Tales From Burkeland: Tale Twelve
Hustle and bustle may be the theme of the holiday season, but for me December is a time to slow down. I find myself spending more time with my journal as I look back on the year and celebrate the wins, both big and small. I’m discovering that 2025 brought a plethora of causes to pop a champagne bottle! Here are a few of the highlights.
• Published “Rise of the Witches” in Circe from Flame Tree Publishing in my first sale to traditional publishing.
• Published “The Dragon, the Dog, and the Mountain Man” in Here There Be Dragons from the Midwest Writers Guild of Evansville. I also edited and did the cover design for this anthology.
• Won an honorable mention for my first entry into Writers of the Future, the largest talent search for up-and-coming fantasy and sci-fi writers in the world.
• Made my contest judge debut with the March Microfiction Madness competition in Apex-Writers Group. I also judged the 2025 Midwest Writers Guild of Evansville contest.
• Had my first book signing at Your Brother’s Bookstore in Evansville.
• Exchanged books with some amazing author friends—Laura Holley, Katie Cawood, and ASF DeWeese. This one still blows my mind. I’m published, and my friends are too!
This barely scratches the surface, but years from now when I look back at the start of my journey, these memories will still stand out.
Beyond the highlights, I accomplished my main goal—establishing a regular writing routine without burning out. I submitted short stories to contests and submission calls that ended in rejections (that’s part of this gig) and outlined several more. The Heirs Saga now has a skeleton outline, which is a huge step forward for the series. All of this establishes the foundation for my 2026 projects, and I can’t wait to share more on those with you as I can.
As I close the book on 2025, I’m proud of how much I learned and grew. And you know what? Sometimes dreams do come true!
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What you missed in this month’s newsletter:
From the Drafts — Favorite Quotes from 2025 Publications
Remember You Shine — The Magic of Endings
Myths and Magic — Tales of Santa Claus
From My Shelf — Wayward Winter by Jen Bair