Well, hello there, long-lost friend! It’s been a bit since I’ve popped onto my dear ol’ blog, but I’ve been thinking of posting for awhile now. I hope your 2025 is off to a lovely start – if you’re like me, it’s been a cold start!

But before we get too far into 2025, let’s look back at 2024.

The first part of the year, author-wise, was marked by the release of my novella that was a part of the Black Rose Anthology. I can hardly believe that anthology was released less than one year ago –it feels like years ago! Regardless, A Life’s Cost was my foray into the world of fantasy, and I have to say, making up your entire world and all the rules that relate to it is pretty cool. I can actually silence that voice in the back of my head that tells me whatever I’m writing isn’t realistic – because it’s realistic in my created world! Incorporating aspects of Gaelic culture and language (including those names I’ve heard a fair bit about, haha!) was fun for me, and I left the story open-ended enough that I could pick the story up again if I want to. (But in truth, I just couldn’t bring the story to a full end in the word count. Wordy I shall always be, I’m afraid.)

Anyway, if you’ve forgotten what A Life’s Cost was about or want to read it, you can check it out! Lots of my friends are included in this anthology, including my amazing sister, Kristina Hall. (Her story is such a ray of sunlight in comparison to mine—thank the Lord for people who have some humor in their writing.)

The first part of the year was really lacking in writing (the novella had been finished quite a bit earlier), and I really had no time or energy to try to write as my attention was focused on my teaching gig. However … a big bonus of teaching is summer break!

As I’ve detailed before, I’d planned to publish Unforgiven (Grace Sufficient, #4) in the summer of 2023. However, the Lord had far different plans, and I was only able to slightly edit parts of the book during that summer. But when I came home for summer break … it was on.

Rare photo of the author editing.

Like most summers spent editing, I don’t remember a lot of my break, but God’s grace was so evident in the editing process. There were definitely lots of ups and downs (the arcs in the book—I was so stressed out by how to get all of the characters and their assorted relationships from A to B!), but overall, I had an amazing time editing. I do vividly remember some times of editing—one of those when I was ranting to my dear mom (thanks, Mum!) about the confusing plot. Bless the hearts of people who live with authors—we are on another level of insanity sometimes. But I also have wonderful memories of the my final edit when I had one of the most gripping, intense editing sessions I’d ever experienced—definitely not something that usually happens after you’ve worked on a book for months!

So that’s all to say—when God calls you something, He’s going to give you the strength and the grace to get through it. He is good and faithful!

So, thanks to the Lord alone, Unforgiven was published last summer, and it’s a story that’s near to my heart.

After Unforgiven was released, I went right back into teaching mode, prepping for the new school year and jumping back into a busy, non-writing schedule. However, that writing thrill still had its grip on me for a few more weeks, and I was able to write a novella that falls after Unforgiven.

As with almost all of my novel publishing projects, I experienced a ton of burnout—except if I wrote about the people I had just finished writing about! I just become so attached to my characters that it’s hard for me to think or write about anyone else, I guess. So I got to write a fun (well … maybe not fun) novella about Vlad and Katya two years after Unforgiven. Yay for Vlad being a man of God and Katya not hating him!

I’m still a little uncertain what the timeline looks like for that novella, but it’s been a sweet and impactful experience for me to write that novella. As with most writing projects, the Lord teaches me through my character’s lives … and this one was no exception.

And that wraps up 2024!

As I look ahead to 2025, the writing portion of my life is perhaps not as clear-cut as it was last year. I knew I wanted to edit and publish Unforgiven last year, but I don’t really have a project that’s ready to dive into editing and publishing. And currently, I have at least one idea bouncing around my head, but I’ve really been struggling to find the energy or will to write even when I have the time. I’ve been trying not to force my writing and to completely surrender it to the Lord.

So that might mean Vlad and Katya’s novella in the near future, or it might mean I won’t be publishing anything this year … and that’s okay. I’m so thankful that I was able to write an entire series over the last four years (or rather … six, given when I first wrote that first rough draft.) Life comes and goes in seasons, and God gives us certain ministries for certain times. Don’t worry, though, I’ve still got that writer’s hunger in me!

And that’s enough about me! What were your favorite writing moments of last year? Do you have plans for 2025?