I have quite a few thoughts about 2024. Most of them are less than pleasant, so rather than dwell on them or their impact on our futures, I’ve determined to stick to what I can control and what I can improve upon in the coming year. Check out my 2024 Wrap Up below:

2024 Wrap Up

This year presented numerous challenges to this poor writer. Iris, my three-year-old whirlwind, broke the mold of the Paduano children and shucked off the nap much sooner than expected. Not the worst thing in the world. We’ve certainly enjoyed ourselves, reading and coloring and playing games, but holy hell has it taken away from my work. That sixty to ninety minutes every day really helped take care of quite a bit. Without it, things have been… tougher, let’s say.

I’ve written under pressure for most of my career. When you have three kids and a wife who want nothing more than to spend time with you, you try to make the most with the minutes you have. This year, though, with four releases, more in-person events than ever, and less time to work than ever, it has not been my best year.

This isn’t meant to be a downer. I don’t care to complain. This is just where life is at the moment, but things will change. This time will never come again, so I am rolling with the punches to do what I can while enjoying my family as it stands in this moment.

But enough with the complaining.

I mentioned the four releases. DSA Season Two is finally out in the world! I remember putting down my first thoughts on The Wellspring in December 2019. That’s how long these six books took to ruminate into existence. The pandemic was a tricky devil to navigate, but out of that time away from publishing came six of my best works and I will always be proud of the journey taken to make them a reality.

The reception to the season has been phenomenal. We’re not burning up the sales charts, but those who have read the tales of our intrepid adventurers have said nothing but wonderful things.

Greystone returns.

If those would have been the only releases this year, I would have considered that a triumph. But then came The Last King. Yes, it isn’t truly out in the world on its own yet. That comes next month. But The Last King was a project that came out of nowhere and one that has quickly become a favorite of mine. Everything about putting the story together was a dream come true. For those who haven’t read it yet, you are in for a treat.

Out of everything that happened this year, the Patreon is what I am most proud of. This was something I wanted to do for years, yet kept putting it off repeatedly out of pure terror. I am what I am and most of the time, that is a self-loathing fool of a man. I am my greatest critic. Always will be. I worried over the commitment required to publish content regularly, sure, but what it boiled down to was a sense of failure if the page didn’t take off.

I really am quite stupid. The Patreon has been a lot of fun to work on this year. Not only has it allowed me another avenue to reach readers, it’s given me the chance to finally publish Army in the Obelisk. This was another long-gestating project that I pushed aside many times to work on other things. The story is great, but the structure appealed to me more than anything else. I love toying with new formats and different ways to tell a tale. Thankfully, Loren and Soriya make it very easy.

In-person events were amazing this year. So many conventions and festivals allowed me so many new opportunities to connect with readers. Every interaction was a treat for me and I hope you feel the same if you happened upon me out in the wild. I’m still pinning down what I want to do next year. We’ll see what I can squeeze in.

That was the year in review. A reflection of the tough days endured and the sadness at not being able to write more than I did. The best thing about doing these wrap ups is that they not only let me see where I’ve been, they allow me to see the road ahead. And to share a bit of it with you.

A look ahead…

Greystone will be the big takeaway for 2025. Hardcover editions of the books are coming starting next month. The prequel trilogy will be getting a box set… FINALLY. The Last King and Army in the Obelisk were just to get the ball rolling. Books Six and Seven of the main series arrive next year. I’ve spent the last two weeks reading through them (again). They are, without a doubt, two of my favorite books. I’m actually scared to write the next one because of how good these turned out. Isn’t that ridiculous?

Realizing the dwindling time available to me and the pressure of the past year, I’ve redoubled my efforts to make next year about some long-deserved self-care. My writing schedule is set. I will be finishing the Greystone series on my end, but rather than push hard into the next big endeavor, I need to take some time to work on myself a bit health-wise.

That might not be what you want to hear. You want the next season of DSA, or the Coventry series, or Spectral Advocate, or Red Epsilon, or, or, or… So do I! More than anyone! This is for their benefit, trust me. I never stop working, and don’t think I can at this point, but by taking a step away more often than I have in the past, I think the books will be better for it.

Thank you for supporting my work. You have no idea what it means to me having you here. Whether it is on the blog or on social media or on the Patreon page. I know you have my back and I can only hope to deliver the best fiction possible for many, many, many years to come.

Wishing you a very magical holiday season and a happy new year.

Thanks for reading.