Guest Blogger - Alice Duncan

2013 . . .

Wasn't as ghastly a year as 2012. That’s maybe not a ringing endorsement, but I had three surgeries in 2012 and was half-blind for most of it, so when looked at in that light, 2013 was actually kind of all right, you know?

The best thing to happen all year was a week at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, which I spent with my grandson, his wife, and their two children, Kasumi and Andrew who, as you can see for yourself, are beautiful, brilliant children. Fun!

It was also a year in which I invested a whole bunch of myself and my money in what I laughingly call my writing career. For one thing, I went with a new publisher (ePW – and if you want to see what they do, click on the link), which repackaged, branded and republished the first six of my Daisy Gumm Majesty books as e-books. I think (although it's too early to tell) that they're actually going to make money! What a lovely departure that will be. You can see ’em here (and I’ve thoughtfully provided a link should you wish to purchase one, or even all, of them):

Daisy books link

2013 was also a year in which a bunch of my own personal books narrated and turned into audiobooks! This is quite a thrill for me, since I have such killer arthritis, it’s difficult for me to hold books any longer. You can see the ones that have been done to date here (and I’ve cleverly included links to Audible.com in case you have a sudden, burning urge to by one of them):

Audiobooks link

There are more audiobooks to come, what’s more. Here’s the cover for the next one that will be published, PECOS VALLEY REVIVAL, the narrator of which, Heather Thompson, sounds precisely like Annabelle Blue should sound, which is a Very Good Thing:

Other than those things, life has proceeded pretty much the way it always does. Too many dogs, not enough money, constant pain (and this, in spite of the agonizing back operation I had in September of 2012). Guess I just ruined my bod during all those years of dancing and aerobicizing. I honestly wouldn’t mind getting old if it didn’t hurt so much.

On the doggie front, I lost one dog, gained two, and fostered a whole bunch of them. I’m sticking to fostering small dachshunds from now on, due the aforementioned pain issue. It’s always a true thrill when a foster child gets adopted into a happy forever home.

So, what the heck. HAPPY NEW YEAR, everyone!