Top Moments of 2016 Plus a Contest!

Top 10 Moments of 2016

Let’s face it. 2016 has been a hard year and many of us are ready to start 2017. But before we jump into January, I wanted to take a quick minute to celebrate some of the high moments I’ve experienced. It feels like a good omen before a brand new year, and I hope it will get you thinking about the joys YOU experienced this year too.

Without further ado, here’s my list of 2016 top moments!

1)     Signing a new literary agent! I got an amazing agent and she has changed my life. I feel like I’ve got a real teammate for the first time! When I was first getting started in this business, I was young and inexperienced. This year, I knew I had to be brave and make a change. It wasn’t easy but now I have someone who really supports me and who isn’t afraid to shoot for the moon! Learning to stand up for myself and my career was an important lesson I learned this year.

2)     Taking the plunge and self-publishing my first full-length book. I’d done two novellas on my own, but they weren’t as scary as releasing a full book. Sometimes you have to go after your dreams, even if it’s scary and unfamiliar! As a self-published artist, this means grasping publicity, marketing, design, formatting and sales techniques. There’s still so much to learn but I’m proud of what I accomplished this year.

3)     Meeting and working with some amazing new cover artists!!! My mission this year to find great artists that didn’t break the bank and I was successful! I hope my other author friends will do the same!

4)     Winning a contest to write a book in a castle for the month of November in Southern France.

5)     Signing a 3-book dragonshifter series with St. Martin’s Press. (I can’t wait to write them!)

6)     Spending Christmas with my grandparents and discovering old family films from the 1950s that my great-grandfather had made and getting to see my grandparents when they were teenagers in rural Nebraska. Sometimes it’s easy to forget where you came from when you are always looking forward in life. Watching these old movies and seeing my family’s past in a rare and priceless way, learning of their struggles and their lives, it reminded me of where my own strength comes from and it made me even more determined to keep fighting for my dreams.

7)     Rescuing a new wheaten terrier puppy, Evie, and making her a part of our family.

8)     Growing the League of Rogues fan page with so many amazing new fans who are all becoming good friends! I’m one of the luckiest authors there is to have so many readers who love my characters as much as I do. Getting to chat on Facebook with these readers and sharing my writing life with them has been incredibly special. It’s so easy for writers to feel lonely but knowing I can pop onto Facebook and chat with my team is simply the best part of my day!

9)     Finishing a rough draft on a sci-fi romance, which I something I’ve wanted to do for ages but finally had the courage to write. It was quite a challenge! I try to never let something intimidate me for long. If I have an idea for a book, even if I’ve never written a certain style before, I go after it. Life is too short to let fears and anxiety rule you. I’ve been pushing to be this stronger, braver version of myself this past year.

10)   Reading each and every email, Facebook message and text message from fans who love my books, especially the League of Rogues series and mailing over 300 Christmas cards to fans including fans countries like Croatia, Belgium, Austria, New Zealand, Germany, Singapore, Brazil, South Africa, China, England, Canada and France!!

I can’t say enough how much readers and fans have made a difference in my life this year; many of the items on this list would not have been checked off without you. You all have changed my life, made it amazing in ways I couldn’t have dreamed before now and I feel blessed and honored that we’re taking this amazing journey together as I write and you read. It’s magical and special and a gift I can never thank you enough for.

Let’s make 2017 amazing! 

**Giveaway** 5 winners will win one signed print book of their choice from me. International Winners will receive an ebook.

To enter: Share one wonderful top moment from your 2016 year in the comments below!