by Janis Patterson
How can it be a new year already? I’ve just become used to
writing 13 on my checks, but then I have never taken change well. The change
from 19— to 20— was positively traumatic. How can time go by so fast?
I know our metabolism slows down as we get older, but the
sad truth is that time goes faster to make up for it. Sigh.
I never make New Year’s Resolutions as I do not handle
failure well. The only time I ever followed through on a resolution was when I
resolved most solemnly never to make any more New Year’s Resolutions!
If I were to, though, they would be simple. To cook more
from scratch. To write faster and more. To keep a cleaner house. To socialize
more. To be less distracted by the fascinating trivia of life. Yes, they’re
sometimes contradictory, but then so am I. And with time slipping away faster
and faster, such good intentions tend to get squished into smaller and smaller
timeframes and therefore negated.
Am I the only one whose life seems roughly equitable to
trying to have a leisurely swim in a blender? Too much to do and much too
little time in which to do it? So many of my friends, writers and otherwise,
seem to be doing so much more, producing so much more than I, and that is
disheartening. Obviously I must prioritize more, must make better use of my
time and resources. Unfortunately, that sounds too much like a New Year’s
Resolution, a failing I must overlook if I am to follow through. At least I can
try.
I do have a small brag, though, if you will allow me... under my Janis Susan May persona I received two book contracts in December from Vinspire Publishing. Miss Morrison's Second Chance is a traditional Regency romance which will be released next September. Welcome Home is a contemporary gothicky romantic suspense, so far without a release date. Talk about ending 2013 with a bang! 2014 is going to have to do a lot to catch up.
I wish each and every one of you the Happiest of New Years,
along with good writing, all kinds of happiness and many sales.