(Lovely words in Edinburgh) 

Hello from 2016! 

I have been sick all year, due to an unforeseen cancellation of promised public transportation that left Stephen and I stranded outside in below-freezing temperatures for 10 hours (plus the 5 hour outdoor festival before that). On the bright side, I have started to feel better. I woke up today clear-headed, and slept the night through without waking up coughing or drowning in snot. You’re welcome for that visual. 

Despite my sickness, I’ve been working on my upcoming book. I have some new ideas for it, but with the delays brought by sickness and the holidays, I’ve decided to release it in February. This will give me time to incorporate my thoughts, let another writer/editor give me feedback, and finish up what I have outlined. 

I’m still learning how the book deadlines will go when traveling. It’s so interesting imposing time tables on a lifestyle that defies them. 

The rest of January will be spent in the borderlands of Scotland, near to the coast and near to England. We have a house sit in a quiet spot ‘perfect for writing’ that we are looking forward to. I hope to get a lot of work done there. 

This year, I didn’t make any New Year’s Resolutions. I didn’t make any goals. I didn’t assess my 2015 failures. I haven’t chosen a ‘theme’ for the year, or selected attributes I hope to learn and incorporate into my life or personality. 

This year, I quietly decided to choose resolve instead of resolutions – which is comical given that they have nearly the same meaning. The difference is this: ‘resolution’ is a noun, and ‘resolve’ is a verb. 

This year, I don’t feel the need to make a list of things. Like every other area in my life, action has trumped item in my view of new beginnings. I would rather be and do than have and obtain. Instead of making a list of traits or accomplishments to struggle with, I would rather look ahead to where I want to go, and just…go there. 

I’m still posting poetry and prose on Instagram under @cmcoxwrites. Thank you to everyone who has been reading it! 

Also, thank you to everyone who downloaded my ebooks while there were free, and to all who helped spread the word!