2008: Boy, am I glad that's over

***This is NOT my big news'n'announcement post, although there is an announcement IN this post. That post will probably--hopefully--be Thursday, so stay tuned.***


Yes, I'm a little late on this. Everyone else did their year-in-review posts last week. But you know, I've never been one to keep up with the Joneses.

2008 sucked.


Oh, sure. By all outward appearances, and by some measures, 2008 was awesome. Seriously awesome. Personal Demons was released, and the critical and reader reaction to it totally blew me away with its warmth and enthusiasm. Seriously, y'all, if no other good things had happened for me professionally in 2008, that would have made it one of the best years of my life, period.


But that wasn't all that happened for me professionally in '08. In March I signed with Mr. Kickass Agent. In July we got the first offer for Unholy Ghosts, and an extremely minor--but very exciting--bidding war of sorts began. NOT an auction, I'm not claiming that by any stretch, but we did have more than one editor in the game and that was intensely gratifying, even if it did leave me feeling lousy when I ended up not getting to work with some people with whom I would have seriously enjoyed working.

And then there's another good professional thing that I can't talk about yet, but am really looking forward to being able to discuss. (No, I haven't sold a new series or anything, keep your shirts on. Or, well, don't; I can't see you, so you wear whatever you like.)

So on that level, 2008 was The Year That Could; it rocked.

And a few other great things happened in '08. I got to spend a week or so with Caitlin Kittredge, which was undoubtedly a serious High Point for the year. Caitlin is so awesome and lovely and wonderful, and it was a delight to have her as a guest.

This is the year--sort of--that I lost 35 pounds. I say "sort of" because technically ten of those were lost in 2007, but the fact remains that 2008 was and is the year that I hit my ultimate goal weight of 108 pounds (I'm only 5'2, remember, and very small-boned and petite) and I have remained there for four months now, and I am quite proud of myself in addition to being thrilled at all the clothes that fit and flatter me again.

But for everything else? Man, 2008 blew.

I cannot remember the last time I was able to go outside without at least a cardigan. While it didn't rain for nine solid weeks this summer the way it did in 07, it was still far from sunny. This is the year I really, fully realized that I have no friends in this part of the world. This is the year my friends and family in the States needed me and I couldn't be there for them.

This is the year my husband and I spent the entire summer fighting like cats and dogs, only with more foul language. This is the year the raise he was supposed to get--the raise which his bosses promised would be "significant"--ended up being barely visible thanks to company-wide mandate. However insignificant it was, it was enough to kick us into a new tax bracket (so to speak), resulting in the monthly loss of an additional 20% of our income. 2008 was the year we ate a lot of soup; it was the year we couldn't buy new books or warmer clothes. It was the year we couldn't afford to take hubs' suits to the drycleaner often enough. 2008 was the year every one of life's little annoyances felt like heavy weights around my neck and drained the energy out of me; it was the year I found myself reduced to tears by a snippy Tesco clerk because I just couldn't take one more isolating incident, one more reminder that I was in a world whose rules I just couldn't grasp.

2008 was the year our couch broke and we couldn't afford a new one; I am writing this sitting on a stack of catalogs placed strategically beneath the cushion, in order to replace the broken springs. It was the year I realized there was no way I would ever please my mother-in-law, that she is determined to see me and everything I do in the most negative light possible, and that goes for everyone else I know in the area; 2008 was the year they essentially stopped speaking to me altogether.

In other words--and to stop the self-pity-party that is already well underway--aside from work, 2008 was miserable and scary and unhappy, and I am glad to see the rear end of it.

BUT!!

2009 is already gearing up to be great; I can feel it in my much-less-padded bones. So no more of this. I am looking ahead, and I am seeing some fricking amazing things coming, some of which I will tell you about very soon.


Meanwhile, here is my announcement, such as it is.

I have been the lucky recipient, over the last few months, of many emails and blog comments regarding the release date of the second Megan Chase book, DEMON INSIDE. (I say "lucky" and mean it; it's amazing to me that people actually care! Thank you, each and every one of you, from the bottom of my heart.)

As some or most or all or none of you know, DEMON INSIDE was originally scheduled to be a Jan 2009 release. And as you may have noticed, it is not.

I am not yet at liberty to discuss the reasons behind the delay; hopefully all will be revealed very soon. What I can say is that the delay has nothing to do with me or the book; it is certainly not due to problems at or with Juno Books. There are business reasons behind it, but I promise they are good and positive ones, and I wouldn't lie to you, would I?

As soon as I am able to discuss it, I will, I swear.

As soon as I have a solid release date, I will tell you, I swear. You'll be the first to know.

Right now I'm hearing late summer 09, but that could very well change, so please stay tuned.

In the meantime I apologize very sincerely to each and every one of you for the delay. Please be assured that if there was any way to avoid it, we would have done so. I hate things being late and delayed, especially books, and I'm really sorry. I just hope that you'll be pleased--um, or at least care a little--when you hear the reasons behind it, and that you'll forgive me, and that you'll still be willing to read DEMON INSIDE when it does appear on the shelves.

And of course, that you'll enjoy it when it does.

And that's it. Stay tuned; no matter what I'm allowed to say by Thursday, there will definitely be some announcements made which will hopefully interest you.

Meanwhile, I'm going to raise a glass and breathe easily, and hope that 2009 holds better things, and that the small professional success I found in 2008 was not a fluke. :-)

Thank you all for spending the year with me. Here's to all of us!