Wednesday, January 17, 2018

REFLECTIONS OF 2017: GOODBYE 2017, HELLO 2018 BY KAY BLAKE



This week our members share their Reflections of 2017.



2017 has been quite an interesting year. I have done so much, and there is still so much that I want to learn and do.

I mentioned before how I am an author who suffers from a chronic illness called fibromyalgia. There are so many days that I want to leave the writing behind. The pain sometimes gets so bad, but I have made so many accomplishments this year.

I joined RWA and RWA NYC in January 2017. I was welcomed with open arms by supportive people. Authors and writers at all stages of the game, all simply wanting to share their love of romance by painting their words onto their pages. I have been afforded so many opportunities like the RWA LIRW annual conference which put me in the path of an agent I am interested in. I was one of the attending RWANYC authors at the Brooklyn Book Festival, a festival that I’ve been to many times. I was able to have my first ever romance reading from one of my novellas. And those things were possible simply because I’m a member of RWA, interacting with genuine and helpful people.

From a writing aspect this was more of an experimentation year for me. I wrote stories simply to see if I can do it. I wrote them and learned what I needed to work on, and what is more my niche. I also was able to step outside of my comfort zone. Learning my strengths and the things I need to get better at with my writing as I continue down the author path. I also won a Summer Indie Book Award, getting first place in diversity for my novella Catch Me If I Fall. It was an honor and a shock. One that also confirmed that I was on the right path. I hope I can continue to do the same.

On a personal note, I am a mom of three cubs as I call my children, I was able to still get my bachelor’s degree in developmental psychology. My oldest and middle cub both had graduations right after mine, and I was in awe how I was still able to make sure that they were on top of their game when it came to their school work, and still manage to graduate magna cum laude.
I say these things, not to toot my own horn, but more to look back on what I’ve been able to accomplish over the years. I was so stressed about what I had to do, that I had to sit back and really look back on the things I did get done. And while there were many bumps on the road, they still got done.

I have plans for 2018. I am still working out what and when, but I do have plans. I do have goals that I want to achieve that would further my career as an author. I want to try new things with my voice and break molds. I want to be confident in every move I make next, and I am ready.

Nevertheless, she persisted. My motto that I used for 2017, and I tend to use it for 2018 with a slight amendment. Which one? I’m not quite sure yet. But, I am ready and excited for what’s to come next for me.♥


Kay writes sassy, sexy and sweet contemporary and interracial romance. She is from arguably the greatest city in the world. (New York). She is a sarcastic sweetheart who prefers snuggling at home with a good book. She is a mom to three cubs. Kay indulges in strawberry cheesecake, horror movies, Harry Potter, The Walking Dead, wrestling and of course a happily ever after.

READ ROMANCE !


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