Tonight we turn and farewell 2016, a year that I know many have claimed to be a horror year. But I’ve got to be honest, for me, this was possibly one of the best years of my life.
This year I did something that I had only ever dreamed of doing. I released a book. And not just any book, it was At First Light. And if that wasn’t enough I then wrote and released A Second Wind this year also. THIS YEAR! Two books in one year! Who does this sort of thing?!
Okay, granted a lot of authors do this sort of thing, but this was my thing. Not someone else’s, but mine. And now over the six months since At First Light was released I’m seeing more and more feedback from people who have read it, loved it, gone on to read A Second Wind, and still want more. For me, as an author, this is an incredible feeling. You wonderful people out there seem to geneuinly enjoy my writing, and the reviews tell me so.
This year I also created a website (this rather nifty one that you’re reading now), worked full time as a teacher, managed to not go bonkers at my husband as I heard the music of Civ VI repeatedly as he spent hours at his computer playing it (all credit to him, he didn’t lose it either when I had my choice of music on when I was writing) and I managed to not fall over any of our four-legged furry one as they repeatedly ran through my legs at their breakfast time. Winning all round I say!
There have been some down moments this year. My father in law suffered a rather serious heart attack during the year which had us all terribly worried, but he has thankfully now recovered. I cannot tell you how many prayers went heavenward during this time! Also during the year the region I live in suffered some heavy flooding in June, closing a number of schools for a short while (mine included) causing damage into the millions of dollars and its own type of mayhem with road closures that lasted for months. A few lives were lost, policies were not paid out by all insurance companies, and crops and livestock were lost to the deluge. But out of this also came some of the best things I’ve ever seen. People worked together to help those who needed it. Blaze Aid came and helped rebuild fences for those who needed help, and charities were inundated with gifts and money. Six months on there are still some signs of what occured here, but tourists are back, crops are growing and being harvested once more, sheep have had their lambs and life has returned to its own kind of normality.
So 2016, I want to say thank you. For lessons learned, for challenges faced and overcome, and for things happening in a way I had never dreamed they could. It makes me say to 2017….
Bring. It. On.
Suzanne x