2011 is coming to a close, and it’s time for me and the other excellent Night Bazaar denizens to shuffle (or bounce) out the exit and leave the stage to a new chorus of voices.  It’s been a wild, wonderful, crazy year, and as I said in last week’s post, I’m eternally grateful to the gang here at the Bazaar for making my experience of first publication that much more fun (and helping to keep me sane).

So what’s ahead for me in 2012?  First off, there’s the biggie: finishing The Tainted City.  Right now the novel is scheduled for publication in October, which means my deadline is Real Soon Now (pant, pant, augh!).  Some days I think my brain will explode (especially if my son outgrows the need for a nap, which oh god, I pray he does not do until this book is done…).  But for all the stress involved in balancing parenthood, writing, and day job,  I remain ridiculously excited about the story.  I hope those of you who enjoyed Whitefire will enjoy Tainted City just as much!  (Click here to read a descriptive blurb – though only if you’ve already read Whitefire, since the blurb is slightly spoilerific for Whitefire otherwise.)

What’s next after The Tainted City?  Before I type another word I’m gonna dive headfirst into my TBR pile.  So many good books I’m dying to read, and haven’t yet!  I remember after I finished my big revision of Whitefire, I read something like 2o books in two weeks – and wow, I felt so wonderfully recharged and itching to get back to work on my own story afterward.  (Other non-writing goals for 2012: climb at least one new peak over 14,000 feet, take my son to hike a nice easy Utah slot canyon like Little Wild Horse, ski the fall line of the infamous Spiral Stairs mogul run at Telluride without stopping or falling, and return to competition in figure skating.)

Okay, once I’m recharged, what then?  I’d like to write a 3rd book in the Shattered Sigil series to complete my two protagonists’ character arcs, so I’ll likely start on that story.  (Fingers crossed the first two sell well enough Night Shade will want to publish a 3rd!)  I’ve got a few other ideas lurking in the wings that I’ll do some research for as well.  But it all feels so far away right now, with my brain wholly focused on Tainted City.  (A little too focused.  Did I get out Christmas cards or even emails this year?  No I did not.)

Where to find me on the internet in 2012:

1) Author website – starting in March, I hope to start posting deleted scenes, snippets of The Tainted City, and even a short story or two.  So stay tuned!

2) Personal blog (brand new!) – I can’t promise I’ll post anything long and thoughtful while I’m working so hard on Tainted City, but starting next week I’ll be doing a “Monday Book Recommendation” series to spotlight SFF books I’ve read and loved, and a “Wilderness Pic of the Week” to share my favorite spots to hike/climb/ski.  So please, come on by!

3) Twitter – I don’t do much on Facebook or G+, but I’ve found twitter works great for slipping in a quick update while my son is snarfing a meal or I’m waiting for my computer to finish crunching at work.

I hope to return to the new Night Bazaar when my publication season rolls around in fall, and I’ll be doing various guest posts and interviews and such in the meantime – check the news page on my website for the latest as it happens.

In the meantime, Happy New Year to all – may the road ahead bring you much joy and new peaks to climb, whether literal or metaphorical.  In the words of Semisonic: Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.