HAPPY NEW YEAR!

January is named for Janus, the Roman god of doors and gateways. Since doors and gateways go in two directions, Janus is depicted with two faces back-to-back to symbolize how he both looks forward and backward at the same time. He is also the god of beginnings, hence why his name marks the first month of our calendar year. Looking to the future while remembering the past is the best way to live life. We have to prepare for our futures, but not forget where we come from or those who came before us.

At the start of each Karate class, Sensei has us bow and thank the teachers who came before. We face a cardboard stand with some pictures on it. These are some key people in the history of my martial art, Meibukan Goju-Ryu Karate, but they are meant to represent everyone who came before in our martial arts lineage. We do this not only to show respect, but to demonstrate that we are part of a chain. The sensei teaches us, and we pass what we learn along. I am an assistant instructor at our school, and I have taught many classes there. I am a part of this chain.

Why do I bring this up? I think in all walks of life, martial arts, writing, etc, we need to keep in mind the past. I think it’s too easy to forget history and just focus on the now. Everything we do has ramifications, some small, some monumental. Some are ripples in a pond, just breaking the surface, and other actions displace the water.

Robert Baden Powell, founder of Scouting, once said “Try and leave this world a little better than you found it”. As a former Girl Guide of 28 years, Baden Powell has had a huge impact on my life in countless ways. This quote is one I strive to live my life by. And, in these troubled times, sometimes all we can do is try to leave the world a little better than you found it.

What can you do in your life to make the world even just a tiny bit better?

Announcements

January 12 was the launch day for Thin Slices! So far it has two 5-star reviews up on Goodreads. I’m very proud of my little collection. For these first three months, it will be available on on Amazon and enrolled in Kindle Unlimited, but after that I’ll be publishing wide.

I have also sold another short story. I’m not allowed to announce or share any details yet, so hopefully in February, I’ll have more news.

Writing Update

Also on January 12, I started Moanaria’s Fright Club course and so far, it has been a great course. I’m already learning new ways of writing through their exercises. If you’re interested in growing as a horror author, I recommend it so far.

I’ve also spent most of the month taking a 6200 words story I wrote a few years ago and attempting to make it fit a max 3000 word submission call. I’ve stalled at 4200 words. I do think the new story is so far much tighter and more suspenseful. I have a tendency to want too many characters and sometimes cutting out one helps give the others time to develop. Although cutting it down has helped, sometimes cutting too much can ruin a story. Sometimes things just are the length they are. I’ll keep working on it and see.

Monthly Posts and Reviews Round-Up

Blog Posts:

One of my resolutions this year was to post something every week on my blog, and so far I’m keeping that resolution. In January, I laid out some goals, launched my book, and reviewed two others: Daughters of the Blue Moon and Forgotten Sisters. Posts will continue to go up every Sunday.

Horror Tree:

I have officially taken over Horror Tree’s Indie Bookshelf releases page. Every Friday, a post featuring upcoming (and some past) indie books goes up.

I also had one review go live on Horror Tree this month. Upon a Starlit Tide by Kell Woods, a fantastic mash-up retelling of Cinderella and The Little Mermaid that I have already placed on my best of 2025 list (though technically I finished it Dec. 31, 2024).

Ginger Nuts of Horror:

January 21, my review for Apparitions of Ruin by Ian R. Cran went live. This was a self-published mystery that I think might spark a series that I would be happy to check out.

What I’m…

Playing

As I wait for Hades 2 to drop their next big update, this cold January winter has inspired me to return to The Long Dark, a survival game about slowly freezing to death. Not the greatest hook, but that’s what it is. I have always enjoyed survival games - crafting, collecting food, exploring - and this game scratches those itches for me.

Reading

I set a goal this year to read at least 75 books. I know it’s a big ask, but I’m determined to get my TBR pile down to a manageable number. When I get a book, I really do want to read it. Only thing is, I want to read lots of books. This month, I have read 6 books, including one issue of The Dark Magazine.

I’m also making a concentrated effort to buy, read, and review more books by trans authors in light of what is going on in the US and around the world. It’s small, but it’s something I can do.

I hope January is treating you well. Thanks again and see you in February!

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