Well, ’tis the season to be thankful, right? I know most stores already have Christmas up and not everyone celebrates Thanksgiving, but I still really like the idea of taking time to be grateful. On purpose. 😉 It’s like a quiet, centering pause before rushing into a season of gifts and giving.
And since I released a lot of books and stories in 2022, you’ve already heard lots of “thank you”s from me. I meant every one of them, and I do have a lot to be grateful for! Even with the ups and downs of publishing, I wouldn’t trade this past year for anything.
Each of my books ends with an “Acknowledgments” section, and a familiar set of faces appear: my friends and family, my amazing editor, my supportive writing club, incredible community groups like Aconite Cafe and the Cozy Mystery Book Club, and, of course, readers. I’m unendingly grateful to all of them. But since they’ve already received thanks in print, how about a roundup of things I’m grateful for that, until now, have remained behind the scenes?
Things like . . .
- my electric kettle
- the view of birdfeeders and sky out my window
- the fact that I was able to create book covers and graphics on Canva (not an ad, I promise!)
- the multitude of books that have inspired me, from classic mysteries to cozy mysteries to collections of fairy tales to treatises on alchemy
- that very first night after publishing Beauty and the Alchemist, when I walked up to the local taco place for a pina colada and nachos
- the advice of a very patient lawyer friend that helped me be confident in choosing to self-publish
- Frankie, my cat, who looks much better in social media pictures than I do
- and who also reminds me when it’s time to stop for a snack
- but who also doesn’t mind curling up on the couch while I write
- and of course William, my tortoise, who has been a great inspiration (and a very quiet listening ear, haha)
Now I’m on a roll, so I could go on and on, but my blog-hosting software already thinks that my post is too long (hmmm, am I grateful for apps like Yoast SEO, or not? 😉 ). In any case, I hope that you are also able to take a moment to slow down this week. And I have to admit, after all the work I put into this year, I’m looking forward to the holidays! 😀
