Review of 2011 & Goals for 2012

This is the time of the year where we generally tend to look back and evaluate the year closing. And then we set goals as we look forward to the next year. In 2011 I began to see myself as a “real” author. I:

  • received my first ever royalty check.
  • received emails from readers saying they liked my books
  • went to my first ever writers/readers get together
  • received my first 1-star reviews on Amazon and GoodReads
  • put my books into paperback format
  • had contests to give away my books in both e and print format
  • helped establish a local critique group

Those are all things I’m proud of. Even the 1 star reviews. They did hurt a little, but everyone is going to have their own opinion of a book, and it means that more people than just my friends are reading my books. Both Sleeping With the Wolf and Wolf’s Glory made the Millenium List at Liquid Silver. That means that they each sold more than 1000 copies. That may not be a big deal for a lot of writers, but it is huge for me. I’m brand new at this romance author gig, and I think it’s wonderful.

All in all, 2011 was a great year for me writing-wise. So what are my goals for 2012?

1. Finish writing Eddie’s Prize, book 4 in the post-apocalyptic werewolf series, After the Crash.  I have 25,000 out of an estimated 45,000 words written. Submission date goal: March 15.

2. Finish writing Sherry’s Wolf, the free read for the futuristic werewolf series. I originally planned to have that out for Valentine’s Day, but it can’t come out before Wolf Tracker due to spoilers.  I am hoping that a free read will bring new readers to the rest of the series. I have 2600 of an estimated 18,000 words. Goal to have it to beta readers: February 1.

3. Write Wolf’s Princess, the last book in the After the Crash series. This is the story I get the occasional email asking me about. Sky and Rose have certainly gotten a few readers’ attention, so I feel a little pressure to make it really good. Estimated word count: 70,000. Submission date goal: October 30.

4. Continue Daughter of the Wolf Clan. This is a story about Tracker and Tami’s daughter, who is stolen by a mountain cat shifter. I write in bits and pieces and send a chapter out in my newsletter once every couple months or so, kind of like the serial stories that used to appear in magazines. There’s no editing, but it’s free and I may one day submit it, so newsletter recipients get it first.

 I was planning another book in the series, one about the shy wolf Quill and the woman his wolf chose for his mate. It may still be written, but at this moment nothing has bitten me. We’ll see how things work out. These goals aren’t set in stone. Things can change.

 

Non-Writing Goals:

1. Finish the throw for the raffle basket for Lori Foster’s Reader & Author Get Together. I am going to put together a Summer Evening Reader basket for the raffle at Lori Foster’s Get Together. I will put in my books, a nice mug with packages of coffee, tea, hot chocolate, some truffles and a light weight afghan that I am crocheting out of very light lace-weight alpaca and silk yarn.

2. Go out once a month and do something fun with friends. I tend to be a stay at home gal. But then I feel left out when friends post on Facebook about what a great time they had. Half the time I was invited but I declined because I wasn’t feeling well, or was too lazy.

3. Quit worrying about how messy my apartment is. I have got to quit obsessing about cleaning. I will make myself an EASY schedule for cleaning. If I fail to do the work I will NOT dwell on it and feel like a bad person. Cat hair is a fact of life for a people with three cats.

4. Sew 2 historical outfits.  I want to make some new garb for the SCA. I think I’d like to make an Italian Renaissance gown, something light weight and pretty but not so ornate that it would only be suitable for court. I also want to sew another steampunk/Victorian outfit. My first one turned out pretty well, but now that I’ve worn it I think I can make some improvements.

There. My brief re-cap of 2011 and goals for 2012.  I wish all of you a fun and safe New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. And the best possible 2012.

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