Happy holidays, everyone!
This has been quite a Christmas to remember for me, and I hope it has been for all of you too.
I am excited and honored to announce that my short story “The Clock Struck Twelve” has been voted best story by the readers of Fireburst! Clarendon House Publications is now giving me the opportunity to put together and publish my own collection of short stories!
While I have always dreamed of being a published author, writing took a back seat for several years after I got married and started raising my family. When my son started preschool and I started writing seriously again at the beginning of this year, my goals were simply to get some stories out there in circulation, and if I got my first short story published I would consider it a successful year. I never imagined when I started this adventure that I would end the year with eight short stories and one poem having found homes in nine anthologies put out by three different publishers. And never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be ending the year with such a huge win or be going into 2019 preparing to put together my very own collection of short stories.
But as amazing as all of that is, this year has been filled with so much more. Like most of us, I’ve experienced my share of ups and downs this year. Fortunately, the ups have far outweighed the downs. But most importantly, throughout it all, I have “met” some amazing mentors and made some treasured friendships. I may not have been able to shake any hands, give a pat on anyone’s back, or embrace most of these friends in person, but the kind words of support and encouragement I’ve received throughout the year in emails, social media comments, and personal messages has warmed my heart and kept me writing even when I wondered if it was all worth it. I’ve also had the privilege of reading a wide range of work from some of these talented friends and fellow authors, and I’ve learned so much from them along the way.
This has been not only a Christmas to remember but a year to remember. As I head into 2019, I have my work cut out for me. While I am beyond excited about beginning this next leg of my journey as an author, I must admit that I am a little terrified too as I head out to meet some high expectations, both from myself and others. Thank goodness I have some great support to help me along the way. I wouldn’t have made it this far without you my friends!
Now, as soon as I stop pinching myself to make sure I’m not still dreaming, I have a lot of work to do!
Warmest wishes and much love to you all throughout the remainder of this holiday season!
~Brandy Bonifas
