What an amazing year.

Photo credit.

It has been an incredibly tough year for writers, publishers, agents, readers, booksellers, librarians . . . the economy is whacking us all over the world. I guess that's why they call it a Global Financial Crisis.

Despite the gloom, 2011 contained plenty of fabulous highlights for me.

My second novel in the Ondine series hit the shelves only 10 months after the first. The paperbacks go all over the world (thanks to internet shopping) but the kindle and ebook versions are geographically restricted to UK and Australia for the moment.

The Autumn Palace keeps getting rave reviews and I have to pinch myself that it's real. For a writer, there is nothing better than getting an email/tweet/comment from a reader who enjoyed her book. It gives me a loony grin and puts me on a high for the whole day.

The Autumn Palace long-listed, then won the paranormal category for RWAustralia's 20 Years of Romance Covers - then took out the favourite cover overall.

Ondine made the Top 10 list of great reads for the year with a "massive recommendation" from Robert at YA Yeah Yeah, who describes it as 'altogether absolutely marvellous'.

I am working very, very hard on the Ondine trequel.

And I left the best till last. I've joined a fabulous gang of YA funny writers at Read It And Laugh. Kimberly Pauley lets me play in her sandpit along with a host of amazingly talented writers who love the funny.

These are just a few of the very lovely things that have happened this year and I am very, very grateful.

The new year will see me continue to write like a woman possessed. This is my chance write and write and write before signing the next contract. Once I sign the next deal, I'll be up to my ears in revisions, edits, galleys and promos. It's going to be insane . . . but I wouldn't have it any other way.

May your 2012 be full of excitement, surprise, joy and happiness.