals and hopes for 2019. 

As the holidays wane, and clean up begins, I ponder this past year. So much has happened in 2018, I’m not even sure where to begin. After publishing my first novel, Chrome Pink, in November of 2017, I spent much of 2018 promoting it and discovering what great friends and a supportive family I have. With the publishing of the sequel this year, I was equally surprised and honored by the continued support and outpouring of compliments and encouragement. My husband has put up with a less than spotless house (those of you who know my housekeeping skills are probably laughing), leftovers or peanut butter sandwiches, and a wife who is constantly on the computer. He has encouraged and enabled me to follow my dreams and I am so very blessed to have him. 

This year, my youngest daughter-in-law assisted me in my writing by taking the photos I used on my cover. She also helped me decide on the title and listened as I discussed my plans. Along the way she launched her photography business and gave birth to my youngest grandchild, not too bad for 2018. 

One thing that has been hammered home to me this year is I cannot do everything. I want to do more but time and physical restraints make the juggle more difficult. Having a fulltime job and a large family (even though they are grown), plus trying to write and run the Pamlico Writers’ Group makes for a large feast. I’m learning I will have to leave some of my favorite things on the buffet for someone else. My job, my family and my writing must come first. My first goal for 2019 is to learn to say no and mean it. I started doing this last year but I have in no way perfected it. I will try harder this year. 

I am going to be a speaker at the Carteret Writers’ Luncheon in February and a presenter at the Pamlico Writers’ Conference in April. In May, a friend and I will go to Myrtle Beach for a huge book signing event. I’d like to do more events but again the juggling. 

I feel as if I’ve waited so long to do these things I’ve dreamed of doing and now that I have the chance, I want to do them all before I die. Do not get me wrong, I would not have missed raising my six handsome sons. For one thing, they’ve given me plenty of stuff to write about. I wrote while raising the boys and even took classes and attended writers’ meetings but they were the priority. I sent stories off to agents and publishers and even had a few that were interested in publishing my stories but nothing ever became of it until I was pushed (kicking and screaming) into the deep end of the Indie Publishing pool and told to swim.