Sunrise December 25 on the north of Vancouver Island

While I didn’t have any new books published this year, I certainly wrote them. Two are coming out in the spring. As well as the actual writing, it was a year full of writing events. My local writers’ group put on a festival along with other launches, celebrations, and workshops, so the year was busy. The Festival of the Written Arts in Sechelt, a half hour from my house, had its usually roster of celebrities in August. I missed my annual trip to Britain this year but drove north to the Nicola Valley for a mini research trip and flew to Terrace for a book signing and to visit with my grandchildren. After that trip, I flew to Williams Lake for a speaking engagement at the BC Historical Federation’s annual conference. British Columbia is so huge that getting from one place to another takes major effort. I’m getting excited about the release of Bloomsbury to Barkerville: The Life of Florence Wilson. I’ve had a peek at the tentative cover. It’s going to be a good one.

I am working on the beginning of fiction mystery series, but I am not yet happy with the protagonist. She needs to carry a series, so has to be interesting enough to engage readers over several books. She’s getting there. She is a nurse, and I am getting wonderful advice from local nurses. It’s been instructive, that is, they have instructed me, and I have learned. That’s one of the best attributes of writing as a career. There is always great gaps of learning that need more and more information.

My garden is supposed to sleeping at this time of year, but there is one crazy primrose that grew this fall and is now blooming. I tried to tell it bloom-time was at least two months away, but it’s stubborn.

My dog has had an interesting year. Check out her column on my newsletter.    Join Newsletter

I hope this year has been a good one for you, or if not, then I hope there is some relief at it being over. Best of luck to everyone for next year.