At times, it seemed like there was no end to the horror that was/is 2017. To quote Star Wars: “So this is how liberty dies. With thunderous applause.”

Not only did the world seem to be falling apart, my youngest daughter turned 13 in January. I firmly believe there’s no harder job in today’s society than raising a teenage girl. And our oldest daughter started her senior year of high school! So I didn’t write much. I tried to write a novella, but my heart just wasn’t in it. Time with my kids is too precious. The other hard part about being a parent is letting them go, no matter how crazy they make you sometimes!

The only book related thing (outside of reading a ton of novels & pestering all of my students to read them) I really did was plan a literacy festival for my high school. I organized classroom visits for 15 YA authors with $8,000 in grant money received. Then the last hour of the day, the entire school headed out to the football field for food, games, activities, & prizes. Students got to get their books signed by the authors and take pictures with them there. It was a great day, and we’re hosting our 2nd annual festival in March. If you’re a teacher and would like more info on putting on author events for your school, feel free to email me! Or if you’re a YA author in the Florida area (or don’t mind traveling to Southwest Florida even though we can’t pay you) who would like to participate in future events, then please contact me!

So as I look back on 2017, with all its successes/failures, was there anything I would do differently? Yes. I think it’s the same thing I remind myself every year, every single year. To remember to slow down and enjoy the journey. This may seem like a small thing to many, but since I’m a task-oriented person, it’s sadly not an easy thing for me.

How was your 2017?

This has been another post for the Insecure Writer’s Support Group, the brainchild of Head Ninja, Alex J. Cavanaugh. Feel free to join us the first Wednesday of every month! Purpose: To share and encourage.