Hello, friends! I am popping in to say I’m popping out for a week.

2012 got off to an overwrought, melodramatic start – those of you who frequent Goodreads will know what I’m talking about, but it wasn’t just Goodreads. It was everything. My son was sick, good intentions went awry, and I got nothing done.

I had dreams of starting the year in a tidy and organized fashion. My word for the year, I’d decided, would be “perspective”. After feeling overwhelmed much of last year, some perspective seemed just the thing.

I hadn’t anticipated that 2011 would hang on for an extra week.

In any case, I’m declaring a reboot. Start over. The start of the year is an arbitrary point in the annual cycle anyway, so I’m wishing myself a Happy New New Year, as of this morning, and I’m going to faithfully do what I intended last week, before I let myself get swept away: calmly set to work and take good care of myself. So until I am back in the good groove, I am effectively off the internet. I anticipate returning next Monday.

I want to just acknowledge a few things before signing off, however. This blog had a record number of views this last week; thanks to everyone who dropped by to see the new cover! On Goodreads, more than 1000 people have added Seraphina to their to-read shelves, nearly half of those added in the last week. I am humbled an honoured. My thanks to each and every one of you.

Tomorrow, January 10th, marks exactly six months until the book comes out. This is the home stretch. If there was ever a time to take a moment, breathe deeply, and make sure I’m keeping things in perspective, it’s now.