Hi Friend!

I can hardly believe that we are sitting on the edge of Christmas and then a new year! I love the holiday season--time with my people, giving and receiving gifts, enjoying the beauty of freshly fallen snow or the twinkling lights on our Christmas tree.

I also love that this season comes with a built in time of reflection on the year that has gone by. (I love reflecting on things.) I started this year with the word "Flourish." And while every year (and day) has its ups and downs, there's a lot of good things and growth happening in my life.

I'd like to take a minute to reflect on the good things that I celebrate things year (but I could list many).

A Year of Flourishing in Review...

This year, I flourished by...

• Completing my Ragnar Race: Michigan Road 2025! Still a highlight. I had to learn how to run for this. And I felt great doing it.
• Having three very special little people in my life--who know that Ms. Sammy's house means snuggles and books and pretzels and special cups and Monty (the golden retriever) waiting excitedly for them at the door. Hanging out with these kids lightens my heart. Every time.
• Professionally, my work was pretty good this year. I took on a major responsibility and did alright. (One might say I flourished?) My highlight though, was taking a group of students back home to Utah for a week of service, learning, and hiking in the woods. Everything about that week was delight for my soul.
• I published a story based on my favorite parable (The parable of the Lost Sheep). (Have you gotten a copy of the anthology yet? You can get it here).
• There is so much more (a trip to England with my oldest, learning how to parent adult children, adjusting to my husband's new job, learning how to take incredibly honest, critical feedback and use it to improve my writing.)

A Year of Flourishing in Review...

What about you? How did you flourish this year? Was it a big or small way? Was it a private victory or a public win? I think most flourishing is personal, but is done in community with others.

I would love to hear about your flourishing wins. Would you respond to this email and share with me the growth, the lessons, and the takeaways for you this year?

2025 has been some kind of year. There was lots that was (and still is) tough about this year. There always is. But let's celebrate the good together!!

I can't wait to hear from you.

My Journey to Publication

Welp, after too many delays (because editing is hard), Rules of Survival is with the line editor who is going to make sure the whole thing is bright and shiny and free from errors!

I've got big plans for 2026! Starting in late January/early February, a new, but familiar graphic will appear in this space. Yup, it's time to start counting rejections again!! (A rejection, in this case, is when I have queried an agent to represent my work to the publishing houses for publication and they have said no.)

There is no average number of rejections that an author should aim for, but it's pretty common to receive lots. One author suggests that one should aim for 100 rejections. That's pretty tough on the spirit. So, I'm going to shoot for 40 rejections.

Why so many? Well, publishing is a tough industry in general. For every 100 books that are written, only 1 or 2 are traditionally published within the industry. For all you non-mathematicians, that's 1 to 2%. Which is nothing.

Further Middle Grade is a tough category. In the past years, the number of Middle Grade books sold has been dropping. The clearest reason is that this is the age where kids start to choose to read for themselves, and many aren't. In the first half of 2025, only 126 contracts were offered for Middle Grade books.

So, plan to journey along with me on the path of rejection until the right something comes along.

A Happy Holiday season to you and all of yours this year. May your holidays, wherever they take you, be a time where glimpses of true joy, peace that passes understanding, and Love encourage each and every day.

See you in 2026!