What a Year It Has Been

Where do I even start? It’s New Year’s Eve and I can say with a certainty, at least, that this has been a great year for me. It might be the first time in the last several years that I can say that without a moment’s hesitation. Sure, there have been some curve balls, but nothing that took my knees from under me.

I guess the beginning is obvious, back in January 2025 when I decided to get really serious about being an indie author, and to stop relying solely on online marketing and sales. The moment when I decided the mister and I should start up an LLC to funnel everything bookish away from our personal finances really set the tone. And it changed everything. It made the author road real in a way it never was in the four-ish years previous that I had been self-publishing. We decided to take a chance. We took a chunk of our savings and turned that into our business investment. Black Feather Press LLC became an entity. I am eternally grateful for his faith and support, and the belief that it wasn’t a pipe dream or waste of time and money. And, despite all the costs (table fees, inventory, cover costs, etc.) we’re ending the year in the green.

What else? The decision to start a business really stemmed from the decision to do in-person book sales events. We did six events throughout the year, one of which I was invited to attend by the organizing book store. It was certainly a learning experience that will help me choose how we will approach 2026 as far as which types of events worked, which ones we enjoyed, and which ones we probably won’t do again. I look forward to many more such events in the coming year. I’m not going to lie and say it wasn’t scary putting myself in front of readers. It was terrifying each time, yet the feeling of watching my titles walk away with people who put their faith in me at my table is indescribable.

At the end of last year, a door nudged open for me to venture into editing. It was unexpected and the circumstances weren’t necessarily the greatest, but the path has become a viable one. I’m still and always learning all the rules I’ve been disregarding as a writer for years. It’s an entirely different kind of scary being trusted with someone else’s words, but the trust was there and the response to my work was good. Once again, the faith in me has humbled me and I am incredibly grateful.

I published my sixth book this year. Six. Sometimes I forget that this is a pretty impressive achievement, because before you can publish a book, you have to write it. Some people never finish one. Not only did I publish that book, I made some major revisions for the next release and, other than fine tuning and a last edit, it’s almost ready, too. Will I hit my absolutely ridiculous self-imposed goal of publishing the two books within six months of each other? No. But I was close. Am I really losing? Also no.

Guess what? The Sevina Gate novella 1 is in its final stages before release. I can’t claim the progress on that one. Those words have been written for a while, a few tweaks and revisions aside. However, the art is all in place and the cover is finished. I am so proud of Derrick for his progress this year. He had never done official art or made a cover before, and now he has done both. I literally have the proof in my hands. I have one last round to edit the words (it hits differently when it’s in book form), and once we’re happy with the interior, I’ll format the ebook and we’ll release that baby into the wild. Stay tuned for those details. It won’t be long.

If you’ve been following my blogs at all, you know that I decided to take November and December off from most bookish things. I cannot stress how good of a decision that was. After careening through the year doing all the things, it proved to be wise to give the rest of life some room. Life took all the room I gave it and if I had still been pushing so hard, I wouldn’t be ending the year on such a positive note. Even if you believe you’re a terminator, trust me, you’re not. I surprised myself by actually adhering to my own limitations. Other than a few things for Sevina Gate and maintaining an online presence, mostly on TikTok (since I finally embraced the platform), I have done well at my period of rest. That also means I am positioned to hit the ground running in 2026. Tomorrow, I’ll start formatting Order of Crows 3. Then I’ll proof Dirty Synth (Sevina Gate). And probably I’ll write something after a couple months of not doing that, either. I’m ready. Also, I have a new goal for The Nameless to become an audiobook, also thanks to TikTok and finding the perfect narrator.

It wouldn’t be an end-of-the-year post without a copious amount of gratitude. The list of people to thank is long, so I’m not going to try to name everyone because then I’ll miss someone. But know that I see you. I appreciate every tiny shred of support–in person, online, and behind the scenes. I wouldn’t be where I am without my community. Now and always, thank you. I love you guys. If you ever show support for an indie author and you think all those little things don’t matter. Y’all, they do. So much.

Here’s to 2026. May we weather the storms with resolve. May we celebrate our successes in kind. May we love deeply and speak freely. Cheers, my friends.