IWSG - Good Things on the Horizon & Cover Reveal!

It's January 2022, and therefore time for a new year of the Insecure Writer's Support Group! Created by Alex J. Cavanaugh, this monthly blog hop serves to give writers a way to lend and get support for their insecurities. Anyone can join by clicking on Alex's name, then signing up and posting the first Wednesday of each month.

I'm going into this year with a positive attitude. I know there's a lot of caution out there, but my Hell Year was 2019, where within the first half of the year I lost two friends who died suddenly, my dad died earlier than expected from complications from ALS, I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, and I had my gallbladder ripped out after years of infections. I've decided that since bad things come in threes, that covers 2019, 2020, and 2021. That means 2022 has to be a good one. I'm determined to do what it takes on my behalf to make that so, which means I have a lot of plans for my writing. Starting with a new release February 1.

Optional question of the month: What's the one thing about your writing career you regret the most? Were you able to overcome it?

I've said it before, but my biggest regret is still that I didn't publish a novel before my dad died. In terms of overcoming it, I guess? I'm moving forward and not letting it stop me, so in that way I'm working to overcome it.

Co-hosts this month are Erika Beebe, Olga Godim, Sandra Cox, Sarah Foster, and Chemist Ken!

I've got a cover reveal today for my book on the craft of writing and publishing short stories! 

I'm so incredibly excited for this book, and I'm looking for help in getting the word out. Click here to go to my Google sign-up link if you're willing to do a shout-out this month. Any help is appreciated. The Business of Short Stories releases February 1 in print and e-book. The e-book is currently on pre-order at Amazon, with the print book hopefully joining by the end of this week. Thank you to those of you who have already signed up to help! I'll be sending out information this week.

Time for the submission roundup for December. I do this each month to keep myself accountable. This month was slim due to my scrambling to get a book ready for publication, but here we are:

4 submissions

3 rejections

0 acceptances

3 removed as "other" due to not hearing back and no action on the publication websites

15 stories currently on submission

What are your insecurities? How are you looking into the new year: with excitement or trepidation? How did you do with submission in 2021?

May you find your Muse.

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