Hi everyone,
How are you all doing today? Can you believe how quickly that year went? I couldn’t let the day go without writing a reflective post about the year that we are about to say goodbye to, because it’s been such a surreal and magical year in so many ways for us H’s – filled with incredible highs but unfortunately tinged with some sad & scary moments too.
These moments mainly came in the form of ill health for loved ones both on my side and MrH’s side of the family. So I’m saying to 2014 with all due respect, enough already! We’ve had far too many visits to see loved ones in hospital for years now and we’d like some time off for good behaviour!
However, putting that aside for our own little group of H’s, it’s been a pretty amazing year.
The youngest H, Nate, aka my Rockstar, took his first wobbly steps in 2013, spoke his first words and at the end of October turned the big 2, saying goodbye to his bottles, soothers and unfortunately his afternoon naps! I cannot remember what life was life before him. He is my little man, quick to laugh, quick to squeeze a hug that will leave you both breathless and aching with love and quick to find devilment and high places to climb! He wakes up smiling and laughing and ravenously hungry every morning with a loud shout of ‘Mama!’ followed quickly by ‘Spoon!’ or ‘Nana!’ In his case, a call for a banana not his grandmother. (How much food can one toddler put away? Seriously the words eating out of house and home, come to mind!) But alongside his love of yoghurts, bananas and chocolate buttons, he also hero worships his big sister Amelia.
As for Amelia Rose, who is almost 4 and wants to be a superhero when she grows up. I am so proud of her, she simply takes my breath away with the size of her heart. She’s gentle and kind and only wants to help everyone, whether its her Daddy bringing in logs for the fire, her Mummy doing the housework, or her little brother navigating his way through daily life. But coupled with that, she has this hugely creative side with an imagination that rivals the best out there, spinning Once Upon A Time stories for us all every day and regularly putting on shows, that both delight and amaze us. ‘Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present…..’ usually alerts us to the start of one such extravaganza!
Both children have such a wonderful sense of humour and are quick to laugh and smile and because of them, Mr and Mrs H enjoy dancing, singing, giggles and utter joy every single day of our lives.
Here’s a little picture of my two smallies, honestly how did we get so lucky?
So what else happened in 2013? My best friend Annie got married to her very best man John, Amelia started pre-school in September giving us a glimpse into what life will be like in 2014 when she starts school and lots of fun and love was had with the O’Grady and Harrington families throughout the year as we celebrated and shared many milestones with them.
Not much else happened really…. oh unless of course I mention this….. I only got a book deal with one of the TOP publishers in the world!
I’m going to try list the cool things that have happened this year writing wise…….. unbelievably it’s quite a list…… if you fancy reading any of the detail about the items listed below, just click on the highlighted area and there you go 🙂
1. The year started off with a huge high, when I signed with the lovely Trace Literary Agency in January 2013
2. Beyond Grace’s Rainbow won The Peoples Book Awards Kindle category in March 2013
3. I fulfilled a lifelong ambition and wrote a play called A Dunganstown Romance, which won an open call for submissions and was staged by the New Line Theatre at the Wexford Arts Centre in June 2013.
4. HarperCollins signed me to a two-book contract for Beyond Grace’s Rainbow and Sleep of Dreams, with their romance division HarperImpulse in July 2013.
5. The Press Release announcing the acquisition to HarperCollins was issued in August 2013 creating quite a stir in Irish Media! I appeared on TV, did countless radio interviews and have had articles written about the book deal in both national and local newspapers! Honestly, head spinning, mind blowlng, did that really happen stuff! I even managed to fit in a photo shoot with renowned photographer Roberto Forte which created my amazing media photographs. LOVE them!
5. My book was published by HarperCollins on 12th September in eBook format! It has been a top 20 Amazon bestseller, a top 10 kobo books bestseller and a no.1 iTunes bestseller! Not too shabby eh?
6. I attended my first ever party at the HarperCollins office in London and whilst there, held a copy of Beyond Grace’s Rainbow in my hands for the first ever time!
7. My blog went through it’s paces in the Irish Blog Awards judging and made it as far as the Blog Awards Final for Best Lifestyle Blog! I was very excited to attend a fabulous awards ceremomy and while I didn’t win, it really was a highlight for me to get that far. I love blogging and chatting to you all and look forward to lots more fun in 2014!
8. Beyond Grace’s Rainbow won an award at the UK’s Festival of Romance book awards – Best Romantic read eBook 2013 in November 2013.
9. 14th November a special day, as it was paperback release day! This was followed by book signings and an Afternoon Tea Dance with me as special guest held by the Strawberry Fair. Seeing my book on a bookshop’s bookshelf for the first time is a moment that will stay with me forever.
10. I was asked to write a story for Poolbeg’s compilation book ‘If I Was A Child Again’, written by Irelands top writers and tv personalities, with all proceeds going to Barnardos charity. My story ‘Whispered Words of Wisdom’ is my ponderings on what it would be like if I could go back in time and have a chat with my 13 year old insecure self.
11. The writers group that I host, Imagine Write Inspire, collaborated and wrote a Christmas short story called All I Want For Christmas, which was published as an ebook in November, with all proceeds going 100% to the Philippines Disaster Fund. I am so proud to say that we have been in the bestsellers charts on Amazon pretty much since it’s release!
Thank you to everyone who has supported this great cause (less than a euro to buy!) and I look forward to presenting the royalty cheque in 2014 to the very worthy charity.
12. Throughout December, Beyond Grace’s Rainbow has continued to win awards and acclaim from book bloggers and readers. TheChickLit Club named it as Most Inspirational Read 2013. iHeartChickLit named it as one of the top 5 reads of 2013. The London Diaries named it as one of the top 10 reads of 2013. First Instinct Magazine named it as one of the top 3 reads of 2013. AfterTheFinalChapters named it as one of the top 3 tearjerkers of 2013!
And currently the big award of the year – the Overall Kindle Book of the Year 2013 is currently being voted on at The Peoples Book Awards. The voting closes at 5pm on 31st December. Now that would be a great way to end the year!
Edited to say ….. Whoop whoop I only WON!!!! Thanks so much for every vote xx
13. Sleep of Dreams, book 2 was finished and my editor loved it! Phew! And a request for a book 3, the sequel to Beyond Grace’s Rainbow, has made me believe that maybe, just maybe, this is now a career for life!
So my amazing friends and supporters, there is nothing left for me to do but to say thank you again for reading and caring and sharing! Happy New Year and I truly wish that all of your dreams come true in 2014. Trust me, it can happen.
