Reflections on the Holidays and a Gift

The holidays have begun at our house. All the girls are home (well, one is at work and two are shopping). Hubby made cheese dip. Baxter got a blue Christmas Bandana at the dog groomers. We have icy, fluffy snow, frigid temperatures and the pellet stove is ablaze.

I'm doing a bit of self-reflection, which seems more appropriate for me on the shortest day. My mom died on winter solstice, after a nice lunch and harp soloist concert.
 I think she wanted to spend Christmas with our dad, who died a couple years earlier.

I love the holidays, though mostly I love my family being together giving gifts and all the fun baking and cooking we do.

Not sad to say goodbye to the old year! 2017 was a difficult year. Due to a change in prescription drug coverage, I had to find a different job, because diabetic hubby's meds skyrocketed. Due to a change in his meds (to cheaper, older ones) he ended up in the hospital. 

I did find a job with good insurance, though my boss was a problem. She got fired, though, and I got a raise, so that turned out fine in the end. So the job seems stable for a few years to come. Whew.

2018 will be a recovery year. We can move forward with some financial and house repair plans. Two girls will graduate from college(one with a master's) degree.

I have an actual writing plan I think I can complete(2017 plans went out the window). I've been writing for a long time, since the eighties, and that won't stop. I love writing, but yes, the publishing market is insane right now. I'm not going to try to compete with the $500 a month promo crowd. However, I do plan to publish two books next year. 

One is the first of my new Diaspora Worlds Series,  Diaspora Worlds: Starpath. The books revolve around Clan O'Shadow, of Zh Cle'/Irish descent, from the Reservation World Derry. The ancient family legends of Zh Cle' space travel motivated the family to marry colonists and beg, borrow or steal spacecraft from the Terran Colonists. They headed to the stars, searching for the path of the ancients that will lead them home.

The other is a Fantasy Rom in my Lands of Glister world. I have two I'm working on, so we shall see which one!

I have a gift, my book Starlander's Myth actually has  Yule celebration on a distant planet! 

https://www.instafreebie.com/free/q4QZC