A Decade of Change: Me in 2012 and again in 2022
My eldest son graduated in June with a Masters of Science in Software Engineering. Big accomplishment! My middle son was accepted into the mechanical engineering major program at his university. He is working hard to pass those difficult classes. My youngest son returned to school to pursue his degree. He is close to finishing. He also proposed to his girlfriend (now fiancée) on the steps of the Nashville Parthenon. How exciting! My father, unfortunately, suffered some health problems this past year including a case of Covid. He has since healed and is regaining his strength with the aid of physical therapy.
The biggest change in 2022 was my own. After three years of dating a wonderful man, I married him in August. My new husband is a kind, gentle, supportive, noble, fun-loving person who enjoys reading. Ours was a long-distance relationship (never an easy way to date) but he won me over by reading books to me over the phone. Not only does he read aloud, he does voices! Yes, I fell for a storyteller. Before the wedding, I spent two months packing up my house, then sold it, and finally moved across the country to live in a new city that has proven to be quite friendly. It certainly has been a year of big personal change and positive growth.
What about my writing goals? It is hard to believe a decade has gone by since I published my first book, Eena, The Dawn and Rescue. I love that story. It recounts the adventures of a young girl destined to rule a strange but fascinating nation. It was my debut novel as well as a unique learning opportunity. Since then, I have gained a great deal of knowledge about the writing process, and I have grown markedly as a novelist and poet.
What began as a challenge to compose a single book became the catalyst for an unanticipated love of storytelling. Eena, The Dawn and Rescue was quickly followed by a second book that continued along the same storyline. Then came book three, followed by yet another. It still amazes me how I was able to write an entire six-book saga within a four-year period! Absolutely not my initial goal!
After completing the Harrowbethian Saga, I branched out to try my hand at comprising original quotes, thoughts, and poetry for every day of the year. Smile Anyway was the result, and it turned out to be a bigger success than expected. The shocking surprise was finding my book quotes reprinted in news articles as well as in various other books. And not just a few! It has been a thrill to see my quotes scroll by on websites, reprinted in an Oxford Philosophy: Being Human course book and in seven different Chicken Soup for the Soul books, and even shared on a tv episode of Alone. What a treat!
With the success of Smile Anyway, I went on to write three additional quote/poetry/short-story books for my sons as high school graduation gifts: Making Wishes, Slaying Dragons, and Being Bold. Part of the gift included 50% of the royalties from the sale of every book. Not a bad way to help out struggling college students.
As much as I love fantasy and science fiction, I have always admired the great novelists, my personal favorite being Victor Hugo. It stood to reason that I would challenge myself to write a stand-alone novel with both dramatic and tragic elements. Dandelions: The Disappearance of Annabelle Fancher was the result of this endeavor. Composing Annabelle's story caused me many tearful moments; her story was not easy to tell. I doubt it can be read with a dry eye or a callous heart. The book was designed to stir up feelings of shock, anger, and dismay for the cruel and unjust situations so often overlooked in society. Writing Dandelions was an emotional trial as much as it was a writing challenge, which is why I wrote a lighthearted tale to accompany the novel. Secrets of a Noble Key Keeper is a short, fun fairy tale all ages will enjoy.
Last year, I published my thirteenth book, entirely unique from my previous writings. The Tarishe Curse was originally meant to be a simple short story for a friend who loves All Hallows Eve. But as my friend asked questions about what happens next, I was obliged to come up with a new chapter every Halloween. After so many years of adding chapters, one by one, it became apparent that a book was ready and waiting to be completed. The hardest part was devising an ending that wrapped up the whole crazy ordeal! It took some creativity, but it gave me an idea for a backstory about one formidable character in the book. Something to look forward to in the future!
Another thing I like to do every New Years is compare my starting numbers on social media with any growth. It motivates me to see improvement. Be it slow or small, progress is progress! Increases in followers, book sales, ratings & reviews, internet posts, and/or loyal readers is forward movement toward my goals.
|
THEN |
NOW |
|
Ten years
ago, 8 people considered my writing inspiring enough to call
themselves a fan or follower on Goodreads. |
Today, 250 people
now follow me on Goodreads. Thank you! |
|
Ten
years ago, 40 people liked my most popular book quote on
Goodreads out of thirty quotes posted at the time. |
Today, my
most popular quote on Goodreads has 409 likes out of the 1,678 original quotes posted. Wow! I guess I have a lot to say. |
|
Ten
years ago, I started with 3 Twitter followers. |
Today,
I have 2,295. Thank you too! |
|
Six
years ago, my author website had 13,552 visits. |
Today,
my author website has had 27,232 visits (and counting.) Nice! |
|
Six years
ago, 441 people followed my Facebook author page. |
Today, 921 people
follow my Facebook author page. |
|
Six years
ago, 397 followed my Instagram. |
Today, 596 follow
my Instagram page. |
|
Six years
ago, 41 followed me on Tumblr. |
Today, 124 follow
me on Tumbler. Slow and steady progress. |
As I have said many times, I am indeed grateful for my readers and supporters. Thank you for purchasing my books. Thank you for leaving kind reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, and other websites where my books are sold; it helps more than you know. Thank you for telling friends and acquaintances about my written works. I am grateful to live in a day and place where I have the privilege of educational opportunities, writing opportunities, and self-publishing opportunities. What a magnificent blessing! No matter how slow or fast the progress, I am accomplishing my goals, and that makes me happy.
Happy New Year 2023!
I am looking forward to greater accomplishments.
Oh, and if you feel so inclined, follow me on my social sites:
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/RichelleEGoodrich/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/REGoodrich
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/richellegoodrich/
Author Website – https://www.richellegoodrich.com
Author Blog - https://regoodrichnews.blogspot.com/
LibraryThing - https://www.librarything.com/profile/REGoodrich
Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/regoodrich/
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/regoodrich/
Tumblr - https://richellegoodrich.tumblr.com/
Goodreads Profile -https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5082833.Richelle_E_Goodrich
Amazon Author Page - https://www.amazon.com/Richelle-E.-Goodrich/e/B008A6A5W4/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vu00_tkin_p1_i9
