Like sands through the hourglass

Time is so surreal. I freak out a little bit each new year at this mark of time passing, because it makes no sense to me. I still feel like a kid, but someday my own kids are going to freak out, realizing that I was born in the last century. "You didn't have a computer? Or a DVD player? Or a cell phone? Or indoor plumbing?" Like that. When did I get old enough to sit back and reminisce about the old days?

This year was a good year. Despite the doom and gloom about the book industry and the catastrophe of this economy in general, I got to travel to many places and see that people are still passionate about books everywhere. I published the actor and the housewife and forest born, and received some of the most touching and encouraging feedback of my career, as well as some of the strangest and most alarming. (Becky Jack is evil? Forest Born is immoral trash?) Good times. 

My kids are great, my husband is the love of my life. We're alive and healthy and ready to become better people and do good things in the year to come. As for this blog, here are a few things I'm looking forward to in the coming year:

• calamity jack release next week!
• Release party at The King's English on January 9
• The winners of the rapunzel's revenge book trailer contest and the actor and the housewife book club contest (still time to enter...see here)
• Dean and I will be co-touring to southern California (and possibly other western cities) in February. How awesome to co-tour with my husband! That's almost as cool as Libba Bray!
• The reveal of my super secret project, all the stuff I'll finally be able to talk about with that, and hopefully good things to come of it.
• Yet another super secret project! (this one a few months off still, though)
• The completion of the Exquisite Corpse Adventure
• I'll be one of the judges in School Library Journal's Battle of the Books. The most talked about children's and YA books of the year battle against each other for the ultimate victor. I'll be assigned two of them and decide which one will go on to the final rounds. Don't know the books yet or the date, but I'll post my experience and decision here.
• Looking forward to a deadline-less future. I have no book slotted for future release. This is very good for me. With ten books in seven years, I really want time now to just write. I'm loving writing right now and am excited to just keep doing that this year. Maybe we'll have something ready in 2011, but I don't want to think about a date. Not now.

Thanks for journeying with me in 2009. We survived! That's nothing to sneeze at. And 2010 is our year, baby.

Comments

[Shawn]

Another super-secret project? Surely there's a rule against two at once. Everyone's going to pop waiting, just start exploding right and left, and then you're going to have lawsuits on your hands for the popped-squeetuser stains left in people's carpets, and that's simply no good at all. So of course it's only rational that you tell us all now. :)

Thanks for another amazing year of books and posts. My invisible champagne is raised in a toast!

[janssen]

I cannot WAIT until the Battle of the Books. . .I loved it last year.

[L.T. Elliot]

Calamity Jack is almost here! And you'll be at The King's English! How awesome is that?
Here's to a 2010 full-of-writing!

[Tracy]

Sounds like a great year to me! Here's to a new one filled with fabulous first drafts and stories that practically write themselves (hey, a girl can dream, right?).

[julie]

can't wait to hear all about theose super secret projects. I did read the actor/housewife and shared it with my friends. Good luck for the new year and I understand about healthy kids and a wonderful dh. I understand about deadlines/kids. 2010 will be a great year all around.

[Christen]

Hoorah for a great year for you! So excited for the big super secret project reveal... :D

[Amanda Norr]

Wow, what a year. I love All your books. I am so excited for Calamity Jack. I'll try to get to SLC. I would love to meet you.

[Alexa]

Enjoy 2010! Looking forward to hearing about the secret projects :)

[Caroline]

Yay, finally we get to hear about the super secret project! I'm excited. You must tell us soon. And TEN books in seven years? I didn't realize it was that many. My goal is to get published next year, but I bet it certainly feels good to just and sit and write! May 2010 be a great year for books!

[Caroline]

oops, i meant just sit and write, hehe:).

[Jen]

1. I am so excited to hear about the super secret project!

2. My Grandma used to watch Days of our Lives every day while she made me nap when I was a little girl.

3. I am glad to know that though you don't have a date you will be compulsively scribbling away something more for us to enjoy.

[Sarah]

I'm personally excited for the surprise! Do you know what would be cool........ one of these fascinating books, become a movie! (Just a little side note.) Can't wait for the new books just aching to be read! Thanks!

[Calliope1of9]

yay for super secret project! Happy New Year!

[Pussreboots]

Calamity Jack's going to be my first book purchase of 2010. I am so excited about it!

[bookbutterfly]

*screams* Southern California?!?!? No way. I totally can't miss one of your signings next year.

