I will be the first to admit that my writing career so far has been one hell of a roller coaster. And there are a lot of ups and downs still to come. But as we approach the end of the year, there is one thing that I can say with pride about 2024.

It was a year of mental growth.

It's time to take a step back, slow down a bit, and reflect on the year that has just been. I need to celebrate my growth and my little wins for what they are. Only then will I be able to move into the new year with my head held high, ready for whatever roller coaster dips and twists are coming my way.

So, let's get into the nitty-gritty of 2024.

My Words for 2024

Every year, I set myself a word or a phrase that will help me make decisions about whether a particular action is in my best interest or not. I've been doing this for many years now. Looking back at my notes, it's something that I started doing back in 2018.

Well… I started the year with the phrase PROTECT HEALTH. It was a reminder to myself that I needed to continue working on my mental health, my physical health, my financial health, and my relationship health.

However, one month into 2024, I realized that I was still sitting on the fence about a lot of things, not really committing to one path or another. So, I changed my phrase to be COMMIT TO PROTECTING MY HEALTH. That one additional layer changed so many things for me this year.

I decided to go all in on the self-publication road, making that decision public back in July 2024. I signed up for a marketing course—and panicked as I paid the bill, but I don't regret that decision in any way. I put myself forward to be a writing instructor for Savvy Authors (something that will be continuing in 2025).

I've started pole dancing: a way to improve my physical strength and flexibility while being silly and having fun. And I'm discovering muscle groups that I didn't know existed. (Man, my shoulders feel it!)

And something that not many people know, because I haven't really shared it publicly…

I got a tattoo. My first one. A tattoo virgin at 48. (I'll share more about that below.)

But my commitment to protecting my health didn't stop there. The hubby and I started taking active steps to re-energize our house, turning it back into a home. This started with a bathroom renovation… and an awakening on how contractors don't seem to understand how to communicate.

We have also taken active steps to change the household diet, subscribing to what is called a "Wonky Box"—a regular box of vegetables direct from local farmers, randomly filled. We have no idea what will come in the box each time, so it's forced me to change how I cook. I've discovered ways to roast beetroot and how to cook swedes. I've learned how to ripen avocados. And I've confronted my childhood dislike of silverbeet. (I still can't quite face the mushrooms, though. My hubby gets to keep those to himself.)

But it's really been an exploration of food… and one that's been necessary. Because in all the chaos of it, I've come to embrace the fact that I'm actually gluten-intolerant—and have likely been such my entire life. I never really put the connections together until I started on this journey of committing to protecting my health.

In all the ups and downs of the year, adding that commitment layer to my phrase definitely changed things—for the better.

The Publication Roller Coaster

At the start of 2024, I published my nonfiction book, Hidden Traps of the Internet. And boy, oh boy, was that a roller coaster. The year started with what I thought would go smoothly, only for Amazon to accuse me of plagiarizing another book. Never mind that the book that they saw as a conflict was my own book from 2017, but hey…

Anyway, because of my Amazon nightmares, I honestly thought I would be jumping into the publishing arena without Amazon in the mix. Thankfully, I had the foresight in 2017 to set up copyright certificates on that book… and I quickly got the copyright of the 2024 book sorted. Amazon gave me my account back just before the 2024 book was released, but talk about panic attacks. And there were definitely lessons learned about that mess.

Despite the rough start to this publishing venture, things are now ticking along with deadlines to meet.

I've released one of my short stories (a freebie to all of my newsletter subscribers), and plans are in full swing for the next several books in my publication schedule.

In Quarter 3, 2025, I will be publishing a technothriller novel. (The release date is set for August 1, 2025.) I don't want to say first novel, because it's actually something like the twelfth novel that I've completed. However, it will be the first time that the public will be able to see a long-form fiction from me. As I write this blog post, the novel is in its final editorial stages, and the cover designer has started her aspect to the magic. The cover reveal is slated for February/March 2025, with advanced reader copies going out shortly after that. (And right now, I'm kind-of freaking out about all the work left to do. But I will get it done.)

