Farewell 2017 (and good riddance!)

While 2016 was tragic in terms of world events and celebrity deaths, 2017 has pretty much rocked my personal world...and not in a good way. Most of it I can't and/or don't want to talk about, partly because we've managed to move on from those bumps in the road (bumps? Gaping, lava/spider/alien filled chasms more like!) and are happily putting them behind us.
They did make me reconsider an awful lot of things, especially my writing life, to the point where I wasn't merely talking about giving up - I was totally ready to hit the Unpublish buttons at the surviving retail sites and never type another word.
But apparently even in the worst of times, I still can't give this writing habit up. Publishing on the other hand...well, despite that I did still manage to publish one new title this year (though I was close to going my first year since 2011 without a new release).

Unexpected

A Scifi Romance Novella

Goodreads | Webpage

Amazon | Other Retailers

Love can come when it’s least expected... 

When an injured alien crashes on her planet, Soraya follows her instinct to repair and restore it despite the challenge of their differing physiology. But as she gets closer to her patient and he recovers, Soraya confronts a whole new form of existence...and a desire that could destroy her completely. 

Yoran chose exile in order to release the woman he thought his soulmate from a marriage contract she had no wish to fulfill, and almost paid for it with his life. Now he finds himself drawn to his alien savior. But how can he ask her to give up the only existence she knows when he’s already suffered the consequences of such a sacrifice himself? 

***

However, this writing lark is now relegated to a hobby, and publication relies on time and having the money to finance edits and cover art. That situation hasn't improved since I made the move to royalties alone having to finance publication. I might have got myself a paying day job now, but the money from that is going into the family funds so of no benefit to my publishing finances. My books have to be self sufficient, and if that means only releasing one book a year, so be it.

So what did I achieve on the writing front this year? Well:
I wrote 31371 new words, including 11K during NaNoWriMo.
I edited nearly 80K, with Reunion finally back to my editor last week and hopefully with a release date up coming.
I released Unexpected, my first alien contact romance, some two years after starting it.
I've now accumulated 700 ratings on Good reads with 17 titles released.
I have lots of plans in my head but other than Reunion I've no firm release dates for anything as yet.

The Last Jedi
I promised my fellow crew mates a spoiler free quickie review, but find myself unable to do so after seeing the film. I've been in love with Star Wars since I was eight years old. After an exciting, twist turny romp through the galaxy that had me crying both in sadness but also many happy tears almost nonstop, the last ten minutes killed it. For me, the saga might just be over with Episode Eight. We shall see (and that's all I'm going to say on the subject).

This is my final post at Spacefreighters for 2017. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and May the Force be with you however you celebrate this time of year.

Love and luck, Pippa Jay. xx