Hi friends! Welcome to my first Friday recap of 2024. You’re so kind to read!
One thing you might not know about me is that I’m a perfume geek.
I know; you probably don’t care about perfume. But I have a point here—promise! 🙂
You can’t always judge perfumes by the first minute after you spray them. That’s especially true of older perfumes, which I tend to prefer. One of my very favorites—the legendary L’Heure Bleue—has the most godawful opening I’ve ever smelled.
It smells like you opened a medicine cabinet for the first time in decades, and it’s filled with weird expired powders and ointments.
And then, after it’s on your skin for a little while, it turns into this gorgeous scent: floral incense and poetry and powder. It’s widely recognized as one of the greatest perfumes of all time.
I was thinking about L’Heure Bleue because of the way my 2024 started.
One thing you might know about me is that I’m crazy about the New Year.
It’s my favorite holiday, and it’s not even close. I love having a fresh start and making grand plans.
Testing positive for COVID early on January 1st was not, of course, part of those grand plans, and it’s taken my husband and I a little longer than we would’ve liked to get over it. We felt gross, we were housebound, and we got behind on our commitments. I’m bored of these shapeless days of trying to catch up on work while still being sick.
Because of vaccines, our cases weren’t truly serious, and I’m so grateful for that. Getting sick was an annoyance, not a problem. So I didn’t let it change my feelings about the New Year. I just figured it was like L’Heure Bleue—a blast of yuck that’ll give way to luck.
When I was a teenager, my friends and I liked going to a nightclub called Confetti’s. Every night at midnight, no matter what the date, Confetti’s held a midnight countdown and everyone yelled “Happy New Year!” as balloons and confetti descended.
I loved that. The truth is, any day can be The Day Everything Changed, New Year’s Day, Day One. I adore this quote by Alan Watts:
“You’re under no obligation to be the same person you were 5 minutes ago.”
I just think that’s so inspiring.
And a few good things have happened in 2024 already, as I enter my Author Era. 🙂
I Saw the Cover Art For My Book Coming Out with Berkley This Year
I think it’s absolutely adorable, and I just stare at it all the time. I cannot wait to show you.
I Turned In My Revised Draft to My Editor
I got the developmental edits in late November, and I agreed with pretty much all of them. I would say I did a substantial but not drastic rewrite. Fortunately, I did most of it before I got sick, because I wanted to turn it in a bit ahead of the deadline. When I was an editor, I appreciated it when writers turned things in early, because it was one less thing to worry about.
I Officially Became the President of Chicago North Romance Writers
I love these writers and this organization—which includes writers from other cities, since most of our meetings are online. I’m so excited about our Spring Fling Convention in April!
Is your 2024 off to a good start?
Or are you still waiting for the yuck to give way to luck? Tell us how it’s going, if you want to! Have a nice Friday and a great weekend!
As an author, my 2024 is off to an abysmal start. I am struggling to get back into the writing habit after my annual holiday break. I don’t know if it’s burnout or the fact that I’m fostering a teenage girl or what, but I am riding the struggle bus hardcore.
Erin, I’m sorry. I’m sure it didn’t help that your morning sprints partner tapped out 😭 Fostering a teenage girl is a big job! I know you’ll get back into your groove soon!
Bryn: You have been a true inspiration to me. You help to jump-start my writing career with “Blank Page to Final Draft,” and since then I have been flooded–absolutely flooded–with ideas, words, plots, characters. Seven novels published since 2020 and three actively underway, with several in the Idea Hopper fermenting. I cannot get over my gut feeling that 2024 will be a banner year! I am filled with an optimism that literally causes chills of joy to run down my arms. I also have this under-riding feeling that change is on the horizon for us self-publishing writing professionals. The playing field is changing. I think 2024 will host a lot of that change! Thank you for being you, and I hope you feel better and better as 2024 kicks into gear. Best wishes and blessings for your success and success for us all! Gera Jones, Author.
Gera, hi! Oh my goodness, you are so kind. I’m so happy that Blank Page to Final Draft was helpful for you! It sounds like you are in the ZONE and I’m excited for you. Best wishes for success and happiness in 2024!
Sorry you got Covid. My hubby has been sick for over a week and it seems like all of North America is in a deep freeze right now, so I may not share your enthusiasm for this new year so far. 😜 It’s a perfect good time to keep writing though.
Hi Naomi! Ugh, I’m so sorry your husband is sick! I hope he gets better soon, and things will get brighter! 🙂
Thank you! I learned a lot from you 🙂
Aw thank you Lily! Thank you for reading!
Just sent my kid back to college, so now I can tackle the new year.
Wow, that’s big! Yes, let the New Year begin!
I started a short story for possible submission yesterday! It felt so good.
Still working on the novel.
I just read that your upcoming book was picked from the last Berkley Open Submissions – have you ever shared what the process was like of submitting and getting picked? I’d love to know more about that journey, especially since they’ve just announced that they’re running it again this month!