2025: The Year That Was

2025 was…not my favorite year. Even though it all came out surprisingly well in the end, it wasn't light and easy and a lot of it felt like windy trudge uphill in the snow. 

Challenges to my personal life included a lot of caregiving demands as those near and dear to me went through health struggles and romantic misadventures as well as stress and worry related to the political landscape of my country. The hateful behavior and attitudes of people who ought to be working for a common good really wore me out. It was A LOT. 

Here at the waning of the year? Mostly, I feel tired.  

That's not to say there wasn't any joy. There absolutely was! The youngest Bryant graduated high school and started attending college as well as landing a good first job. 

Landmark birthdays for everyone but me this year

 

Our eldest is thriving in her chosen career, settling into the cutest house, and finding love. Sweetman and I are rock solid in our love (eyeballing that 20th anniversary in 2026 and wondering if we can swing that honeymoon we never took), and totally in this together every step of the way. The doggos are happy and healthy. Our grandsnake and grandcats are doing well, too. In fact, as I look back over the year, there's a lot to smile about. 

 It was a busy one for my writing life, too. I FINISHED MY SERIES! In July, Change for the Better, the fifth and final Menopausal Superheroes novel came out, bringing the work of the past ten years to a close. 

 

Three of my short horror stories made it into anthologies! Technically Dark Spores came out in December 2024, but all the events were in 2025, so I'm counting it. Behind the Shadows III and Dread Mondays were both just a couple of months ago. 

  

In a year with more firsts than you might expect at twelve years into this endeavor, I was invited to submit to an anthology. Though I've had my work included in many anthologies, I've always gotten in from cold call. It was really a boost to my ego to be specifically invited to submit to Disruptive Intent. The Kickstarter was successful and the book will be coming your way in 2026. 

 

If all that wasn't enough, I also made the leap into indie publishing. I set up my LLC, Dangerous When Bored, set up my new website (dangerouswhenbored.com) and put out my first book under the new imprint, a collection of weird suburban tales called Stories from Shadow Hill. 

 

I learned so much about the intricacies of indie publishing from this project, and I'm proud of the stories! In fact, in another first, one of them has been released as an audiobook! I'm collaborating with Charlotte Chiew to release several of them as mini-audiobooks and then promote them as a collection. Beware Cheap Houses is a cheeky bit of Lovecraftian horror, narrated by a cat named Punkin. 

 

Dangerous When Bored, LLC will bring you three romance novels this spring, so watch for news of Not Too Late, Acid Reign, and Ready or Not, my GenX romances! I've already got audiobook versions in the works, too!

So, 2025 might have been a tough year emotionally, but there's a lot to celebrate. Here's hoping 2026 brings all of us a step closer to exactly what we want out of life. Happy New Year!