Seldom has a year been so much of a roller coaster. At various times in the past twelve months I have felt like I am on a bronco that is alternatively trying to buck me off and lick my face.
I made some professional and personal jumps this year that I would never have imagined making, but in a lot of ways 2010 was the year I have been waiting for. On a personal level I packed up my stuff and have made a commitment to America of at least six months…maybe more. This included selling my beloved convertible, moving my even more beloved cats to another hemisphere and quitting the day job that has sustained me since 1997.
Professionally, it has been more awesome. Podcasting wise I made good progress on Digital Magic (now only 2 episodes shy of finishing), got invited as a regular guest on Litopia After Dark, and mostly kept up with Erotica a la Carte. However I confess while my love of podcasting is still as large as it ever was my available time to spend on it has gone down.
This has been necessitated by the leap in my writing career. In late October Geist was released- my first book with a New York publishing house. So I had to support that as best I could with a marketing plan that didn’t involve me digging myself a financial hole. So I hit the blog circuit, worked on a book trailer for Geist with Tee Morris, corralled some friends into working on a podcast anthology, and increased the number of cons I went to.
If that had been the pinnacle of my writing year, that would have been amazing, but 2010 was also the year I signed not one, but contracts for another four books. In April Tee Morris and I signed off on Phoenix Rising; a Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences novel and its sequel Of Cogs and Corsets. Then in November I signed another two book contract with Ace for two more books after Geist and Spectyr. Then Tee and I got the news that the Ministry books will be getting releases in three countries; Australia, New Zealand and Germany.
This is so beyond what my hopes were that I feel like I dare not look at it too closely least it blow away in the wind.
I attended for the first time, both Balticon and WorldCon. I utterly enjoyed Balticon…WorldCon was a bit more problematic for me- though I was grateful to get a chance to read, and be on a couple of panels there.
It’s been a year of change, but also a year of growth.
Now looking forward to 2011, I feel even more invigorated. Still, for accountability’s sake, let me break it down.
Writing work
Late April will be the release of Phoenix Rising, and late June the release of Spectyr. Both projects I love and enjoy doing. In between there I have to write Of Cogs and Corsets (the second Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences novel) with Tee and Wrayth (the third book of the Order). Once those are delivered I will have only the fourth book for Ace to do- though I do hope for more Ministry books. This of course, depends on the reception they get.
My plans for a YA title are thus on the backburner at least until the last half of the year, but I do plan to take some time to go back and rework Weather Child to where it is ready to submit to publishers.
Indie work
Chasing the Bard and Digital Magic will be available in various eformats.
Conventions
I have a long list of places I want to get to, but there are several first in my mind.
Balticon- as the New Media Guest of Honor. This is my very first foray into GoH territory and I am really excited.
Steampunk WorldFair- premiering Phoenix Rising there. Oh so much tea and fun.
WorldCon in Reno. Hey, it’s WorldCon, and this time I’ll be ready for it.
Podcasting
Erotica a la carte will spin on. I am enjoying practising two forms that I sometimes struggle with; erotica and short stories. Digital Magic will finish in January, and I have no real plans to podcast a novel for a bit- I need a break! Chronicles of the Order should finish in February, just in time for Phoenix Rising podcast to start. This will also be a series of short stories. Finally there is a writing podcast Tee and I will be working on. Episode zero should drop in January and it’ll give you an idea of format. It’ll be fun, but also be a peek inside a writer’s life, collaboration, as well as the cultural divide between America and New Zealand.
So there- that’s it. Life behind and ahead in a nutshell. Thanks for all your support dear readers. Everyone who has reviewed, supported, told a friend, or sent me a kindly email. You can’t really know how much it has all meant to me.
I hope we all have a successful and enjoyable year. Giddy up 2011!