Happy New Year! I can still say that. According to what Mom used to tell me, I have two weeks into the New Year before wishing happiness becomes passé. I don’t know where she learned her rule but I’ve always lived by it. So, Happy New Year! And in keeping with the traditions of a new year, I’m going to look back at 2016 and remind us both what a great year it was for me as an author.

Last year marked the first year that I could say I was more visible online than ever before. Here is a brief review of the year’s premium events:

Jan – Guest panelist on an Author/Publisher panel sponsored by local library

Feb – Attended Book ‘Em NC Conference as signing author and guest panelist

Mar – Interviewed twice with blog talk radio’s La Femme de Prose, part of Focus on Women Magazine

Apr – Guest author for Poetry and Pastry at the local library// Guest speaker and presenter at Robeson Community College’s Annual Poetry and Prose Awards

May – Featured author in the May/Jun issue of Focus on Women Magazine

**Decided to hire a Personal Author Assistant, Terri Wilson. Best decision ever. ***

Jul – Guest blogger on KerryAdrienne.com // guest at #carolinareads // on blog talk radio with La Femme de Prose

            Published new book, The Book of Now (nonfiction poetry)

Aug – Guest on Yvonne Mason’s Off The Chain podcast/radio show

            Held a Book Launch for The Book of Now in a local wine bar – sold lots of books

Sep – sponsored a hole during a local golf tournament (sold two books online from it)

interview appeared in Don Massenzio’s blog

Oct – Panelist at local library for National Indie Author Day

Nov – article published in Southern Writers Magazine on NaNoWriMo

            Published new book, Breaking the Glass Slipper (fictional memoir)

Dec – on the air with Off The Chain

Awards won in 2016

Global Ebook Bronze Award in Fiction for Midnight Assassin
Global Ebook Honorable Mention Award in Cover Design for Midnight Assassin

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Whew. That was a monumental year! Published two books, received awards, appeared in print magazines, online blogs, and on the radio several times! Something happened every month. I’m very proud of the year.

A quick reality check. Most successful authors would tell you that my year was just okay. Yup, successful authors find much more massive sales due to much more massive amounts of publicity. Makes you sigh, doesn’t it? It does for me.

In an effort to improve publicity and visibility online and in local areas, I started my own street team in May – Sherry’s Team Phoenix. Membership is small right now but I fully expect that to improve this year. (You can read about it via a link under Press, News and Events tab. We’d love to have you join us)

So let’s just take a moment to reflect. You should look back over your year too, and take note of the GOOD things you accomplished. This isn’t the moment to see failure or polish regret. This is the moment to say, “Good job, you made progress and worked hard.” Go ahead pat yourself on the back. Even if you only did one new thing, do it. It is one more thing than you had before and that’s progress!

All right, now I challenge us to do more this year. I have to confess I don’t have a major plan yet. I have two conferences upcoming and I hope to have two books this year (working on it).  I’m entering my two newest books in some awards. But I don’t have a publicity plan yet but I will. Time enough to say what I didn’t do or did incorrectly. For now, what a year 2016 was. And thank YOU for being such a huge part of it. My success is largely due to the support I get from you, the readers. I am grateful.

Good job on last year and Happy 2017! Let’s make this one our best yet, together. I’ll have links to the radio shows coming on the Press/Media page. Look there soon.

I’ll be back later this week to discuss jealousy. Did you know it could be good for you while being bad TO you? Get your green eyes ready for an eye opening revelation.

Until then, I remain Yours Between the Lines,
Sherry

Five months! I can’t believe it’s been that long since we sat down together. I do owe you another apology, and to make up for my absence, let me give you a quick overview of what happened while I was away. I’ve been busy being a writer!

October 26 – I had the pleasure of being on The Ron Shaw Radio Show, a part of Artists First Network. He is a retired police captain, and a prolific author and poet. As a radio host, his show is broadcast to an international audience and I was thrilled to be among truly august company. That hour-long interview is archived for your pleasure if you’re interested. Just scroll down to listen.

I also have new branding! The marvelous Marisa-rose Shor of Cover Me Darling worked up a branding package for me complete with new logos!  Here’s a sample:

 November – National Novel Writing Month kept me very busy. I was the Municipal Liaison for the Charlotte, NC Region and though I didn’t travel as much this year as I did last year, I was writing my own work (a challenge of 50K words in one month) plus tried to work with plenty of other writers. I enjoy meeting so many new, inspired folks but whew! And of course, there were the holidays too, and that’s always a busy time for everyone.

December brought more parties and visits and the writing never stopped. I felt as though I was working on a dozen projects. I confess to an extreme sense of chaos.

January – I started the dreaded task of editing last year’s WIP, and something weird happened. I began hemorrhaging poetry. I mean it wouldn’t stop! I hadn’t been this inspired in years. The poems bleed everywhere all over the house, every day, without warning. I was doing one a day, sometimes up to three or four. And I’m not talking about little four liners either! More on this coming.

Also in January I was privileged to sit on a literary panel at a local library. Another author, two publishers and I fielded questions on “things you need to know about self-publishing” and it was great meeting so many local writers and would-be authors.

February – Still bleeding poetry, editing, and I prepared for and went to the author signing, Book ‘Em Book Fair and Writer Converence in Lumberton NC. While there I sold quite a few books, and sat on one panel (another about Self-Publishing) and moderated another. I had a blast.

March –  I was honored to be featured twice with Focus on Women Magazine’s radio show, La Femme de Prose ( part of BlogTalk Radio) where I discussed my books Midnight Assassin and Paper Bones. Those broadcasts are archived and available if you’d like to catch up:  Miracles and Poems Episode (at halfway mark for me) and Community Love and Poetry (halfway mark about Paper Bones).

April – and here we are. This is National Poetry Month and the poetry that I started bleeding in January has finally slowed and nearly stopped. Because of so much of it, and as I mentioned on the La Femme broadcast, I decided to publish a new book of poetry. This one will be along the lines of Paper Bones, but more raw, more current, and I won’t be pulling any punches. The will cover current events and issues with brutal honesty. July 2016 is the current expected release date.

Sign up for my newsletter to read upcoming sneak peeks and get your chance at an early – perhaps free! – copy! PLUS, be prepared for a sneak peek of a new, upcoming fiction for this year!

So what else is going to happen now that I’m back? Well next week I will have a guest blogger for Princess Week! And I’ll be back to talk to you about writing, of course. Additionally, I’m updating the conference lists because next year I will be traveling. Maybe we’ll see each other, stay tuned.

Finally, National Poetry Month is half over but you still have time to dive into some delicious works by your favorite bard. Don’t have a favorite? Then explore. The poetic world is vast and you are sure to find a style to suit you. Ogden Nash? ee cummings? Perhaps a bit of Billy Shakespeare? I leave it to you.

Until next time, I remain,
Yours Between the Lines,
Sherry

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****The following items will always appear to keep you posted on activities.*****

WIP (Works in Progress): 
– first novel in the Evening Bower series, about vampires and other supernatural creatures
– fictional memoir
– four-part fairy story (part one complete)

On the Desk: (next reading): Soulless by Gail Carriger (#1 in a series)

Off the Desk (book just finished): Burned (Alex Verus #7) by Benedict Jacka

Coming Soon:  Poetry Smoetry! Why should I bother? plus some award news!
And More Guest Bloggers