2020 has been a terrible year in so many ways, but for me personally it’s been filled with so much light! Between launching The Raven and the Dove a few months ago and seeing all the love it’s received, and giving birth to my baby girl, both professionally and personally I have so much to be grateful for—so I just want to say thank you for making what could have been just a horrible year in some ways wonderful!
I'm looking forward to seeing what 2021 brings, but first, I want to take a moment to reflect on all the accomplishments from the past year :) Obviously, giving birth and expanding my family is the number one best thing that happened to me this year, but professionally, I have some other highlights!
So, here are...
My Top Five Author Moments of 2020!
1. Launched a new series with The Raven and the Dove!
This year I launched the first two books and the prequel novella for my new series, The Raven and the Dove! I absolutely adore these characters, and it warms my heart so much every time I think about the wonderful response to their story. The Raven and the Dove launched as a #1 New Release in the Amazon store and maintained that status for a few weeks (!!). It also is the first book of mine to have fan art, as well as a foreign edition. And it got the most pre-orders of any first-in-series book I've ever published. I can't wait to continue the momentum in 2021 with the release of the third book!
2. Had my first foreign edition of a book published!
As I mentioned above, The Raven and the Dove is the first book of mine to ever be published in a foreign language. I sold the rights to Eksmo Publishing in Russia in 2019, but this year the foreign edition went on sale and I got to hold the physical copy in my hands! Being an indie author, foreign language rights isn't something I ever thought I would see, so it's truly a magical experience for me!
3. Launched new covers for my To Catch a Thief series!
I've been obsessed with the recent illustrated cover trend for romance novels, so I had to jump on the bandwagon with my To Catch a Thief series! I adored the original covers, but I love these ones so much more!! They're adorable and perfectly reflect the enemies-to-lovers, romcom vibe of the series! I'm going to start working on a new contemporary romance series in 2021, and I'll definitely be keeping up with the illustrated cover style :)
4. Saw fan art of my characters!
While I've commissioned art for my books before, this is the first year I've ever seen fan art for my books! Lyana is such a strong character, and I'm thrilled so many wonderful readers (some of whom happen to be artists) fell in love with her spirit! If you click the images above, you'll head to the Instagram profiles of the wonderful artists for these three fan arts! I absolutely love them and I bought print outs for my office :)
5. Published hardcover books for the first time!
Hardcover editions have been on my to-do list for a long time, and this year I finally took the dive! Both books in The Raven and the Dove launched with hardcover editions and also pre-orders, and I published my entire Once Upon a Curse series in hardcover as well! My favorite aspect is the special feature of having a different design beneath the dust jacket - I think it gives the hard cover a more deluxe feel. I can't wait to continue working through my backlist until all my young adult books are all available in this new format!
And those are my top five author moments of 2020!
Of course, so many amazing things happened this year and I've interacted with so many wonderful readers, so this is just a highlight! 2020 truly was a special year. I've never had so many people reach out with love for my books, and every single tweet, message, post, and comment has a warm place in my heart.
Before I go, as is tradition, I also want to include my...
Top Five Reads of 2020!
This was a recommendation from my dad, who always sends fabulous books my way, so I knew I'd love it. I had NO idea I would love it as much as I did. The murder mystery ended up being only a small part of the intrigue. I was completely wrapped up in the main character's story and the gorgeous descriptions of the wildlife of the south. Highly recommend!
This is the second book of the series, but it said it could be read as a standalone, so I decided to take a chance even though I hadn't read book one. Well, it blew my socks off! The fantasy world is a mix of roman and feudal influences, the magic is complex, and the romance drew me in. The third book releases this year, as does a novella I believe, and I can't wait to dive in!
I first saw this book making the rounds on Instagram, and I was curious about the gorgeous cover and all the rave reviews. I'm so glad I purchased a copy! This story is a book lovers dream! I loved the parallel tales, the fast pace, and all the swoony romance, not to mention the dreamy writing. This is definitely a book I will go back to again and again! I need to buy a copy for my shelves :)
I'm not usually a huge fan of historical romance novels - I'll pick one up ever so often - but the feminist angle of this series and the adorable cover sucked me in. I ended up LOVING it and I eagerly gobbled down book two! The third book comes out in 2021 and I already preordered it. Combine that with my binge watch of Bridgerton on Netflix, and historical romance might just be my new obsession, lol!
This book was everywhere a few years ago, and I had it on my tbr for ages, but I finally started reading it during a twelve hour flight to Hawaii back in February (before Covid kept me at home). I wasn't sure what to expect, so color me surprised when the flight passed in a blink and I found myself logging onto the plane internet to immediately start book two! I adore these quirky characters and the gender-swapped spin on Pretty Woman. I can easily see this one turning into a movie!
And that's it for 2020!
See you all in the new year!! 💛💖💛
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