I'm not able to tell you exactly what the book is about just yet (mainly because I'm struggling to write the back cover copy in a big way), but I can tell you the book's title.

Dancing in the Purple Rain

Subscribers to my newsletter are being kept in the loop regarding this, and they will likely see me freak out a few times come next year, particularly as we get closer and closer to the release date.

But I'm fully committed to self-publication, and I now have a publication schedule that goes all the way out to 2028, releasing both fiction and nonfiction books.

FYI, I'm currently writing the fiction books for 2027 and 2028. The fiction for 2026 is already written and edited… just waiting for the copyeditor to work their magic (but that will be next year's problem).

The Tattoo

I've been thinking about getting a tattoo since I was 18 years old, but for whatever reason, I never did it.

I told myself that I would get a tattoo when I turned 40. Well… My 40th birthday came and went… and no tattoo. I then told myself I would do it when I turned 45. Same deal. Been and gone.

Then my daughter started getting tattoos. The moment she turned 18, she got a Phoenix that covers her entire back. And earlier this year, she got a tattoo sleeve that covers her upper arm. But there was something unique about her arm tattoo… and something that had personal meaning to both of us.

In the center of her sleeve tattoo was a band with the words: Turn can't into watch me. And the writing is my mother's writing. (And my mother died in 2020.)

So… I said to myself that I need to commit, and stop sitting on the fence. And I coordinated with the same tattoo artist my daughter was using. My mother's phrase is now on my arm where I can see it every day—a constant reminder that I have to keep working at this journey… and never give up. (See picture below.)

But the added imagery has importance too.

The crescent moon and the full moon: Life is a cycle, but as I approach the full moon of my life, I need to shine brightly.

The birds: Some seagulls, to honor my mother and her love for the ocean… and a reminder of how that woman collected so many damn seagull feathers. (You honestly don't want to know how many seagull feathers we found in amongst my mother's things. And dad happily said that they can all go back to the beach and the ocean).

The stars: They might look like crosses to some people, but trust me, they're stars. And that's in honor of my past, and how I love walking when the stars are still out in the morning.

The blue watercolor: Also to honor my mother, but also to honor me. How I need to have a little color in my life. Not everything is black and white.

And the tattoo's placement was also deliberate. When working on the computer—typing or using the mouse—the words "Watch me" and the full moon are always visible. Just another reminder that I have to keep working and doing things my way.

It doesn't matter what anyone else says: I know it can be done—even if I don't know what steps I need to take to get there.

I might be in the waxing moon phase of my career (the crescent moon), but eventually things will fall into place, and I'll be facing a full moon that shines brightly.

The Plans for 2025

As I've already mentioned above, I will be publishing Dancing in the Purple Rain come Quarter 3 of 2025. But I will also be writing a nonfiction book to be published in Quarter 1 of 2026… and commissioning the edits and cover design for another thriller, to be released Quarter 3 of 2026.

And we won't discuss the continuation of writing/editing of the 2027 and 2028 books.

I will be running more workshops and courses in 2025. Some of these will be with Savvy Authors (contracts already in place) and I'm hoping to run a few in-person events through Canterbury Writers. And I will be presenting for various online organizations too. (My proposal to present at the Women in Publishing Summit in March 2025 has been accepted and the tickets have been purchased.)

For 2025, hubby and I are turning our attention to the outside garden, with plans to find the garden. And we'll continue to explore foods… trying to find something that we both enjoy and makes us feel good on the inside and the outside.

My biggest challenge for 2025 will be to remember that I can't do it all. There are certain things that matter to me, and I have to work to maintain those aspects of my life that matter to me the most. This includes my writing, my editing, my community, my health, and my family (in no particular order).

So, 2025 will be another year where I COMMIT TO PROTECTING MY HEALTH, because I'm not 20-something anymore. And my health (physical, mental, financial, and relationship health) is really the only thing that matters in the end.

Turn can't into Watch me!