The Winter Solstice, Christmas, and 2025 are beckoning from the horizon so I thought I’d take the opportunity to look back over the last twelve months before the festivities dance me away. Now that I think about everything I’ve packed into the year, 2024 has been busy, productive, memorable for all the right reasons, and exceptionally kind. Here’s why.

Haven’s Deceit was published

Let’s start with the biggest, most exciting news from 2024. In November, the third instalment of my YA fantasy series was launched by Burning Chair Publishing.

As Steve Haven and his friends mourn the loss of a companion, they think things can’t get any worse. But then the gates linking Darkacre to the outside world are sealed shut by the Council. And Hartley Keg’s magical travelling powers are cruelly taken away, leaving him as trapped as the rest of them.

Steve is determined to find his missing parents, and perhaps the mystery of where they’ve been all this time will be the key to freeing them and Steve’s friends from the Council’s traps.

Steve and his friends must embark on their most difficult and perilous journey yet. Drawn into a world much more dangerous than they ever imagined, they find themselves in a place where no-one can be trusted, everyone is controlled, and there can be no secrets.

Will Steve find his parents and the truth behind who he really is? And who will save him this time round, when his friends are powerless, trapped, or both?

***

There’s something very special about seeing your baby, sorry, book welcomed into the world. I did the usual authorly thing of releasing an unboxing video, blogging about the inspiration behind Haven’s Deceit, and even having a Haven’s Deceit Christmas bauble made by the lovely Vicky at Nan’s Attic.

I reintroduced the Haven Chronicles in the run up to the launch, blogged about what you can expect to see in book four of the series, and started writing it too.

I revamped my website

I’ve been wanting to update my website since Magic Bound was published. This year, well, at the tail end of this year, I finally got around to doing it. What do you think?

I read more books than I thought I would

I gave myself a reading target for the year of 12 books. That might not seem like a lot to some people, but for me it was realistic. I started with The Shepherd’s Crown by Terry Pratchett and ended (so far) with Voodoo and Veils by Bella Colby. I’m still reading Blackbirch The Dark Half by K M Allan but I’m hoping to get that finished over the festive break.

You can find all my book reviews over on Instagram.

I even had time for a holiday (or two)

In June, I returned to Venice, this time with my daughter. Venice is one of the locations Steve and co visit in my third novel, Haven’s Deceit, so it was wonderful to remind myself of the feel of this wonderful city.

I also had a couple-y short break with my husband to Worcestershire and Shakespeare country. You’d think that when you visit Stratford on Avon, you’d return with something bard-related, but no. I brought a baby Cthulhu home with me. I did get to visit the library at Warwick Castle though.

All in all, it’s been a great year. There isn’t much left of it but I’ll be filling these few weeks with plenty of writing and reading.

However you spend it, I hope the festive break treats you well. Happy holidays. See you in 2025.