This year has gone by like a blink of an eye, but I have to say, despite having a lukewarm second book launch, my writer mental health was much better this year than 2023.
In 2023, my debut book, Does Love Always Win?, released and for some reason I decided to set up my own book tour to various locations, including some out of state. This ended with me becoming severely burnt out and depressed. Most events I sold at most three books and I was spending so much time, and money, to go to these places. I learned from this experience that my book sells better online than in person and decided in 2024 to limit the number of in-person events I attended, and guess what, that helped more than I ever imagined.
Weekends are the only times I get to hang out with my family, friends, or relax because I have a 9-5 day job, and in 2023 that is when I would do my author events, so I wasn’t getting that recharge time. This year it was completely different. Most weekends I tried not to do anything writing related so I could just be present and enjoy hanging out with people. I also was able to get a lot more reading done while my kiddo napped, 90 books to be exact, the most I’ve ever read/listened to.
Sidenote, I’ve been reading a lot more indie books because I have learned, being an indie author myself, it’s hard to get people to find out about your book, so I hope that just by me reading more indies and telling others I can help spread the love. At the end of the post is a list of indie authors I read this year that you should check out if you are looking for something new to read.
The one large event I decided to attend this summer was LavenderCon, an LGBTQ+ focused book festival in DC, and I had the best time. This one was totally worth attending and I got to meet some amazing readers and authors. I made some memories and connections that will last forever.
The publication of my second book, Superficial, happened in September 2024 and although the launch party went off without a hitch with great attendance despite the torrential downpours, my sales numbers for my new book have been pretty abysmal. I knew it was going to be hard having a queer superhero book because it’s such a niche category, but I didn’t think it would be this difficult. But instead of giving up, I’m pressing on hoping that someday it will find its audience. Instead of obsessively looking at my numbers, I have been focusing my energy on writing my next book, a YA sapphic murder mystery.
I started writing short stories in 2024 and so far one of my stories is going to be included in an anthology called Prom Perfect from Wild Ink Publishing, coming out in April 2025! I also submitted a sapphic sci-fi story (my first ever sci-fi) to an anthology and am anxiously waiting to hear if it was accepted.
So, what does 2025 have in store for me? For the first time in two years I don’t have a new book releasing, which feels really odd, but also kind of nice. I have some breathing room, which is much needed. I have a manuscript almost ready but I am, however, going through the querying process again. I want to see if I can spread my wings and move onto the next stage of my writing journey, getting an agent in hopes to get a larger book deal. There won’t be a new book published for awhile, but not to worry, there are plenty more projects in the works, while at the same time, I’m making sure not to burn out again.
Indie books I read this year:
YA Contemporary: My Heart is Hurting by S.E. Reed, Recipe for Confidence by Samantha Picaro; The Music of Unexpected Thing by Jamie Deacon; Gay the Pray Away by Natalie Naudus
YA Fantasy: The Lost Erwain and The Hall of Shadows (also a horror) by Mariah Stillbrook; Madam Eldridge’s Wayward Home for Unruly Boys by Benjamin Ryan; Stolen Hearts by Elizabeth Lyon; Alex McKenna and the Academy of Souls by Vicki-Ann Bush
Adult Romance/Contemporary: Death Sentence by Ashley Hawthorne; Do You Wish You Never Met Me by Laura May; The New Town Library by Kathy Anderson
Adult Thriller: The Secrets That They Keep by T.M. Lore
Adult Fantasy/Speculative Fiction: Liminal Space by Vicki-Ann Bush; Us Et Cetera and Love Immortal by Kit Vincent; Tarnished by Erica Eberhart; Tavern Tale by Kristina Kelly; Somewhere New by Annie Bennet; Godsfall by Adam Gaffen
Adult Horror: Mewing by Chloe Spencer
Sci-fi/Fantasy Poetry: Imaginari by Kristina Kelly
Diane Billas 