Ah, looking forward to finding out what the super-secret project is!! Ahh!!

The New Year is pretty daunting (to me, anyway). Happy 2010! :D

[Libbi]

yay for the New Year!!!! Also for books and healthy kids and super-secret project revelations! And for New Years Eve parties which I am attending this year for the first time as an individual. Lots to be excited for.....

*BTW I just finished Austenland and its one of my fave books ever!!!! It propelled me to finally start Pride and Predjudice, which is wundaful so far. :)

[Mundie Moms]

Congratulations on all the success from this past year!! Can't wait for next year's news.

[Jennifer]

Too funny! Okay I too am excited about anything you put out this year but I just had a conversation with my 9 year old went something like this. "Mom when you were a kid did you have an MP3 player?" "Well no I had a walkman..." "So it played CD's"....I was totally laughing to myself at this point "no sweety it played cassettes". From there the conversation went to what a cassette is and how it works!
When did we get to the point that we are SO old that the kids marvel at our lack of technology as a kid?
We lead such a charmed life with all the advancements in our life and the simple conveniences we only imagined as kids.

[Katie-wa]

Phew! I'm glad to face a new year. But I sure liked this past one. There have been a lot of changes, maybe more than I've ever had. But I know this is just the beginning of change, and I'm excited to go where life takes me.

Happy New Year, all!

[Ennafan]

You promised to tell us about the super secret project in, like, September! I can't wait for you to tell us what it is! This isn't only the end of 2009, it's the end of the decade.
Happy New Year/New Deacade!

[Caroline]

I totally agree with what Sarah said yesterday, when are your books going to be movies? Because I swear, when (not if!) i read that bit of news I will scream!

[Je Reve]

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Okay, not only am I entering the contests, but SOCAL!!!!!!!???????!!!!!!!
Please post dates soon, oh awesome writer lady!!!

AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!
(sorry for all the capitalization, but holiday goodness is getting to me)

[Theinmanclan.blogspot.com]

Love your stuff - so much so that you made my top 10 list on my blog today!

[Jenny]

I have shared the Actor and the Housewife with many of my Mormon Housewifey friends and we all adore it!!! We may even read it for book group at the end of the year just so we can all read it again and talk about it in a more formal setting. We are all literary types adjuncting at the University and being Mommies most of the time and could so relate to Becky Jack in so many ways. Thank you for your adult fiction. Give us more!!!

[Nadine Fluckiger]

Hi Shannon,

I have a couple of photos you might like from the way past. Send me your address if you'd like me to mail them to you. Happy New Year.

Love,

Nadine Fluckiger

[Heather Z.]

Quick question: what is the date deadline for the RR trailer contest? In the other post it says "through January" but it also says that you'll be posting up the videos during next month too. Is there a specific deadline?

[Caroline]

I just finished Forest Born today!! Of the whole series, I have to say that River Secrets is my favorite:). I certainly do hope you give us more Bayern books. Maybe one about... Calib, Napralina, Finn, or Dasha? Just a thought...:P

[Myrna Foster]

I am so excited to for Calamity Jack to come in the mail! I haven't told my daughter because I want it to be a surprise, but it looks like it's going to be every bit as much fun as the first one!

[rinna-girl]

i totally agree 2010 is my year i hope you write some more books and i cant wait to find out about the super secret project!

peace love rinna-girl

[Shannon M.]

Squeeeeeeee!!!!!!

You're finally coming to Cali!

*Happy Dances around the house*

Plus super secret project reveals and Calamity Jack's release! Oh yes, 2010 is already made of win!

[Annie]

Hi Shannon! Happy New Year!

I am highly looking forward to the secret project release! And to all the books that are coming up in the future.

I'm sure you didn't take the awful reviews to heart, but I have to wonder - immoral trash? It sounds like they didn't read Forest Born! (not to be mean to the reviewer)

About Forest Born - I was having a bit a of a bad week, and the Forest Born showed up (I had it on pre-order). I read it quickly, and it made my day. When I finished it, it felt like some tension just disappeared, like the release of a sigh. I thought you might like to know : )

I love all of your books, especially your Bayern Series... and Princess Academy and Book of a Thousand Days... (I don't know why I try to specify my favorites... they are all my favorites)

I hope you have had a marvelous holiday with your friends and family, and (as much as I would love to read another book by you) I'm happy that you are writing more for yourself than for a release date.

: )