2011 Recap

I don’t make New Year's resolutions. Ever. They’re just bound to make you feel like a failure at the end of the next year. Life is unpredictable, you can’t control it. So why bother?

I will, however, list some of the highlights of this past year:

16 short stories written + one longer text

11 stories published (9 on-line, 2 in print)

On-line stories:
• "Camouflage” – one of my favorite stories and very easy to write
• "Navigating Through Fog” – another easy and fun write
• "Colors and Shades” – inspired by the recent trip to Prague
• "Unhinged Reality” - my first sell for the English market. *beams proudly*
• "Hearts of Stone” – an oldie, started two years before being finished and then put on hold.
• "Chasing a Ray of Sunshine” – developed from a two lines story idea.
• "Meet You at the End of the Road” – another oldie from the same time period.
• "Giants” – written while I was working on “Miss Vu’s Morning Ride”.
• "Rustle of Angels” – this story was exactly one year old by the time it was published.

Participation to two printed anthologies:
"Miss Vu’s Morning Ride” in “Steampunk: The Second Revolution”,
editor Adrian Craciun, Millennium Books, March, 2011
"The Truth in Their Sights” in “Venus – Erotic Science Fiction Stories”,
compiler Antuza Genescu, Eagle House Publishing, December, 2011
Fancy cover arts as bonus.

Participation to upcoming anthologies edited by owners of Scifientland and Moshulsf blogs that will appear next year.

For those who keep asking me, yes, I did submit a text for the zombie anthology, but I never heard back from them and it’s been half a year so… *shrug*

Finished the first draft of a fantasy novel, the first book of a trilogy actually. No specific plans for it, but I do know that I will finish it. My fingers are itching to start on the sequel. *grins*

70 books read. I don’t know if that’s little or much, but it’s a nice round number and more than half were worth reading so no regrets there.

Finally had bookshelves built for the above mentioned books. They’re full already, but at least there are no more piles of books laying on the floor anymore. Wondering how long things will stay like this.

Bought Kindle to save on books and bookshelves. If I had waited three more months, I would have gotten it considerably cheaper, but let’s not dwell on that, shall we? After 25 books read on it, I declare myself happy with my purchase, even if the search function could be better.

Three new web sites designed and put online, moving away a little from the skating area, but still sticking with the arts and sport, like painting, sculpture and golf. Working on a personal web site, nearly done, only one important part still missing so it should be ready soon. :)

One wonderful week spent in Prague this summer. The weather was on our side, mostly. Always important!

Huge Mucha poster bought while being there and after two months I managed to have it framed and hung. Hopefully, it will last longer than the cacti bought in Amsterdam two years ago.

Update on the cacti: out of six only four survived, two of which as regular cacti while the other two are still of the mutant type. We tried grafting and it didn’t work. I think I started writing a story about it once, it might be time to finish it.

New flower pots rack. Number of flower pots surrounding my desk still too big.

Five new small trees on the terrace, including two birch trees so far still alive.

The cat surviving a stroke after getting into a fight with a stray male cat. Who needs a dog? :P

Living room furniture changed, currently shuffled around to make room for the Christmas tree.

Big beautiful Christmas tree decorated three full days before Christmas. Victory! :)