Reaching the end of 2024 feels both an achievement and a huge relief. The TL:DR of 2024 is that it was a FLIPPIN’ DOOZY of a year…

The end of the year is always a bit melancholy for me, arriving so suddenly after the loveliness of Christmas and bringing with it a mix of emotions. This year I’ve taken time off over the festive season, after years of working through Christmas (and Easter and holidays and weekends…) It was much-needed and hard fought for. I’m glad I did it.

As always, I’ve looked back at the year, taking stock – even though that phrase always makes me feel like I should be making gravy! So, what kind of gravy did 2024 have for me?

Complicated gravy.

(I reckon I’ve taken this analogy far enough, now!)

There are many things I’m absolutely proud of: finally publishing Things We Do For Love, my Shakespeare-themed enemies to lovers tale that I’ve been daydreaming of since 2011; appearing as a Festival Author at the wonderful Theakston’s Crime Writing Festival in Harrogate (and bagging my first paid acting job into the bargain as an actor in the Author Dinner’s murder mystery, written by Festival Chair, Ruth Ware), publishing my fourth and fifth Dr Cora Lael crime-thrillers, The Deadly Echoes and The Unspoken Truth; seeing photos of my gorgeous reissued first novel, Fairytale of New York on the shelves of the iconic Strand Bookstore in New York and at bookshops across the USA, completing back-to-back first drafts of Cora 6 and my Summer 2025 novel and surviving quite possibly the worst copy edit of my career.

Written down, that looks like a lot!

But more than all of the above, I’m proud I made it through the toughest year of my professional writing life. I’ve had to learn to fight all over again for notice, for what I want to write and for the right to put my health first. I’ve worked harder than I ever have in 15 years as a published author, for the smallest returns of my career. On more than one occasion, I’ve had to decide whether it’s even viable to continue or not. This isn’t an over-dramatic flounce: this is the reality for so many authors today. But this year seems to have bit the hardest, pushed the most and kicked me the sharpest. I’m glad it did, because it’s made me take a long, hard look at my writing and my career and work out what I want moving forward. The toughest lessons are the ones that matter in the long run, even if I wish they hadn’t been necessary!

So, what about 2025?

Honestly, I have no idea!

There’s a lot of uncertainty – two contracts coming up for renewal, a feeling of doors closing in certain areas and my absolute determination not to have another year as challenging as this one. Your crossed fingers for me on all of the above would be most welcome!

But there’s exciting stuff, too. New stories I have no contract for but am writing anyway, plans for relaunching WriteFoxy with an added series of online writing events, new plans for Writers Off Topic podcast and my weekly show, Fab Night In Chatty Thing, and more goodies I’m still working on. Make sure you’re subscribed to Sparkly News to be the first to hear of all of this (it’s always free to read, although I’ve now added the option of a paid subscription for anyone who fancies supporting me). WriteFoxy relaunches on Monday 20^th January, so I’ll let you know when all of that is about to go live.

As always, if you like what I do and fancy buying me a coffee, you can do this on my Ko-fi page – where you’ll also find all kinds of exciting free stories and treats. Thanks to everyone who’s bought me coffees this year!

More than anything, I want 2025 to be the first year of me looking after myself. I’ve come to the conclusion that all I’ve achieved by working like a loon, never resting and being 100% accommodating to everyone and everything is ill health, frustration, lack of money and professional invisibility. 2025 will be the start of prioritising my health, my family and the stories I want to write. I think what I create will be brighter, more exciting and so much more sparkly as a result.

I’m excited about that. I hope you are, too!

And finally…

There are quite a few ebook deals across my romance and crime titles and as I’m always a bit rubbish at remembering to mention them, here they all are in two handy, clickable lists!

ROMANCE novels:

Things We Do For Love – 99p, Fairytale of New York – 99p, It Started With a Kiss – 99p, Christmas in St Ives – 99p, I’ll Take New York – £1.99, When I Fall in Love – £1.99, Welcome to My World – £1.99.

CORA LAEL series:

The Secret Voices – £1.99, The Silent Child – 99p, Leave No Trace – £1.99, The Deadly Echoes – £2.99, The Unspoken Truth – £1.99.

That’s all, folks…

…but I’d just like to say a huge thank you for all of your support this year. It’s been the wonderful messages, comments and letters from lovely readers that have kept me going in 2024, always arriving when I most needed them. As long as you want to read stories from me, I’ll write them for you. And there are so many more to come. Keep watching your inboxes for news, sneaky peeks at what I’m writing, exclusives and giveaways and thanks for reading!

Wishing you your best year yet in 2025!

Brightest wishes,

Miranda x