Well, that’s another year almost in the bag. And what a year it’s been! Starting with the release of my second novel, Springtime at the Cider Kitchen, and ending with the burning anticipation of the release of my third book, Summer in the Orchard on 3rd January 2019, it’s, in one sense, a year bookended by books.

It’s been a year of brilliant highs and some challenging lows; laughter, tears, grief, joy, happiness, frustration, truth, lies, questions and some answers. But one thing it has taught me, both at a writing level and a life level, is that it’s important to keep moving forward; to take the lessons from the past, but to anticipate the future with an open heart and an open mind; to live each day well, and not to fear the darkness; to make the changes that you can, but not concern yourself with the things that are out of your control. In some ways it’s been the most challenging year of my life; but I’ve learned from the challenges and I truly believe things are better for them.

One thing I’m taking with me into 2019 is the idea that I can be the change for some things; I can make a difference to my own life and hopefully the lives of those I love. I learned that I can actually run 5k this year, after years of telling myself I wasn’t that kind of person. I’ve learned that I can do this book writing job alongside the day job, the wife job, the mother job, the million and one other things that make up the mental load of a woman in the twenty first century, and, some of the time, I can do them all well. But I’ve also learned that when the darkness comes, sometimes it’s better to accept it, to acknowledge that there are some things that aren’t in your power to change. You can question, you can advise, but at the end of the day, you cannot change things that are ingrained, are absolute; the best you can do is accept and move forward, with love in your heart and a candle in your hand, ready to light it when the darkness is done. No-one knows what the future holds, but the best thing we can do is greet it with a smile and an open heart. I’ve always tried to do this, but for me 2019 will be even more about that idea. And something tells me that 2019 will be a great year. I can feel it!

So I wish you all a wonderful New Year. Thank you for being with me this year, and I look forward to seeing where life takes us all in 2019 – I just know it’s going to be a brilliant one!

If you want to pre-order a copy of my third novel, Summer in the Orchard, click the pic for the link: