2016 Goals & Plans

It's Day One of 2016, and I'm excited! As promised from my 2015 Recap post, I want to share my goals and plans for the year.

Reading Goals
Last year, my goal was to read 100 books, and I read 112. This year, I'm aiming for 120 books. That seems like a good increase that isn't too much higher than what I was able to read in 2015. I'm also hoping to read my Paperback Picks each month.

Writing Goals
IF all goes as planned, then I'll release five solos this year. I already have my YA Romance, Bending Under Pressure, pretty much ready to go. The next is Brittany & Trace's story, which will happen in two books and is an Anxiety/Depression NA Romance. After that, I plan to launch a new hockey romance series, Carolina Rebels, which will start with Noah & Meredith's book. And to finish off the year, a story where there's an age difference.

Last year, I experimented with having self-imposed deadlines. Turns out, deadlines are meant to be missed where I'm concerned. In 2016, I'm tossing out deadlines, but keeping my tentative plans. The key words being tentative and plans. I don't want to feel pressured or feel rushed. Considering I can make my own schedule, it only makes sense that I do so in a way that truly works for me. My goal for 2016 is to not freakout if I have to rearrange some things or if I'm taking longer than I'd like to get something done.

Traveling Plans
I'll be leaving for a short trip to Pittsburgh on Monday, and then Mary & I are hitting up Dallas in March and Chicago in the fall. I'll also be going on a Alaskan cruise research trip. Lastly, I'll be heading to Charlotte for Carolina Book Bash in October. I'm so excited about all those trips, and hopefully, I'll be planning a vacation at some point. It's going to be a busy year, and I'll need to make time to take a break.

Personal Goals
I have no idea what I want to accomplish personally. I'll be going to school part-time in the fall to be able to focus more on my writing. This allows me to keep going to school, but lowers the stress that comes from being a full-time student and a full-time writer. I feel like 2015 was a great year personally, and if I could just maintain doing well, then I'll be happy. I'm constantly growing and evolving, and I'm hoping 2016 is the year where I continue to do so.

That's it for me! What are some of your goals and plans for 2016?

2015 Recap

Well, today is the last day of the year, and what a year it's been! I'm going to jump right in and start with a breakdown of the year.

Books Released: 9 (2 solos; 7 coauthored)

Places I Went: Pittsburgh, Charlotte, St. Louis, Las Vegas, & Huntington.

Personal Highlights: Turned 21; saw my Penguins play in Pittsburgh for the first time; Upgraded my car; saw Florida Georgia Line and Thomas Rhett in concert; went to a few hockey games in Raleigh; made plans to see all the NHL teams play a home game and marked two off the list (Pittsburgh and Carolina); & celebrated four years writing, Bartley's fourth birthday, and one year of living on my own!

Bookish Highlights: I read 112 books, and my goal was 100. I should probably deem 2015 the Year of Catherine Gayle and biker books, as I read all of the books in Catherine Gayle's Portland Storm series and got hooked on books with bikers. Also, I did 7 Paperback Picks out of 11 months. Hopefully, I'll do better next year.

It's been a really great year. December made it tough and pushed all my buttons, so I'm thankful it's over. I have a feeling 2016 will be amazing, and I can't wait to see what the new year brings. Tomorrow, I'll share some plans and goals for 2016!