It’s a bright clear bitterly cold Minnesota afternoon as I write this. I’m reading the round-ups for 2014 from colleagues around the world.

As usual I accomplished both less and more than I set out to.

The most important thing: I left the job that was killing me. April 1 was the first day at my job as self-employed writer. I succeeded in keeping contact with colleagues and protege(e)s from my work circle, which is leading to some wonderful opportunities for in-person and on-line work.

I spent five or six months wrestling various health problems, including a mold infestation in my apartment (thank heaven for pro management), cancer scare, and tooth infection. In the second half of November, I finally recovered my energy.

Of course, my “sick time” wasn’t wasted; I got caught up on my reading. No, not really, because people keep writing more stuff. 🙂

I started the task I thought I would have finished by the end of this year: editing my 2011 backlist for publication. However, work continues so expect some new releases in January. Here is the comprehensive list of novella-to-novel-length books I’m editing right now:

• The Lost Pissarro
• Annie Brown and the Superhero Blues
• The Broken-Backed House
• The Shape-shifter’s Tale
• Sophie in the Heart of Winter
• The Necromancer and the Barbarian: A Love Story
• Inside the Jump

Also, nonfiction projects for which we’ll be doing the cover reveal soon:

• (with Vera Rozalsky) From Fan Fiction to Original Fiction. Use the skills you’ve learned as a fan to create original characters, worlds, and stories.
• Eaten by Bogs: a November Novelist’s Travelogue. How National Novel Writing Month improved my practice as a novelist.

Work still in process:

• Ship’s Heart
• The Fourth Prime
• Romance with Rayguns (still doesn’t have a proper name)

On Twitter, I connected with activists, writers, and artists around the world. I have some wonderful new colleagues and last night did my first introduction of people I know face-to-face and people I know on line.

I realized that my calling as a mentor is life-long. I’m encouraged by the beautiful, creative, and courageous people of all ages, ethnicities, and genders who have crossed my horizon this year.

May we all prosper in 2015!