My Last Newsletter of 2024
Let's reflect on the year
Hello friends!
Happy December! I hope everyone is having a lovely start to the holiday season. It feels crazy to say, but this will be my last newsletter update of 2024. It seems like just yesterday it was January, and I was sharing my goals for the new year.
November Recap
Last month mostly consisted of diving head-first into book 3. I won’t be sharing much about it for a while, but I can say that I’m having so much fun with these new characters and figuring out their story—probably the most fun I’ve ever had with a first draft. It feels fairly different from my previous two books but also very much the same. I can’t wait for the day when I can share more with you!
I did manage to get myself to step away and take some time off for Thanksgiving. We spent some great time with family and experienced the first snow of the season! It was a break I didn’t know I needed but very much appreciated when I came back with some fresh perspectives on book 3.
Reflecting on 2024
This past year feels like it went by in the blink of an eye, but it was truly one for the books. I wrote, rewrote, revised, edited, and published my sophomore novel—a book that was simply meant to be a snappy enemies-to-lovers YA romance but ended up being so much more. I built an ARC team for the first time (shout out to anyone from said team who are reading this—you made a terrifying process for me such a wonderful experience!). I celebrated the one year anniversary of publishing my debut novel. I started drafting my third book. I connected with wonderful readers who took a chance on my books, and fellow writers who have offered kind of insightful words of encouragement.
I also read so many amazing books and embraced randomly becoming a slow mood reader when life got busy in the second half of the year. I tapped back into my inner athlete and picked up running again. My husband and I were blessed with an in-person community that has surrounded us with so much joy and love.
I’m so thankful to everyone who has made this year so special, and I’m so thankful to God, who showed up time and time again and made it all possible.
Monthly (& Year-End) Book Recs
For the literary fiction lovers:
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman — If you’re looking for a book that’s going to tug on your heart strings and make you feel all the emotions, this is the book for you. It’s a bit of a slow start, but the characters were intriguing and kept me engaged, as well as the unique premise. Though I do recommend checking trigger warnings before diving straight into it.
My top reads from 2024:
The Lovelight Series by B.K. Borison (Romance)
If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio (Literary Fiction/Thriller)
Funny Story by Emily Henry (Romance)
The Rule Book by Sarah Adams (Romance)
The Naturals Series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (YA Mystery-Thriller)
The Grandest Game (Grandest Game #1) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (YA Mystery)
Honorable Mention: Games Untold (The Inheritance Games #5) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (YA Mystery) — I’m not quite finished with this one as of writing, but I adore The Inheritance Games series and am loving this novella/short story collection based on the trilogy!
If you’ve made it this far, thank you for reading this newsletter and any of the others I’ve written this past year! Just a few reminders before you go:
If you still have some holiday shopping to do, and you have a reader in your life, consider supporting an indie author by gifting one of their books! Of course, I’d love it if you gifted TCTFU or TPWC, but in my last newsletter I shared a list of some of my favorite indie authors if you’re looking for books in other genres.
If you’ve read either of my books (but specifically TPWC), please consider leaving a review and/or rating on Amazon and/or Goodreads. People are more likely to check out books that are reviewed and rated, so these are a key part of a book’s success—along with continuing to share about the books through word of mouth and social media!
Wishing you a happy and restful holiday season! I’ll see you in the new year!
-Abby
For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. -Isaiah 9:6 (NLT)