I’m taking a look back at 2023. It was my first year of publishing with Dragonblade Publishing, and the year of my first Bookbub Featured Deal. Those two factors and my massive publishing push where the great hurrahs of the year. Lots of small satisfactions, too. Some amazing reviews, some wonderful people met along the way, a few outstanding moments with friends. 2023 had its problems and its worries. I lost six weeks of writing in the last third of the year to a family bereavement followed by an illness, and the sales of certain well-reviewed books were less than inspiring. I do wonder what a writer needs to do today to get noticed. As in any industry, there are many people out there selling the one exclusive sure to work answer. How does one find out who has the snake oil and who the golden ticket?
All in all, a mixed year. Now what will 2024 bring? I’ll have a go at a partial answer to that question next Sunday!
2023 was the year I published at least one book a month. It took a bit of doing, but I made it! Of course, the first six were written before the year started. On the other hand, the first four for this year were written in 2023, plus another for a bit later in the year if I do the box set I have in mind.
24 January 2022 The Golden Redepennings: Books 1 to 4
16 February 2023 Lady Beast’s Bridegroom, book 1 in A Twist Upon a Regency Tale
22 March 2023 The Husband Gamble
29 March 2023 The Flavour of Our Deeds, book 5 in The Golden Redepennings
28 April 2023 The Talons of a Lyon, a book in the Lyon’s Den Connected World
11th May 2023 One Perfect Dance, book 2 in A Twist Upon a Regency Tale
20th June 2023 Chaos Come Again, book 1 in Lion’s Zoo
11th July 2023 Grasp the Thorn (House of Thorns revised and republished), book 2 in Lion’s Zoo
8th August 2023 Snowy and the Seven Doves, book 3 in A Twist Upon a Regency Tale
26th August 2023 Crossing the Lyon, a short story in the multi-author book Night of Lyons
7th September 2023 Perchance to Dream, book 4 in A Twist Upon a Regency Tale
10th October 2023 Love in its Season a novella in the Bluestocking Belles 2023 box set Under the Harvest Moon
15th November 2023 One Hour of Freedom, book 3 in Lion’s Zoo
26th December 2023 Christmastide Kisses, a Bluestocking Belles with friends collection
29th December 2023 The Darkness Within, book 4 in Lion’s Zoo