My November Plans: What Did and Did Not Happen

Photo credit: 200degrees via Pixabay

 

This blog post is a follow-up to the post, “Looking Forward to November.” I realize that I should have posted this update at the beginning of December, but I wanted to see how the month of December turned out in case I had any other updates about the items in that blog post.

 

And, at this point in the month, I can say with certainty what did happen that month, what eventually happened in the next month, and what won't happen at all this month or year.

 

First, I will start with the things that didn’t happen:

 

The new publishing division for Twisted Dreams Press did not happen in November 2025. We had a problem with the book we were trying to publish, and the author decided to abandon the project. There ARE other books scheduled for this division, but they are not ready to be released yet.

 

I DID start writing a novel in November but, unfortunately, I have not had the time since to FINISH writing it. That's still a priority I am taking into 2026! It is my next novel, so no other novels will be written, revised or completed until this one is finished.

 

My children’s book, Little Turtle Finds Friends, was not published in November, and it won’t see publication this month, either. I told the publisher to just move it to January and HOPEFULLY I will get a good, fresh start in my return to having children’s books published in the new year. I have several of these manuscripts and already sent a few of them to this publisher. I am thinking of submitting one to Crystal Lake Publishing when they reopen to submissions next year.

 

My deaf poetry book Noiseless was not published in November – but it WAS published in December! Yay!

 

The re-release of my YA horror short story collection, The Worst Thing You Ever Did, did not happen in November. Here again, I requested it be bumped to 2026.

 

Also not published in November was the second book in the Week of Terrors anthology series, Terrifying Tuesday. Unfortunately, the publisher became seriously ill and could not complete edits on this book. (She is still not recovered from her illness.) Of course, we all understand. I hope this anthology will be published in January. Not only do I have a short story in this anthology, but my sister, Millie, also has a story in it! Yay! And it’s her first short story to be published in an anthology. I am very excited for her.

 

But there is good news! Something I was looking forward to for the month of November DID happen that month: My second article for Able News was published! Woot! And I have another article published in the December/January issue of Able News, this time a profile piece about author and entrepreneur Karen Putz.

 

So even though some things didn’t happen when planned, they did still happen – just a little later.

 

And at least the things that didn’t happen at all will still happen at some point! These are things that are now on the agenda for the new year. They didn’t happen in 2025, so I have twelve whole months to make them happen in 2026.

 

In addition to the things that I hope will happen in 2026. I am hopeful for the new year.