2017 – the best of times and the worst of times… (a minimalist’s version)

Another year bites the dust, and like most years, 2017 had its ups and downs. Here are a few of mine:

Best decision – turning some of my old magazine stories into a charity anthology for a year. All profits made by The Saturday Secret  up until mid-February will go to Doctors without Borders.

Worst breakage – I dropped a glass bowl on a stone floor a couple of months ago. Tiny splinters flew for miles (almost). We’re still finding them…

Most important signature – the one I put on my contract with Bloodhound Books, for Baby Dear. Closely followed by the one on the Death Wish contract.

Second best decision – to stop buying house plants. I love them, but my fingers are any colour but green. So now I buy other things instead. Like tall metal cats.

Most unusual search term that brought someone to my website – Swiss house cellars. I’m still working that one out…

Biggest regret – I didn’t manage to sit on a beach and stare at the ocean this year. Lakeside beaches in Switzerland are lovely, but it’s not the same. Must do better.

Best business trip – that was to Bedford and Cambridge. It also gave me the opportunity to have my first ‘lunch with my publisher’ – thank you Betsy and Fred at Bloodhound Books!

Biggest surprise – meeting lovely Georgia Rose for the first time in real life during the same trip, and seeing how tall she is. I’d been picturing a wee soul, but there she was, tall and elegant!

Most overdue meeting – for three years plus now, Jane Isaac and I have been supporting each other as we went through the ups and downs of the writing life – and in October, we finally managed lunch together in downtown Bedford. It was A.MAZ.ING. (Meeting Jane, not having lunch in Bedford, though that was pretty good too…)

Best purchase – my Paperwhite kindle. ❤❤❤

Favourite read – tricky, but I think I’ll go for Terry Tyler’s Tipping Point. I was totally immersed. Death by social media… it couldn’t really happen… could it?

Biggest aha moment – working out how to use Instagram. I did it all by myself, too. Now I just need to use it more regularly…

And I wonder what 2018 will bring? Thank you everyone, for sticking with the blog this year – and HAPPY NEW YEAR!