Enough about cliffs!

We went over, we didn’t go over. We’re not going to, we are going to. I feel more than a little queasy. And it’s not from my fear of heights.

OK, I have vowed not to get political in public, so, in light of the fact that the crisis is, at east temporarily, shelved, let’s get on to the more pleasant business of writing.

I’d like to recap my 2012 here, for my own sake, and kind of as a picture of what can happen to a writer, especially if she keeps at it.

My goals for 2012 were:

Publish at least 2 books and 6 short stories.

Write 2 hours a day M-F, or 5 days a week.

Here is my list of short stories:

SHORT STORIES ACCEPTED:

THE TAKEOVER Kings River Life Magazine, June 9th

(A FINE KETTLE OF FISH - Second Wind, June (published on their webpage))

RATTLED America Southwest Border Noir Anthology, December NOT PUBLISHED

MY HUSBAND He Had It Coming Anthology by Gryphon's Lair, end of August

AS THE SCREW TURNS (Imogene Duckworthy story) Mysterical-E, Spring/Summer

YOU CAN DO THE MATH reprint King's River Life Aug 4 issue

COLOR ME BABY BLUE reprint King's River Life Sept 15 issue

DEVIL’S NIGHT reprint King’s River Life 10/11 issue

THE LAST WAVE in NIGHTFALLS Dark Valentine Press anthology 12/1

The second one, A FINE KETTLE OF FISH, was unfortunate. Since it appeared on their web page it is, officially published, but then it was not accepted for their anthology. I plan on trying to get a different version of the story published elsewhere.

One more story was accepted in 2012, but will be published this month.

YELLOW ROSES in Texas Gardener magazine January 23, 2013

I took back my rights from Mainly Murder Press when we parted company and was able to self-publish a second edition of CHOKE, and also the second and third Imogene Duckworthy mysteries, SMOKE and BROKE. SMOKE occurs around the Fourth of July and BROKE at Halloween, so I wanted to get them out then, and I succeeded!

My BIG accomplishment of 2012, though, was signing with an agent at BookEnds LLC, Kim Lionetti! Within a few months of our connection, she secured a three-book deal for me with Berkley Prime Crime. I was able to get about a third of the first book in that series written by the end of 2012 and feel I’m on schedule with that. (I hope!)

One more accomplishment. We bought a house in Knoxville and will move there at the end of this month. It feels like we just moved, for some reason. Oh wait--that’s because we did, 7 months ago. Luckily, we have over 90 boxes that haven’t yet been unpacked, so they won’t need repacking. Aren’t we smart? What, lazy? No, that’s smart, I’m pretty sure. Sort of sure.