It’s that time of the year – out with the old and in with the new. Or something!
 
I’m not sad to say farewell to 2023 but the year wasn’t all bad.
 
I managed to publish three books, which I think is pretty rad. I also made more indie author friends and grew closer with some I already had. I also learned some very valuable lessons about myself and feel more confident as a writer heading into the new year. 
 
So here they are…my 2024 goals:
 

• Release the yet-to-be-publicly-named Serrulata Saga adventure spin-off 
• Begin work on a new short story collection 
• Outline and begin the first draft of Book Three of The Serrulata Saga
• Improve my social media marketing skills (especially video – my nemesis, grrr)

 
What I am not going to do is overwhelm myself. These are goals, not requirements – and I might need help remembering that from time to time!
 
Indie Ink Awards – I’ve been nominated!
 
Voting is now open for the Indie Ink Awards! I cannot believe I was nominate and am super stoked about it. 
 
Please consider voting for Gathering of the Four in the following categories: 
 

• Best morally grey character
• Best setting
• Writing the Future We Need: Gay or Lesbian Representation
• Writing the Future We Need: LGBTQ+ Representation

 
But wait, there’s more…
 
I am going to start a new feature next year – Seven Questions from the Serrulata Saga Desk. My goal is to get answers from a different indie author every month and feature them here on the blog and in my newsletter. Send an email via my comments page if you want more details!
 
Also, yes – there is going to be another Serrulata Saga novel coming out in 2024, so if you’re not signed up for my newsletter, you’ll want to do so now so you can get the latest news before anyone else. 
 
And last, but not least…
 
Bennett’s Books – December Wrap-Up
 
A list of books I read this past month with links to my Goodreads reviews:
 
Paper Love (Matchmaking Cats) – Jae 
His Lordship's Coachman – Maxime Jaz
The Dapper Detective (Nott Haven Book 2) – Dez Schwartz
Marrying Bluebeard – E.P. Stavs (ARC copy)
Match with The Demon (Loved by The Demon, #3) – Chace Verity
 
Are you signed up for my newsletter? Make sure you whitelist me!
 
Happy New Year, all! See you in 2024!

​During the last few months, I had the amazing opportunity to work with author and artist @mawcehanlin
 
If you follow me on my socials, you’ve probably seen at least one of these amazing pieces. They’re also on my Art page, but I wanted to collect them here with a bit more detail. 
 
Thanks again to an amazing artist who was a joy to work with! 

Leora of Mae as “The Magician”

The Magician card is part of the Major Arcana and is often read as a card of creation and manifestation. 

Leora is a very powerful Xanthos who learns to overcome self-doubt to control her Xanthcraft. Growing up as the only one of her kind in the out-of-the-way village of Mae, she is an outcast despised by her adoptive family. When she learns of their plot to see her into the servantry, she runs away from home to face the unknown alone. As The Serrulata Saga progresses, we see that she is far from the meek young woman many mistake her for. As she learns to control her powers, she gains strength and self-confidence - the embodiment of The Magician.

​Roland Shallowbrook as "The Fool"

The Fool is the first card in the Major Arcana and symbolizes new beginnings or journeys; The Fool is a playful spirit in search of experience.

When we first meet Roland, he is hiding out at a roadside stop after completing a dangerous heist with no real idea of where to travel next. With twenty-five years behind him, he is adrift - stealing what he can to survive with no real place to call home. One fateful morning, he stumbles into a tavern, where he meets Leora, and the rest is history...

Lady Aurora Verte as "Strength"

Strength is the Tarot card in the Major Arcana that symbolizes, among other things, perseverance, courage, and compassion. Strength's message is that the ability to withstand any storm exists.

When Lady Aurora is introduced, she is preparing for marriage to the boring but malleable Lord Paris Townsend. White Riders crash the celebration to arrest her father, but he is executed instead. Prompted by her twin sister, Aurora quickly flees her family home and the only life she's ever known. A proper lady forced to face incredible danger, she must beg for help when she first meets Leora and Roland, but soon falls head-over-heels for the latter and eventually proves her worth on the battlefield. 

Leopold, former First Commander of the White Riders and the Realm’s First Defender as "Judgement"

Judgement is the card in the Major Arcana that often involves a powerful, spiritual transformation from which there is no turning back. 

Leopold, the former White Rider is cold, calculating, and unfeeling when we first meet him. Though he ignores orders and betrays his fellow soldiers, he concocts a dastardly plot to get back into their good graces -- only to have a change of heart. By the end of the second book, we see his courage through his emotional strength to set off on a path of his own choosing and leave his past behind.