2017 – Year In Review

Welcome, one and all, to my 2017 wrap-up post. Now, I know that I normally do a mass list of everything posted for my monthly round-ups, but I figured that that would be more than a little daft given the number of posts this year. I do want to cover some of my top postings though, so that seems like a good place to start.

 

Top Ten Posts For 2017 [Based On Views]

• 10 – Comic Review: Dreamkeepers Volume 2 – Flight To Starfall – Coming in at number ten is my review of volume two of the Dreamkeepers graphic novel saga. A big part of this is thanks to Dave and Liz Lillie, the series creators. You see, they’ve been kind enough to share my reviews around when they’ve gone out. It’s a great series though, kinda Tex Avery meets Disney for a grown-up fantasy market.
• 09 – Author Interview: Brad Harmer-Barnes – Brad is an absolute gent, and it was really fun doing the interview with him. If you missed it, and you’re a horror fan, it’s well worth checking out. He’s had a wonderfully varied life, and his books are good fun.
• 08 – Pride Month: LGBT representation in kid’s shows – I really enjoyed writing this one. The funny thing is, it did create some controversy for me on Twitter. One of my tweets to promote it became a discussion about whether LGBT representation is needed in kid’s shows and, while it was initially very civil, it turned into a back and forth that was getting a bit out of hand. But there you go. It happens.
• 07 – Book Review: The Wayward Astronomer by Geoffrey Thomas – And we’re back with the Dreamkeepers universe for a review of the spin-off novel. This is a great addition to the lore and features soem spiffing illustrations by Dave Lillie to boot.
• 06 – Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Conor McGregor – Honestly, I expected this one to do well. It was a hot thing issue, and I timed it close to the actual event. Good fight, and fun post to work one.
• 05 – Comic Review: Dreamkeepers Volume 1 – Awakenings – Our final stop with Dreamkeepers for the top ten is volume 1 of the series. My comments from number ten apply here too.
• 04 – Dogman: fact or fiction? – This one surprised me. Cryptozoology is an interesting subject, and I know that Dogman is one of the big ones at the moment, but I wasn’t expecting this one to get as much attention as it did. I like it though. Putting forward my thoughts on what Dogman could be was good fun.
• Cosplay: Inukai [Flying Witch] – This was heartening to see getting so high on the list. It was the first time that I’d used a facial prosthetic rather than a full mask, and the make-up job came out really well. Dead happy with it.
• 02 – Digimon Adventure Tri: Our Future Speculation – I thought that this would finish high after I saw how many hits it was getting. I love Digimon. I can talk about it for ages when I feel like it. This was just one example of me thinking about it far more than I probably should.
• 01 – Addict (The Cassie Tam Files 1) – This made me smile. That one of my novels was my most viewed posting was great to see. Thanks everyone!

 

Honestly, this has been a fantastic year for the website. The total hits have … well … more than quadrupled from 2016. Given that 2016 saw a big spike compared to 2015 too, that really does make me smile. I’m still not 100% sure what it is that I’m doing right or wrong with the site, but there’s obviously something that’s clicking with people, so yay!

And on that note, THANK YOU! Everyone, whether you be an old or new follower, a regular visitor or an infrequent dropper-by, thank you. I am truly grateful that you’re all here. When I started this site in 2015, I had absolutely no idea of what I was going to do with it other than promote my own projects, and to see the growth that has happened is really gratifying.

 

Now, onto the non-site-specific stuff.

I started 2017 on the backfoot. Those that have been following me since 2016 will know that I left my job of fourteen years towards the end of that year. While it was the right decision for me, it was frankly terrifying too, as it meant that I started 2017 unemployed. That was the first time that I’d been out of work since I finished high school. Truth be told, my planned change of career hasn’t been an easy road either. The short version of it though is that I’m working part time and, while it’s not in the role that I am aiming for, it is a way for me to gain the necessary experience to get to where I want to. In a way, it’s been strange, because the severe reduction in hours is something that I haven’t yet gotten used to. On the positive side of that though, it has given me extra time to keep up to date on here, and to work away at other projects.

Which brings me to my books. 2017 saw me release more material than ever. Putting aside the short stories that I published on here, I also released the following:

• Addict [The Cassie Tam Files #1] via NineStar Press
• Basille [Teller Tales #1] via Black Rose Writing
• Ouela [Teller Tales #2] self-published
• Nor’Killik [Short Story] appeared in Roar Volume 8: Paradise by Bad Dog Books

That makes 2017 my most productive year for books. It was also a year of firsts for me in that regard. Nor’Killik marks my first paid appearance in an anthology, and Addict and Basille were my first books through publishing houses. Yes, Ouela was self-published, though that was not due to rejection. Without going into details of the situation, I am expecting to find a new home for Teller Tales ASAP, whether that be through a publishing house or self-publishing. There are a few options for me there, but I need to sort out Basille first. How long will that take? Who knows. For now though, I’m concentrating on the positives. I’ve released more books, and I’ve received more reviews than ever before.

Despite this increase in writing productivity, I had a decrease in cosplay activity. I attended less conventions this year due to being careful with money, so there was less need to build costumes. The one I did do, Inukai from Flying Witch, was well received though. If the music video I was filmed for in it ever emerges, I’ll link to it here. There were a lot of us taking part though, so I’d imagine that editing is a nightmare on it.

Oh, and I’ve been enjoying doing art again. I still don’t draw too often, but it’s been fun when I’ve had the time. Am I improving? I honestly don’t know. The main thing is that I’m enjoying it though.

 

And that’s pretty much it. There’ll be another post about what’s to come in 2018, but for now … farewell 2017! It’s been an absolute blast!