I’m back from my holiday hiatus, perhaps a bit later than most people. For me, the holiday break isn’t a time to put away work for a while. It is a time when I am away from the day job, and therefore can buckle down and get a lot of work done on my writing. I always have a few goals for myself to complete before the students come back to the college campus where I work (which happened this week.)

I more or less reached my writing goal for the holiday break. I finished a revision that’s been a struggle for me. I think I’m done, but then, I’ve thought that before. Revision is a process of finding a balance between my vision and the vision of others, and trusting that their vision is sometimes the right one, and that even when I can’t see it, I can reproduce it. And that’s hard. So it takes a lot of tries.

So, the revision is done, or at least at rest until I get some feedback to tell me it isn’t done. And that means I have time to ramble a bit about the end of one year and the beginning of the next.

I’m not a resolution maker. Sure, there are things I want to change or adjust in my life. There’s always body fat to be battled and disorganized cupboards that could be cleaned. But I find nothing magical about January that’s going to push me into doing what I haven’t been doing, and anyway, for the first few weeks of the month, I’m busy with more important writing goals.

But I do like looking back on past years, and what I’ve accomplished. In that vein, I thought I’d sum up 2014 with books I read. Unfortunately, I didn’t start keeping track at the beginning of the year, so I’m sure there are a few books missing from my list.

I am an eclectic reader. I like many genres, and I try to read classics that I missed, as well as new books. I try to keep up with what’s going on in middle-grade and YA fiction, since that’s what I write, but I try to read adult books too.

Here, in no particular order, and for no particular reason, are my 2014 reads, as my own way to sum up the year. I can’t say I could pick a favorite. It was a good year for reading–I didn’t meet a book I didn’t like this year:

• STRANGE SWEET SONG by Adi Rule
• SIRENS  by Janet Fox
• KAFKA ON THE SHORE by Haruki Murakami
• LOVE IN THE TIME OF CHOLERA by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
• THE FOURTEENTH GOLDFISH by Jennifer Holm
• SHADOW AND BONE by Leigh Bardugo
• BROWN GIRL DREAMING by Jacqueline Woodson
• COUNTING BY SEVENS by Holly Goldberg Sloan
• NAVIGATING EARLY by Clare Vanderpool
• THE WAR OF ART by Steven Pressfield
• CODE NAME VERITY by Elizabeth Wein
• ELEANOR AND PARK by Rainbow Rowell
• DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE by Laini Taylor
• ALL FOUR STARS by Tara Dairman
• JEWEL OF THE THAMES by Angela Misri
• THE OTHER WAY AROUND by Sashi Kaufman
• RADIO GIRL by Carol Brendler
• KISSING SHAKESPEARE by Pam Mingle
• A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN by Betty Smith
• THE THREE MUSKETEERS by Alexandre Dumas
• RHYME SCHEMER by Kari Ann Holt
• DIRTBIKES, DRONES, AND OTHER WAYS TO FLY by Conrad Wesselhoeft
• THE GOLDFINCH by Donna Tart
• GOBLIN SECRETS by William Alexander
• GRAVE IMAGES by Jenny Goebel
• THE RUNAWAY KING by Jennifer Nielsen
• THE FLAME THROWERS by Rachel Kushner
• THE STRANGE AND BEAUTIFUL SORROWS OF AVA LAVENDER by Leslye Walton
• VIVIAN DIVINE IS DEAD by Lauren Sabel
• FUTURE FLASH by Kita Murdock
• GLANCING THROUGH THE GLIMMER by Pat McDermott
• FINN FINNEGAN by Darby Karchut
• GIDEON’S SPEAR by Darby Karchut
• THE SUN KING by Nancy Mitford

Now on to 2015, another year of reading, reaching, writing, and living with cats. Happy New Year, everybody!

How time flies!

I only said that because I believe every author should begin every piece of writing with an overused idiom.

But seriously, how did we get to mid-November.

Every year, October takes me by surprise and is over before I’ve gotten used to the idea of it having arrived. This year, it seems to have taken the first couple weeks of November right along with it.

So, here I am, crawling out into the light of a new day, blinking in the sun, wondering what happened in this strange new world, where it suddenly looks like winter (and feels like it too–brrrr!)

More soon, but for now, I just wanted to announce that MARISSA was the winner of the Halloween Book Trail prize of a book, a critique or a visit. Yay, Marissa! I’ll be contacting you by email, so check your spam filter. I’m one of those people emailing you to say You’re a Winner! I’m the one who isn’t a sweet, God-fearing African widow without any heirs.

Ah, October!

I love the leaves changing, the nights getting cool, the first snow on the high peaks to the west.

I love the smell of the air in the morning, and the haze of frost on the lawn.

I love the way the light plays across the surface of the world, more golden and sharp, like it, too, is drinking up the beauty of this last hurrah before the cold sets in and the world grows dreary.

Every year, October means harvest festivals, corn mazes, and pumpkin carvings.

Of course, October has its scary side too. Let’s not forget about all the ghosts, goblins, demons and monsters.

The things that jump out of no where and try to grab you.

And the fact that the creepy crawlies of summer have, by now, gotten really big and are starting to turn monstrous–like this October grasshopper, encountered on an October hike.

Let’s face it, October is a month designed to change everything–the world, your sense of reality. It’s beautiful and scary and joyful and creepy, all wrapped into one bright, colorful, dark, spooky package.

And what’s not to love about that, right?

But this year, October is about to do you one better. Because this year, October is going to include the

HALLOWEEN BOOK TRAIL!!!!

In case you thought you were too old to trick or treat, think again!  From October 27th through November 1st, a whole bunch of middle grade and young adult authors are going to give you the chance to go door to door among our blogs and get all kinds of treats!

You can learn about us and about our books! Find out our deep, dark, weird secrets, earn the chance to WIN WONDERFUL PRIZES!!!!  You can check out the wonderful prizes for every path right here!  There will be several paths through the deep dark forests of our souls. Or, um, through our blogs. I will be participating in the OFF THE BEATEN TRACK path. Scary, right?

It’s gonna be fun, and you don’t even have to dress up to participate. But, if you want to you can. We’re not the type to judge.

So keep your eyes open. It’s coming!!!

*queue creepy music crescendo here.*