2016 Year End Review

Here’s a month-by-month review of my 2016. The highlights, the lowlights, and the OMG – along with a list of my releases and a few covers to brighten things up!

  • I had 7 releases – 5 were new books, 1 was an anthology, and 1 was the coloring book.
  • I had 4 audio books release and 2 German translations
  • I wrote 6 books and 6 novellas
  • I went to Apollycon, Comicpalooza, and RT before the kidney stones halted all of my travel
  • I made new friends and met some fantastic readers
  • I hired more people to help me manage all the things I was juggling with my work
  • I made many more memories with my kiddos and my family
  • I lost two beloved pets within months of each other

My goal in 2016 was to let go of the past, and I did that. It feels good to move on and let go of all the baggage that was weighing me down – and it was A LOT of baggage.

My goal for 2017 is BALANCE! Read on to find out the releases I have for next year!

 

January:

The start of a new year. A time to recover from the holidays (as well as get all the Christmas decorations put away and my house back in order), and a time to reflect on the coming year. And then I was hit with a massive dose of food poisoning. After a day of suffering, I gave in and went to the ER.

 

February:

DARK ALPHA’S EMBRACE (Reaper #2) release. I headed down to Savannah, GA for Jennifer Armentrout’s Apollycon. Such a great conference! I had a wonderful time with friends, readers, as well as getting to see the beautiful city. Unfortunately, I caught whatever bug over half of the authors and attendees went home with. And if that wasn’t enough, after a visit to my doctor and taking my first round of cough medicine, I had an allergic reaction that gave me the mother of all migraines – which gave me another visit to the ER.

 

March: 

Slowly but surely I was getting caught up on deadlines and able to take a few days off. Which was badly needed! 

 

April:

SMOKE AND FIRE (Dark Kings #9) release. Just as I got caught up on deadlines, two months in a row I lost days from illnesses. I knew it was the stress and overwork that was catching up with me, and I had no choice but to push deadlines back to give me a bit of leeway.

 

May:

DARK ALPHA’S DEMAND (Reaper #3) release. The fifth month of the year found me in Las Vegas for the Romantic Times Convention. It was a week of nonstop reader events, workshops, parties, and signings. In between that, I got some girl time with friends as well as some much needed relaxation!

 

June:

The month began great with a trip to Comicpalooza in Houston where I was on several panels and got to meet Norman Reedus. But the Monday after Father’s Day had me in the ER with kidney stones. But not just one – no, I had multiple in my left side and one the size of a pearl on my right. Yeah, when I do things, I go all out apparently. I was quickly rushed into surgery where I had kidney stints put in. Yuck. During all of this pain, I was still writing to meet deadlines.

 

July:

DRAGON FEVER (Dark Kings #9.5) releases. After cancelling a trip to New York for Thrillerfest, I underwent a procedure that was supposed to blast the stone on my right side into tiny fragments. Nope. Only broke it in half. On a good note, they finally took the stint out of my left side. Bad note: two hours later I was back in the ER with a stone on the left side that they’d overlooked in the x-ray before taking out the stint. Despite all of this, I managed to finish a book and turn it in.

 

August:

1001 DARK NIGHTS BUNDLE SIX (with Dragon Fever (DK #6.5)) releases. My third surgery commenced just days before my son’s birthday. They had to go into my kidney and crush the stone, removing all of it – painfully. They also took the stint out. Yay. And put another in. Boo. A week later, the final stint came out. After two months of nonstop pain, it felt wonderful to feel normal again. Unfortunately, because of all the surgeries, my doc advised me to cancel all travel through the end of the year. However, I shout a double hurray for finishing another book and turning it in.

 

September:

With the kids back in school I can really get back to writing and finally catch up on emails and office stuff that I let slide during the summer. I was back to working 6-7 days a week just to try and get back on track.

 

October:

I don’t remember much of October. It seems I blinked and it was gone. Most of it was filled with theatre practice for my oldest since she was one of the stars of their production of The Little Mermaid (and she designed the posters!) Not to mention it was Homecoming here, and my daughter was voted Theatre Sweetheart. That meant I lost an entire day to getting her ready for the parade, and then collapsing in the evening as she and my son went to the football game.

 

November:

THE DRAGON KING COLORING BOOK releases. It should’ve been a quite month, but my life is anything but leisure lately. I was frantically writing and getting ready to host Thanksgiving as well as decorating for Christmas. It might have been a bit hectic, but the memories more than made up for it.

 

December:

THE HERO (Sons of Texas #1) releases. You know, this month was very much like October. Between hosting the theatre party at my house (OMG! The kids! The kids! Within seconds (seconds, I tell you!) the tons of food I had was gone. There was nothing left. Not even a crumb!), finals for the kiddos, and my work, I did all of my Christmas shopping online. It was amazing! And I’ll do it again for sure.

 


 

It’s certainly been another…interesting…year. I thought 2015 was bad, but with the health issues of 2016, I’m ready to see it in the rearview mirror and ring in 2017!

In 2017 I’ll:

  • Release 12 books and 2 bundles
  • End one series and start another
  • Travel to Apollycon, RT, Thrillerfest, and Shameless Book Con
  • Celebrate my daughter’s graduation from high school
  • Take a vacation with my kiddos for my daughter’s graduation
  • Write 5 books and 6 novellas
  • Get to see some of my favorite people at conferences
  • And, I’ll get the start the new year with my birthday!

I’m not going to let stress rule me as it did the last two years, because I lived through just what it can do to a person. Here’s to taking more “me” time, more meditation, more yoga, and meeting every deadlines. 

May your coming year be filled with magic and dreams and great books. I hope the year is filled with glitter and more memories than you think you can handle. I hope your hugged by someone when you need it, kissed by someone who believes you’re wonderful, and that you surprise yourself!

xoxo,

DG

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