2009 had amazing ups and downs for me, like a giant roller-coaster. I know it was like that for many others in the publishing world as well, from writers to editors right down to the very publishers themselves.

It’s been a long work-filled year, sometimes enjoyable, definitely exciting and often troubling. The new friends I’ve made have been – for the most part – a solid bunch, letting me help when I could, helping me when they could and just being an all around great bunch of people. They’ve made my year as much as Belfire has.

I spent the first four months of the year trying to tell people something was wrong, very wrong, with (former employer) and the way it was being run. No one would listen until they experienced it themselves, which is how life is, I know. That’s fine. I left, most of them are still there, unfortunately. I’m much the happier now for it, and I’ve added all those experiences and bad practices into the list of things not to do with Belfire. And I hope, oh how I hope, those people still there can get out without too much damage to their talent, their names, and their careers.

To counter the unhappiness and helplessness I felt then, I worked with a close friend on getting The New Bedlam Project realized. When his financing was secured, I asked Louise Bohmer, Brandon Layng and Jeff Parish to come along and play in the dark streets and shadowy corners. We launched April 1st, and have been hopping ever since.

I was about to pack it in, except for TNBP, back then (thank you, former employer) when Doc Pus from Library of the Living Dead came along and accepted one of my stories, then hired me to do a cover for one of the books. The work kept coming, and has kept me busy ever since.

Freelancing, both design and editing, has been keeping me hopping as well. Sadly, I’ve learned one must always have a contract, either via email or better yet a signed and witnessed document – even amongst ‘friends.’ I’m less likely to help out on something if it means it’ll cut into my paying work, even to build a ‘name.’ Unfortunately two very stupid and irresponsible mistakes on my part have led to this decision.

I had all of my finished horror shorts accepted. All of them (trust me, you’re not as shocked as I am). I’ve regretted only one acceptance/contract since then, but I’m waiting it out. I re-edited and re-submitted my dark fantasy erotica tale, Fire & Ice, in hopes of having it placed with the publisher as the first in a series.

As I type this, I have four submissions out awaiting word. One of those has a hold on the story while final decisions are made. Only one of the acceptances of the year has been published so far – and that company folded and ran overnight, so no one can buy copies of the mag anyway. My Necrotic Tissue acceptance is about to land in the laps of a lot of people, as issue #9 is released. I am assured that the projects from Library of Horror/Library of the Living Dead are still viable, whereas I have just over two weeks for word on that other one, and once the contract has run out, I’ll tweak and get it out there again.

Courting Morpheus went out to a publisher who signed a contract with us, but let it run out due to…whatever. It was that and holding an amazing novel in my hands, one that I tingled over, squee’d over and had to have, that brought Belfire forward two months. I wasn’t going to make the announcement about the company until tonight, but I had to go with it. I was just far too excited to wait.

I finished NaNoWriYe. With almost 20k to spare on my goal, changed a while back (July I think?) from 150 to 100. I don’t know if I ever changed it with the WriYe bunch, officially, but for here at least, I’ve done it. I probably wouldn’t have changed it, had I known exactly how much I’d be writing etc. this past month.

It’s just been (insert sigh here) an amazing year, ups and downs and all.

Tonight, as I raise my glass to the New Year ahead, make my goals and vow as ever to keep them, I’ll be thinking of one young man I have had the privilege to share a ToC with, to work with, to be friends with. He is the strongest, most amazing guy… going through hell just to survive. Waiting for a liver transplant, at the top of the list now, WD Prescott has a flame that needs to keep burning. The talent he has in his little finger far surpasses that of so many others. He is meant for something bigger, something greater. Something wonderful. 2010 is going to be Will’s year.

We’re thinking of you, Will – fingers crossed and candles lit!