2025: The Year in Review

I know lots of people do these "year in review" posts, to the point where they seem superfluous, but I struggle sometimes with depression and imposter syndrome, both as an author and a nurse (and hell, who am I kidding? as a mother too). I've found keeping a running list of my accomplishments, both big and small, helps me fight those feelings and insecurities when they creep up.

2025 has been a good year for me personally and professionally. On the home front, back in May, I successfully passed a killer exam to re-certify as a Registered Nurse Specialist in Poison Information, and thus won't have that stressful monkey on my back for the next seven years (when it lapses). I also transitioned from overnight shifts to days, and that's worked miracles on my mental health, if nothing else, as I no longer feel like Gollum shrinking and hissing at the first gleam of sunshine.

My daughter graduated from high school, which means I have two kids in college now, and while yeah, that's painful from a financial standpoint, from a Mom-standpoint, I couldn't be prouder. My son has moved out and is now living on his own (see the aforementioned Mom-standpoint comment), and my daughter bought her first car.

I lost nearly 100 pounds since this time in 2024 thanks to Wegovy, and I've managed to keep the weight off for almost 4 months on my own without Wegovy thanks to diet and exercise. I also passed a full year since deciding to give up alcohol. I had a drink or two socially in that time, but then figured I needed to either be all in or not at all, and staying sober had made me both mentally and physically healthier.

On a sad note, my stepmother unexpectedly passed away over the summer after a brief illness, and watching my father try to come to terms with her loss after more than 30 years of marriage has been hard. I've tried to remember to treasure the time I'm able to spend with my family and loved ones.

On the writing front, 2025 was productive and rewarding. My debut novel, "The Vessel" was released from Wicked House Publishing in May, and I'm so happy to see Josh's story resonating with readers. I regained the rights to my Old West horror story "Prairie Madness" (so watch for that to be re-released in 2026), and published 2 short stories on my own ("The Curious Case of Henry Harrington" and "Food Noise"). Another story, "Offline" is available exclusively for my newsletter subscribers. I also released "Hauntings," a collection of new and previously published short stories highlighting more than a decade of my horror writing.

Short stories were my primary writing focus in 2025. I wanted to hone my skills with both storytelling and self-editing and really feel like my hard work paid off. I submitted to 29 markets in total, including anthology open-calls and magazines. Of these, I received 13 acceptances -- a 45% acceptance rate! -- along with 13 rejections. I withdrew two submissions from consideration, and am waiting to hear back on two others still pending. Last week, I received an acceptance for a story I submitting for the upcoming "Hags and Witches" anthology from KJK Publishing, so I'm ending the year on an exciting and positive writing note.

2026 is shaping up to be another equally exciting year. "What Lies Unseen," the follow-up to "The Vessel" hits on March 10, and once the ball drops on January 1, I'll be sharing more exciting news and promotions to help celebrate its release. I'm also in several upcoming anthologies that will be released in the new year, and have a running list of ones I'm planning to submit to. With two full-length manuscripts also currently under publication consideration, I'm hoping I'll have more good news to share very soon!

Thank you to everyone who has read my work, shared their reviews online, and taken the time to let me know how much you've enjoyed my stories. There's no greater reward than to know something you've created -- that you've invested countless hours of effort and energy into -- had connected with someone else. I'm old enough now, and have been playing the writing game in one genre or another long enough to know I will likely never make a living as a writer, but the ultimate reward in this gig isn't the money. It's the readers. Y'all are priceless and very much appreciated.

I know during this season, it's easy to feel down on yourself and depressed, but remember, we all triumph over challenges and adversities in our own ways. If all you did was make it through another day, you achieved something tremendous. Don't give up. Here's wishing all of us a bountiful and happy new year.