2015 ~ The Year In Reflection

2016 was going to be my year… but then life got in the way. I’m not saying it was a bad year, but it certainly could have been better.

The kids are doing fine at school, so that has all been great. Although, my son, Ethan has been offered a position in an Alternative Year 10 Class at his high school for next year. Which in a way I think will suit him better than regular year 10 classes… most of the classes will revolve around setting up and growing a vegie patch business… they sell the produce to the teachers. At the end of the year they get to spend the money on something. I’ve had meeting at the school about it… which i was told the mornings will be spent on Maths/English/Science and all will revolve around the vegie patch business. In the afternoons they will either be playing sport or working in the vegie patch, & each Friday they go out and learn some kind of trade… makes more sense to me, because at the end they will come out knowing something useful—instead of like regular year 10 where each subject you may be learning about different things and nothing links up.

I'm also proud of Ethan for getting a job, and paying back the loan for his motorbike...

Emily is still waiting to hear back from the uni to see if her change of bachelor has been accepted (from Business to Law). I’m hoping she finds out soon as then she can start organising books etc. Plus she will be moving out of home and into a share house with one of her uni friends... so it means I'll have my office back. I love writing in my recliner, and will do so on the days I'm watching the cricket, but honestly, I get more done when I work in the office, and lock myself away from the world.

I'm also proud of Emily for picking up the slack now the hubs is in NZ. For also picking up Ethan when he has to work late, as I can't see in the dark.

Dare I say it--I have two great kids--even if they do drive me insane most days.

My husband has moved to New Zealand for work. Eventually I will join him, but right now that just isn’t possible… this is what’s been stressing me out the most. Mainly because I have been dealing with the taxes, houses, co-owned properties, and I’m glad to say that after July 2016 I should be done with the taxes at least. I am tired of all the bullshit that goes with keeping them up to date. At least my husband has to deal with it after that.

Writing wise I didn’t get as much done as I would have liked to… again I put this all down to stress. Please let 2016 be a little less stressful—that’s all I’m asking.

Moments to be proud of:

Expirmentals 2: Running into Zero Tolerance

The Diamond Rose 1: Gateway to Kalethia

Storming Love~Flood: Adrian & Lockie

Hollow’s Trouble

The Lines of Marsden 3: You Make Me Die in Pieces

Hidden Hearts 1: Harder & Harder to Breathe

And for completing:

Hidden Hearts 2: One last Kiss Goodbye (extended & revised version)

The Freedomers 1: Zephania’s Chance

Wardens of the Guild 1: The Real You

And for mostly completing:

The Connelly Chronicles 2: Beautiful Goodbyes

This year I have found difficult to write anything. I swear to God every time I sat down in front of the computer, some family drama would jump right in front of me. Hopefully next year I'll be able to concentrate more on the important things.

Over the past year, I have done a lot of reading… most of it I have enjoyed immensely, while others left me scratching my head and thinking WTF! Yet I still found myself going back and reading old favourites ~ MM… MF.

AKM Miles, Alexis Morgan, Andrew Grey, Bailey Bradford, Carol Lynne, Cassandra Clare, Charlie Richards, David Eddings, Dean Koontz, Diana Gabaldon, Gabriel Evans, J.K. Rowling, Joyee Flynn/Flynn Eirie, Kerrelyn Sparks, Lynn Hagen , Lynsay Sands, Mary Calmes, Sean Michaels, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Stephani Hecht, Stormy Glenn… Of course I’m sure there are many more people I think are fantastic authors.

Once again in 2015, I participated in being a judge for the Rainbow Awards—this is something I love doing, as I get the opportunity to read authors who have never crossed my radar before. Some of them I have already sought out more of their work. I will more than likely do it again in 2016.

I sadly had to pull out of being one of the co-organisers of the Hop Against Homophobia & Transgender blog hop. I seriously just don’t have the time to keep up with everything… though I have offered to keep open the HAHAT Facebook page open for everyone else… To be honest I’m not even sure I'll have time to participate in DRitC next year… It's always a great honour to be able to write a story from someone else’s prompt. Mind you, I’m not sure I’ve even come close to matching what they wanted… speaking of next year, my first ever DRitC: Shadows on the Heart is getting a major make over and extension done. I just need to add more detailed information if I ever have a hope in hell of writing #2: On the Flipside of Reverse.

As a family we are also striving to become healthier… not that my son needs to lose any weight (as over the last year he has dropped 12kg) now he just wants to tone up. If he wants to get fitter, I’m not going to stop him. Emily will be living across town so she can do what she wants (I’m not exactly sure how much she has lost). As for me I’m mainly changing my diet by cutting out any and all junk food. Not that I’m really a sweets eater, but I know I drink more coffee than what’s good for me. So more water and less sugars—more fresh foods and less packaged foods. I promise to give a monthly update for the whole of 2016 (this is probably more than you ever wanted to know about me, but I figure if everyone is keeping tabs on me then I will stick to my goals). Have no fear of calling me out on it if I start to let things slide.

I have many plans set in writing for the year ahead. Tomorrow I’ll be posting my 2016 writing schedule list. It will be great of everyone could drop me a line to keep me on track as the weeks roll by. More importantly stop me from getting an attack of the slack-itus.