2023 Ends on 123123

Are you the kind of person who likes to look back or look ahead?

I believe that you need to look back first so you can look ahead. As the saying, ‘Keep the best, forget the rest’ goes, last year’s bests are what I wish to hold on to.

Twenty-twenty-three was a year of reconnecting with first cousins in Rome, Italy, some after fifty-five years, a gondola ride in Venice, and a cliffside view of the Amalfi coast. It was the year that gave me a grandson - my husband’s and my first male descendant. What a sweet boy! I’m psyched. And it was the year that I signed my first publishing contract for my debut novel, Elizabeth’s Mountain.

More years than I can count amassed drawers full of half-finished stories and ideas for stories. Then one morning in 2022, after waking up from a dream, I headed straight to my laptop and didn’t stop until I was finished. It’s a wonderful feeling going from concept to publication. Three months until its launch date of March 28, 2024, still feels like a dream. May I never wake up.

Thank you to my early readers who have already posted their reviews online for it and a special shout out to those who inspire me with their books and stories. I am humbled to be among such great authors and storytellers.

That being said, I can look ahead now. I’m ready for 2024. Bring it on!

See you all next year.

Lucille