Reflections on 2008

2008 has been a challenging year for many of us, but I wanted to take a few moments to talk about some things that made this year a good year for me in spite of a couple of big disappointments.

Early in the year, I came up with my Tea & Mystery speaking series and was fortunate enough to share the presentation with several libraries in Ohio and one all the way up in Waterville, NY. These events have been lots of fun and I'm looking forward to doing many more in the coming months. I already have two scheduled for February, so remember to get in touch if you'd like to schedule one, too! More information about the presentation is available on my website.

After a fairly rough summer, I finally finished working on my third Rona Shively story, Keeping the Faith. It is the first full-length novel in the series and I'm anxious to get it in the hands of my readers. I've already started writing the fourth Rona Shively story and am getting really excited about the changes readers will see in Rona as she tries to figure out how to handle a very sensitive situation involving one of her longtime friends. There will be more info on this one later, but in the meantime you can read excerpts from all three Rona Shively stories at the website.

Another major change for me involved a new job as an elementary school librarian. I have to say that the first couple of months on the job were a little scary. I wasn't sure I'd made the right decision at first, but by the time Christmas break rolled around I had changed my mind. I'm in this for the long haul. I love the kids, love the school and aside from writing, can't think of a job that suits me better than this one. I'm very fortunate to have this opportunity to work with the kids and introduce them to all of the great things that books and reading have to offer.

With these things in mind, I'm heading into 2009 a bit more enthusiastically than I would have thought possible just six months ago. I've gotten lots of good feedback this year on my writing and marketing efforts. I've met lots of great people through social networking and through the speaking events I've presented. And, I've gotten lots of great ideas for some new stories. I'm very optimistic for many reasons and I'm hoping that I can maintain that optimism no matter how things go over the course of the year.

Best wishes to everyone for a wonderful New Year!

Until next time...



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A closing thought for the year...

Actually, it's probably more of an opening thought for 2008, but I wanted to share something I found. I've been reading Simple Secrets for Becoming Healthy, Wealthy & Wise by David Niven, Ph.D. It's a great little book that breaks down into daily thoughts based on scientific observations of various topics. For today's thought, December 31, the topic is, "There's No Deadline for Your Dreams." This is probably the most appropriate topic for me this year as I have struggled with making the transition into what I consider to be the latter half of my life.

In the passage from Niven's book, he says, "Live your life toward your dreams. No one will ask you what date it is when you get there." This was significant to me because I always felt like I had to be answering to someone at every turn. No matter what I accomplished, I felt like someone had to put their stamp of approval on the things I did in order for them to have been validated. Well, not anymore. I've made some very positive changes over the last few years and I'm happy to say that what I once thought might have been mistakes, turned out to be very difficult lessons. I was supposed to go through these things and had I not, I wouldn't have figured out some of the things I need to know to go forward. So, I've decided that my main resolution for this new year will be, "I will allow myself to pursue my goals wholeheartedly and without seeking anyone else's approval to do so."

As you think about the things you have wanted to do and what you still want to accomplish in your life, remember this piece of scientific information from Niven's book. He sites something interesting from one of his many sources. It goes like this, "People who feel they have reached their life dream are more likely to feel satisfied with their life, but the age at which they reached their dream is unrelated to their satisfaction." I'm pretty sure that can be applied universally, even though it's from a survey about men. The point is, don't worry so much about the timeline. Stay focused on the goal and the process and your enjoyment of getting there. It will be worth it!

Until next time...