So I’m a little late on this, but here goes…
WRITING:
It was a good year for writing as I left my 40+ hour a week job and concentrated on creative pursuits fully for the first time in five years. I went from having 3-5 things out on submission at any one time to 15-30. Sold five pieces and placed another (it is accepted by an anthology that hasn’t found a publisher yet).
- THE GHOST OF LADY REI — Marion Zimmer Bradley Literary Works Trust (February, 2019)
A medieval Japanese detective story. Third in a series of stories, but stands on its own. - THE LAST TSAR’S DRAGONS — Tachyon (June, 2019)
The Russian Revolution—with dragons! A novella. - THE WORLD ENDED IN ICE — Reckoning 3
A speculative environmental poem. - A SEASON’S END — Orca Literary Magazine
A quiet, non-genre piece for the wonderful Orca Lit Mag. - STILL LIFE — Cosmic Roots & Eldritch Shores
A fantasy story set in Edinburgh, my favorite city in the world. - FATHERLESS CHRISTMAS — Bethlehem Writers Roundtable
A poem for my father.
CROW NOT CROW and FLY WITH ME both came out in 2018 but are still available. I love these two books so much. Elizabeth Dulemba’s paintings for Crow not Crow and National Geographic’s photographs for Fly With Me absolutely transform the text into works of visual beauty.
MUSIC:
- Wrote more songs this year than in the last five, due almost exclusively to starting a Patreon account. Being responsible to patrons helps me to organize my time better and make sure I’m getting them the content they deserve. Have been playing one of the new songs out with the Tim Malloys to good response.
- Started a new band, Purgatory Creek. Things have been coming together with them lately. Currently playing the third Saturday of every month at the Dubliner in St, Paul.
WEB DESIGN:
Good year for me in web design as I did some redesigns for old clients and landed some new ones. Also started an WordPress update service that seems to be working well for both myself and my clients.
- Jane Yolen— Big redesign of the Hans Christian Andersen of American children’s literature’s site
- Kate Messner — Another big redesign for author and TED talk speaker, Kate Messner
- West Virginia Renaissance Festival — New site for the first Ren Fest in WV.
- David Perry — New site for journalist and historian, David Perry
- Julie Schmit.com — New site for Energy Healer, Reiki Master, and psychotherapist, Julie Schmit