At the end of the year, traditionally people take time to review themselves. Numerous companies do it with Best of the Year lists. This is my year in review blog post.
My greatest accomplishment this year is that I became a published author. Many thanks go to the staff of Oghma Creative Media who produced Bill’s Cajun House of Pleasure, my romp in the swamp. The book came out April 24. I attended Books in Bloom, the Arkansas Writers’ Conference, the Mississippi Book Festival, the High Cotton on the Bayou Festival, the Ozark Writer’s Conference, and the Tulsa Night Writer’s Conference. I enjoyed them all and learned something at each event. I also gave an author talk at the Fayetteville Public Library. So far, in 2019 I have two events lined up. First, I’ll be at the Author’s Day Event at the Kimberling Area Library in Kimberling City, Missouri, on February 2. The following month, I’ll be giving an author talk at the Artist Retreat Center in Bella Vista, Arkansas, on March 10. I’m sure more events will land on my calendar as the year progresses.
As fall began, I completed my second manuscript and sent it to Oghma. It is a medieval fantasy satire that was a hoot to write. My publisher declined to publish it. The world I created for this story was a joy to be in. I look forward to writing other stories in this world in the future. I began my third manuscript and returned to the historical fiction genre. This tale brings to life Peggy’s tale from her home in the hills of West Virginia to Bill’s Cajun House of Pleasure. In the later part of the manuscript, many of your favorite characters will return for some bayou fun.
My critique group did a Halloween story contest. The story I submitted for that was a post-apocalyptic battle between the remnants of humanity and the creatures of an evil being. This idea has stayed with me these past few months. A friend gave me the bones of a great backstory for this tale. This gives me another story to tell in the future.
I’m looking forward to 2019 and the opportunities it brings. I hope you continue to follow me and invite your friends to do so as well. History doesn’t write itself, and I wish you enjoy the history I write.
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What I’m Reading – Many readers I know like to inquire what their favorite author is reading. At the end of each blog post, I’ll let you know what book is open on my Kindle. I hope my choice of reading material inspires you to read a variety of authors and topics. Currently, I’m reading Ellis Peters’ Brother Cadfael series, book twenty, Brother Cadfael’s Penance.
Bill’s Cajun House of Pleasure is available on Amazon, as an eBook, and in physical formats. It is also available on the Barnes and Noble website.