It’s that time yet again, the time to say bon voyage to yet another year. While I wouldn’t say that 2014 was a completely smooth year – it had more than a few bumps along the way – it was definitely an interesting one.

It started like any other year. Too little sleep, a little too much alcohol, and a desperate need to get some form of caffeinated beverage into my body. There was a mild familial crises to deal with, some time off the day job to tend to that, and then there was some brutally cold weather.

Amid all of that I was working on my very first book. A novella I’d call it given the word count. After showing it to a long time friend, who was an author in her own right, she advised that I send it into a publisher. Then came the big choice. Who the hell to send this to? A few late night discussions, a lot of pros and cons lists later my friend helped me to make the decision. Evernight Publishing was the top of the pile. There were a couple of other really close runners on the list, but from what we’d dug up, and generally discovered I thought that EP was the best fit for who I am as a person, and who I’d like to be as an author. So off I sent that very first submission.

What my friend neglected to tell me about was the gut clenching terror that immediately takes hold the moment you hit the send button for your submission. The doubts that creep in: Did I forget one of the items on their checklist? Did I attach the right file? Did I actually read the file I sent to them at any point? And then, the worst in my opinion, did I spell my own name right? ARGH! Quickly into the “sent” folder to review exactly what was sent. While this relieves a bit of the terror, it definitely does not ease it fully. Because now I’m a part of that dreaded “waiting game” I’ve heard her talk about, and read about from other author type people I’d friended on the various social networks.

The good news was, EP accepted the story, put me and it under contract, and the terror eased. Right up until that first round of editors. Again from various author folk I “know” you never knew what type of editor you may end up with. I was truly blessed with an amazing woman, Laurie Temple, who instantly relaxed me with her very first comment bubble on page one. She gave me a little information about herself, her general rules of thumb when she’s editing, and then gave me her impressions on the story itself. She was helpful, polite, and at times even threw in a wickedly amusing comment that made me actually LOL in my living room. I don’t know if I’ll forever be blessed with her awesome self, but I can definitely dream. I truly don’t know what I’d have done without her gentle, but firm, handling during that first book.

All through the C&M Security series I was again blessed to have Laurie as my editor. She became as invested in the characters as I was. And it quickly became apparent she was keeping track of what I was, and wasn’t sharing with readers in books. She started looking for things in the next ones, and keeping me honest along the way. The woman is a rock star in my books, and deserves a huge bonus. Ahem! Hear that Evernight admin people – give that woman a raise! LOL!

Thankfully my personal life was relatively calm, mundane even for the balance of 2014. It allowed me to have time to focus on my writing, finding my groove with my series, and left me time to actually interact with my readers. I have readers, fans even. Freaky right? But apparently this happens, or so the great mystics proclaimed. I’ve even had more than one reader adopt a character from my books. Now if I could only get him back from her 😉

Now, here I am, heading into a whole new year – 2015. Fresh, unknown, open to all sorts of possibilities. While there will always be challenges, personal and professional, I can only continue forward one day at a time. I’m not one to make resolutions since I know myself too well. All I can say is that I will be writing every day, I will be who I am and let no one change me, and I will come through it all the better for hopefully having learned something new and amazing along the way.

So to all my website readers, my book readers and fans, and everyone out there on the web. Happy New Year, may it be bright, wonderful, and may you too learn something new and amazing this year. Until next year ~ Moira