My family is blessed this Christmas season. Our older daughter Alison and her husband are having a new baby soon. Lauren is now a college graduate, and even though she hasn't yet found her dream job, I know she eventually will. Wally and I are both actively working.
As I reflect back on 2008, I realize that I'm approaching Christmas with blessings I never dreamed would happen this time last year. Since I write books for a living, I rely on my agent Tamela Hancock Murray to keep me employed. When she called back in July with a lilt in her voice to announce that my book Love Finds You in Treasure Island, Florida sold to Summerside Press, I was ecstatic! She told me she thought there might be more good news soon, and she was right! Her next announcement came about two weeks later with a 3-book sale to Heartsong Presents. Then later that same month, Paige Winship Dooly, Lisa Ludwig, Beth Goddard, and I sold a Christmas anthology to Barbour Publishing!
All these sales are wonderful. They also mean that I'll be busy for a while. Fortunately, I'm somewhat organized with my time, and I've been able to stay on target with my personal deadlines set much earlier than my publishers'. With three of these projects completed, I can take some time off to focus on Christmas before I jump back in to work on the other two.
Another blessing is my job as an instructor for the "Breaking into Print" writing program with Long Ridge Writers Group. I have some of the most amazing students, and I'm honored to be with them on their journey toward publication. There's no doubt in my mind that many of them will reach their goals because of their dedication and willingness to do what it takes in this exciting yet often frustrating business.
As the year draws to an end, I'll continue praying for my family, other people I love, my church family, my agent, my writer friends, my students, my editors, the USA, our president-elect, and the economy. I also want to keep the Rovenstine family in prayer as precious little Von goes through cancer treatment.
5 comments:
Merry Christmas, Debby! It's 14 below as I write this, so I think we'll all just stay inside and eat, read, and watch movies.
Oh, and do my Christmas cards. Guess what I forgot to do this year?
Have a blessed holiday!
Yikes on the freezing weather, Janet! Highs here are around 80, but we're supposed to have a cooling trend soon. Like in the 70's.
Sounds like you have an exciting year ahead of you! I can't wait to hear about when your grandbaby is born! That'll probably be the most exciting thing of all! :-)
You're absolutely right, Jessica! I'm beyond excited about this baby!
Just checking in to see if they'd had her yet.
:-)
Hope you had a wonderful Christmas! And that you blog about your new grandbaby!
Post a Comment