A Writer's Xmas Newsletter

During this hectic time of year, I would like to wish all of my readers a peaceful holiday and a happy new year.

In November of 2017, I decided to take on National Novel Writer's Month, or NaNoWriMo. After reading an overabundance of cozy mysteries, I decided to try my hand at writing one myself. The Piper Sniper was a concept that my husband had floated years before, and it had sat on the back burner for ages. Once I got going on it, one thing became terrifyingly clear.

This was going to be a series.

I had only written stand alone books at this point, and the thought of a series was intimidating. But I plowed ahead and The Travel Writer Cozy Mystery Series was born. For those followers who haven't read it, it follows the misadventures of retired reporter turned travel writer Casey Robertson, her husband Jim, and her ragtag band of friends as she solves the murder case of the piper sniper.

I determined that the series would move around from small town to small town, highlighting many of my own favourite spots. The first book was set in Kincardine, Ontario.

I didn't win NaNoWriMo by writing 50,000 words, but I was happy with the result nonetheless. The novel went to the editor over the holidays, with a release date of April, 2018.

2018 turned out to be quite a productive year for me, as we moved to a new city and set about renovating our new-to-us home. Once The Piper Sniper was published, I took part in a writers' festival at the local library, then travelled to Kincardine for an honest to goodness book signing. It was a very exciting time for me.

Writing took a bit of a backseat during the summer as we explored our new area, but the ideas were percolating in the background. The idea of writing the second book in the series was intimidating, but I was pretty certain where I was going with it and aimed to tackle it during 2018's NaNoWriMo.

In October, the voices in my head made it clear that they had other plans for me. In another first for me, I began work on Putin' it to the States: A Trumping the States sequel. I had never written a sequel either. The book virtually spilled out of me, and I was able to release it before the US November midterms.

Once that book was out, I was able to turn my attention to my November goal. Urgent Quest at Pumpkinfest turned out to be an easier project than I had feared, and I was able to win NaNoWriMo! The book went to the editor in mid-December and we are again on track for a spring release!

In this book, Casey and her crew find themselves looking for a missing woman during the hottest Port Elgin Pumpkinfest on record. I am really looking forward to getting it out to all of you.

For those who are curious, plans are already floating around in my head for the next two books in the Travel Writer series.

Sadly, I didn't make my fortune with my efforts this year. In fact, with expenses from the writers' festival and book signings, I barely broke even. But, I'm not in it for the money. I truly enjoy writing down my tales and sharing them with everyone.

I am thankful for the support of my family and friends, my Beta Sigma Phi sisters, and of you, dear readers. I am especially thankful for all of you who shared my book with others, and those who took the time to leave a review at Amazon or Goodreads.

From the bottom of my heart, I wish all of you the warmest of holidays, full of love, laughter, good food and drink, and happiness. And I wish you all the best for a happy and safe 2019.