My life clock ticks to forty today. I admit I am having a hard time with that. My angst didn’t kick in until two days ago, when I realized that potentially my life is half over. It is a sobering thought. But it has been a wonderful ride thus far, enriched with a beautiful wife who supports me in everything I do, kids who drive us insane, and a family that is always there for me. I cannot ask for much more.

In my thirty-ninth year of life I finally took up writing again. So much time had passed since I put down the pen as a teenager that I didn’t think I could do it. But that itch was always there, a tickle in my brain that constantly made me wonder if I could do what I always dreamed of but never had the confidence nor the time to do.

Now, as I turn forty, I reflect on what I’ve accomplished since I sat my booty down to begin The Deathbed Mindset in October 2011. I have published four short stories, two novelettes (one in a series, also in print form), and one short non-fiction e-book. And today, I announce the publication of Tales: A Collection of Short Fantasy Fiction, which is the collection of those four short stories and the one non-series novelette. This collection is important to me, and it is appropriate that it arrive on my birthday. Beginning with Loyal, my journey in writing short fantasy fiction began. It was so enjoyable it is difficult to express in words. I fell in love with characters taken from deep within, characters filled with emotion, stories filled with drama. This collection represents the start of my journey and the joy of the ride.

In addition to those publications, I also started Short Fiction Spotlight, a website dedicated to expanding the reach of short fiction. It has grown popular faster than I expected, and I expect that growth to continue. One last project that I began in late 2012 with some fellow indie authors is the creation of the Short Fiction Writers Guild, a group of writers of the short form whose sole purpose is to help other authors market their work. Details on that launch are forthcoming.

Going forward from this point, I’ll be working on longer fiction. I will first begin work on completing The Legacy Series, and the sequel to Warrior’s Ascension will begin shortly. I have ideas for two other series already in mind, one of those catering to young adults, so 2013 will be a busy year as I focus solely on series work and continue to foster the growth of the websites and guild.

I am not a fan of setting goals or assessing where I’ve been at the start of a new year. To me, that time should come on your birthday. It’s been a great journey, but my destination is nowhere in sight, which is fine with me. For too long I wallowed in a haze as I thought I could do it, but never sat down and tried. I finally did, and my soul is so much the happier for it.

Thanks, as always, to my family and friends for their continued support and encouragement.