Well, what a year 2010 has turned out to be.
Firstly, I feel I have to apologise for being so tardy about my website. What started with a wonderful launch mid year and a terrific response from everyone, and great intentions from me, soon dwindled until I think my last blog was a few months ago. Oops! I will explain why below – yes, there is a valid reason. My genuine commitment for 2011 is to blog more often. Does that make it a New year’s Resolution? Well, I guess it does.
In the meantime, I have been keeping up to date on my FaceBook Fan Page. If you would like to join, please feel free to come and be part of what has been a terrific way of keeping everyone up to date and sharing thoughts and views on all things popular culture as well as my columns and novels. You can join by clicking here.
For those of you who are interested, below are the highs and lows of 2010:
1. I finished Votive in May and sent it to the publisher in time. The structural and copy edit has now been done. It’s 177,000 words. There’s a completely new cover concept being done and it’s gorgeous and exciting and I can’t wait to show it to you.
2. Tallow not only went into reprint, but received an Highly Commended in the Prime Ministers Literary Awards. I was thrilled – as you can imagine!
3. I have endured a terrible and ongoing health replaspe which has made me very sick – I face further surgery next year. Hence no blogging! (sorry!).
4. My father died in July. He’d been having bad health for a long time – diabetes and the had a series of small strokes. In the end, it was too much for him. He was a grumpy old thing, but we all miss him in our own way. I will blog about his life one day – it’s fascinating.
5. My dog, Dante died in September. He had a tick. He survived for five, long days and Stephen nursed him lovingly the whole way through (I was in Sydney for tests). He was the sweetest, funniest pup and we still miss him. Vale Dante – he wasn’t even three.:(
6. Stephen, my husband, returned to psychiatric nursing after a 2 1/2 year break – and he doesn’t mind it half as badly as he thought he would!
7. We bought another dog, a puppy, we also called Dante – Dante Piccolo – from the same breeder, Tyrrken Kennels in Kingaroy. He brought smiles back into our life and is such a character. He talks, just like the other Dante and is still surprised to hear his own voice.
8. Heartbreakingly, my dearest friend, Sara’s, cancer returned… I don’t know what to say about that. Life is so unfair at times.
9. Spent a lovely two days in Tasmania seeing Sara and eating, laughing, crying – but mostly laughing, and hugging and making her head ring.
10. My dear friend, Greggie, the most lovely, moral man with a gorgeous wife, Alison, who have been our friends for years, was diagnosed with Prostate cancer. Greg and I are now officially, ‘bum buddies’ and decided we’re too young for this shit.
It has been a year of such highs and lows, of love, laughter and too many tears and fears. It has been a time where I have really had to learn to slow down, but I have also enjoyed my writing and my family and friends more than I ever have in my life before. Thank you to each and everyone of you. I have also enjoyed reading – I have rediscovered and found some wonderful authors – many of them Australian – including some of the following: Sara Douglass, Nathan Burrage, Kimberley Freeman, Kate Morton, Stephen King (The Stand – Oh my, what a book – thank you Sara!), Charleine Harris, Juliet Marillier, Katherine Howell, Michael MacConnell, Anthony Eaton, Simon Higgins, James Roy, Richard Harland, Robin Hobb, Tomasi Lampedusa, Katherine Ashenburg, Lisa Scottiline, and many, many more. I must blog on some of these one day too – but I do review books on Good Reads – but only those I really like – if anyone is interested. I should add, I also began a love affair with my iPad this year… I use it as an eReader and for a whole range of other purposes and have become hopelessly addicted to Scrabble…
Thank you for sticking with me through all of this. I promise to be a better blogger and communicator next year – well, at least I will try.
Now I am going to upload a Christmas column I wrote a few years ago – a poem. It had a good response then, I hope it does now.
Merry Christmas to all fofyou and my warmest and loving wishes for a healthy, happy and all round magical 2011.
Karen
xxxx