Friday, December 31, 2010

Farewell, 2010!

Oh, Mes Anges. What a year this has been! There have been so many AMAZING THINGS! (HEX HALL coming out! Meeting Excellent Author Types! Hanging with Agent Holly! Selling MORE books). There have also been LESS than amazing things (Dealing with That Attack of Crazy! The Husband being gone all summer! Struggling like WHOA with HEX HALL 3!)

2010 was a big year for me. It was the year I looked forward to since April 2008, when I first learned HEX HALL would be debuting in 2010. It was the year I practically wished 2009 away for. And I have to say, it lived up to the hype! In the nearly 10 months (!!! How is that possible?!) since HEX HALL hit shelves, I've met so many lovely readers, gotten numerous adorable emails, and even one SUPER-sweet letter (Awesomely Named Madison Disco! You MADE MY DAY! And will be getting my reply once you're back at school!) I've visited fabulous bookstores, and gone to a few book festivals that basically left me weeping on the ground with how happy I was to be an author.

But it's also been a learning year, and any time you Learn Things About Yourself, it can be a little traumatic. Writing was tough for me this year, and I think there were a lot of reasons for that, none of which are interesting enough to get into here. Basically, I'm still working on the balance between writer/author/Mom-Wife-Friend-Daughter, and I think I'm leaving 2010 with a much better understanding of how to do that.

I could literally take up PAGES talking about all of the things I'm grateful for this year. I mean, just talking about the amazing writers I'm lucky enough to call friends (Chantel Acevedo, Lindsey Leavitt, Irene Latham, Myra McEntire, Victoria Schwab, Kay Cassidy, Becca Fitzpatrick, Ashley Parsons, CJ Redwine...the list goes on, and I'm SURE I've left someone off) could take up a vast chunk of the interwebz. Or how lucky I am to work with the Indomitable Agent Holly, who has steered me through many rocky shores this year. Or the not one, not two, but THREE insanely talented editors I've been privileged to work with in 2010.

And of course, every one of you, who read this blog, or have bought HEX HALL, or BOTH... y'all are a HUGE part of the reason 2010 rocked my face off and I thank you from the bottom of my heart!

So farewell, 2010! You've been amazing and frustrating and scary and glorious, and I've loved every second of you! Now let me put my collard greens and black-eyed peas- with HAM HOCKS, no less!- on the stove, and welcome in 2011!


This is a ham hock. Don't think about Babe. Or Piglet. Or Wilbur. Or...you know, we may actually go hock-free this year....

See you all next year, when there MAY be a few fun changes to this blog (shiny things like REGULAR FEATURES are on the agenda!)

HAPPY NEW YEAR, and may 2011 be a truly HEXCELLENT year for you all! :)

3 comments:

Leigh said...

Well said. I can't wait to see what 2011 has in store for us all, but 2010 will always hold a special spot as The Year Rachel Let Me Touch Her Hair. ;) xoxo

Ashes said...

Happy, Happy, Happy New Year to YOU! May 2011 be full of continued awesomeness and writerly-alpha-waves!*air horn* *lighter-waving 80's concert-syle*

Nikola said...

Hey Rachel and Happy New Year! I hope 2011 will be at least as successful and double as awesome as 2010 was.

And let me just say, I am in LOVE with your blog. Seriously. The "Romance Novels in LOLKat Talk" post was HILARIOUS (I linked to it from my FB). And the reason why I'm reading your blog is because I'm reading Hex Hall at the same time and LOVING it. I can't wait until I review it on my blog soon.

So just so you know - you have a new blog follower AND a new fan, an English Lit student all the way from Serbia. :)