So. It’s the end of 2009.
Praise be.

The end of a grossly unprofitable and highly disappointing year. Good Riddance.

We are so far from the NYT bestseller list, that we’re not even on the same planet.
So much for lofty goals.

We couldn’t get media coverage to save our lives. Even with the GGC in tow.

We spent about 45% more on marketing than we earned in book sales.

We were threatened with foreclosure, weren’t sure how we were going to pay our bills, and had more than one emotional (and financial) set back on the personal front.

Still… on the bright side…

Overall, this year was a lot of fun! I got to spend nearly all of it with my entire little family: Ethan, the “girls,” and Shadow, the cat.

We drove from one end of the continent to the other in the Geekalicious Gypsy Caravan at least three times, traveling well over 6,000 miles on the book tour.

We met some incredible people. Saw this beautiful country. Visited family & friends. Got some super book reviews. Won two awards. Found some wonderful fans. Touched more than a few people with our books. Experienced joys and sorrows, both personal and professional.

We’ve sold nearly 4,000 books, no small feat for first time authors with an unknown independent publisher and no marketing budget. Especially considering that the average book released in the US sells 500 copies in it’s lifetime. This was just in the first year for Rowan of the Wood.

And now, we have the sequel out: Witch on the Water. Many fans have said they like it better than Rowan. I’d like to think we learned a thing or two about writing along the way, so that’s good news.

The bad news is… I’m exhausted. I hit my ceiling for tolerance and hope around November 1st, and I’ve been recovering every since.

For 2010… we have a new plan. We won’t be traveling as much (I don’t even want to mention the amount we spent in gasoline… and here I am an anti-oil/war environmentalist. It’s embarrassing), but we’ll still be doing some choice events.

We’ll be focusing on what works and trying out some new things, but I’m unlikely to be the marketing whirlwind I was last year. Unless amazing something tips that gives me a second wind. Like a movie deal (starring Kevin McKidd as Rowan!)

We’ll be sticking closer to home out of necessity and staying off the computer more. (Yeah! Like that will happen!– actually, I have been keeping away from social networking sites in comparison to the pre-October frenzy.)

Living more.

Writing more.

Reading more.

And…helping others more. Authors. Kids. Animals. Plants. Whoever needs helping.

Fewer videos. Fewer book signings. Fewer everything else.

Basically doing everything we did last year… minus the constant marketing.

I won’t be making anymore lofty goals, and I’ll focus on being grateful and happy with what we have, whether that is barely a roof over our heads or some best-seller list. Try to be here. Which, is extremely difficult for me, as I’m obsessively goal-oriented. I’ll be trying to more more toward the process, honing my craft, making art-love-beauty.

Just living.

Enjoying right now.

After all we’re rich in LOVE. Heath. Happiness. Friends & Family. A home. We’re quite fortunate, especially with as hard as this year was on many, many, many, many people.

I feel like I’ve lost the last two years of my life to constant marketing.
And it’s so not worth it.

Just plain burnt out.

Life is too short. Too fragile to spend it always reaching to the future.
Time to enjoy now.

Perhaps I’ll write a book on that.

Still… it’s been a great ride! See you on the road in 2010 — look for the GGC!

… oh–

and…

BUY OUR BOOKS!