2025 Review: What A Year
Happy December! I hope this message finds you all well and prospering.
Where has the year gone? It feels like just a few moments have passed since ringing in the New Year. Instead, twelve months have passed. But you know that adage, time flies when you aren’t looking, and I have been far too busy to look at there the time has flown to.
Throughout 2025, I stepped out of my comfort zone:
- I started a master’s program at Northwestern State University in the English department, concentrating in Folklore where I learned terms like legend tripping*, ostensions**, and performances***.
- I taught Freshman composition at S&T, which was scary as hell, but one of the best experiences I have had professionally.
- I decided to try veganism, which, turns out, is much easier than I expected.
On the whole, 2025 has been fun, exciting, stressful, terrifying, and exhilarating. I learned a lot about myself, about literature, about people, and about teaching. And I’m thrilled to see what the future holds.
As I am an adjunct lecturer and the spring has fewer incoming freshmen, I will not be teaching at S&T come January. However, I have applied for a few other positions. An online tutoring fellowship through Teach for America is at the top of my list. All fingers and toes in the crossed position.
Since time is limited during the semester, I will tackle rewrites and edits to Book Three in my Pandemonium series, The Girl and the Body in the Well. Stay tuned for updates.
Thank you for sticking with me over the years. I appreciate every one of you. Here is to a happy and love filled holiday season and great joy in 2026!
Cheers,
Cynthia
*Legend tripping: the practice of searching for legends in the real world. An example would be teens going into the town’s “hunted house.”
**Ostensions: a fancy word for legend tripping.
***Performances: the act of engaging in folklore, such as telling stories, holding one’s breath when walking over a bridge, or crossing oneself fingers and toes for luck (see what I did there?).
Smashwords End of Year Sale!
I’m excited to announce that The Girl with the Uninvited Ghost and The Girl and the Clock Tower Murder will be available as part of a promotion on Smashwords 2025 End of Year Sale! This is a chance to get my books, along with books from many other talented authors, at a promotional discount.
You can find the promo here: http://smashwords.com/sale
If you wouldn’t mind lending a hand to me and the other indie authors taking part in this sale, you can share this promo with your friends and family. Just forward this email to anyone who would love a chance to find their next favorite book!
Become a Patreon Member (it’s free!)
😉 By becoming a free Patreon member, you receive exclusive content like photos, short stories, and early release chapters.
All those who sign up as paying members get The Girl with the Uninvited Ghost and The Girl and the Clock Tower Murder for free!
