Coffee Talk: Vacation, Lovecraft, and the New Year.

It's New Year's Eve! I imagine most of you have plans of some kind or the other. Whether it's a party, a small gathering, or curling up under a blanket, I know you'll have a good night. We're going pretty low-key here, although we might get over to a friend's get-together before 2017 arrives. 

As I've mentioned before, this has been a great week off for me. I've seen friends, spent time with my family, gotten out and about, and eaten great food, all while having a lot of fun. My week was capped off by a relaxing & calm two-day trip to Kansas City with my husband. It was an early anniversary trip, and we had a blast. It was also the reason I didn't get this post out today at my usual time. Some of the things I've done over this week, including the Kansas City trip, will be featured in some upcoming blog posts so stay tuned for those.

I was featured in a digital copy of The Lovecraftian Herald, which you can see here. You can find me three posts down on the left. My blog post about Lovecraft and Poe is the reason I was featured, and that's always fun. Check it out if you'd like! 

I've also gotten some research done for The Box as it's now in it's End Stage. The first third of my books are always the Beginning Stage, the second third is the Mid Stage, and the last third is the End Stage. The research I'm doing now is related to the ah-ha! moment I had earlier in the week, and it's a great development in the story. I will be putting up one last teaser before it's finished, but we have a little while yet before that happens.

As 2017 looms over us, it's that time of year when people start reflecting inwardly about how far they've come (or lack thereof), and where they'd like to go (or see changed in themselves) for the coming year. It's a time when people envision a do-over, a restart, a reboot, or a new beginning if you will. It's the time when people make resolutions and start out with the best of intentions.

As for myself, I've had a great year, personally and professionally, and for that I am grateful. I am like most people though, in that I am reflecting upon my life and, while I'm thrilled with how good life has been this year, I definitely have things I would like to see change and happen. It's time, then, for my own resolutions, and I'm hoping that 2017 will be even bigger and better than this year. I hope your year also proves to be better, or just a great, as 2016 was.

Outwardly, we also reflect on others. We think about our friends, the world, and those who's lives impact ours in some way. To that end, I hope that we all take the time here and there to make other people feel good, to reach out to those who need us, and to consider others when we have opportunities to have more than we need. I don't mean that you should give everything you have, but say a kind word to someone who looks down. Complement a friend on how they look. Give a few bucks or a sandwich to that homeless person. If you have a few extra dollars, donate to a charity you admire. 

There are so many ways to project the inward and outward reflections we make as we contemplate this year and the next. They can either be good or bad, depending on the choices we make. Life is a series of choices, and choosing well makes all the difference in the world. Try, then, to make the best choices you can make.

Wishing you all the best, this year and every year,

H.A.