Oct 16, 2013

Celebrating Twenty One Today

I've just reached a major milestone. Well, not today but recently, in fact since my last post to the LoveCats. That's right - I'm twenty one!  Well...strictly speaking I'm not twenty one, that happened a while back. But I do have a twenty first to celebrate and it's making me smile. I recently hit the 21 books milestone and still don't quite believe it. I'm not a fast writer and I've never set myself goals of reaching 50 or 60 books. To do that I'd either need to increase my pace enormously or have started writing much earlier. I'd even reached the point of almost forgetting how many books I'd written. I recall them all as individuals, you understand, but keeping track of the number is a different matter.
 
Then there's the fact that the book on the shelf is several books behind the one you're working on, the one most recently accepted and (argh) the one on which your waiting revisions.
 
So it was fantastic to see how the total had grown when my husband recently asked how many books I'd had accepted for publication. That total had just crept up on me somehow after the first few that seemed to creep along so slowly.
 
You know what that total means, don't you? I'm a fully fledged adult at last! Yay! Of course that meant a celebration, complete with French bubbly, thanks to said husband. No, this photo wasn't taken on that day, but I so love my friend's cupid champagne flutes it seemed fitting to include it here - very romance writerish.
 
What's so great about reaching 21 books?
 
First up I have a back list. I love that! So often now I have reader mail from people who've read a recent book of mine then gone back to read previously published books.
 
It makes me feel like I've been productive. Look, I can say, waving an expansive arm. I've achieved something.
 
I'm already on my way to 25 or even 30 (when I finish wrestling with the current wip that's hit a little glitch, that is).
 
I've learned that, yes, I can achieve when I really try. Believing you can create something from nothing (or close enough given the tangle that is my brain) is incredibly empowering.
 
In the process of writing 21 books I've joined both writer and reader groups and made stacks of writer and reader friends who have change my life enormously. Yay!
 
If I've written 21 then surely it means I've learned enough along the way to make the next one a little easier. Surely? Maybe? Fingers crossed, though I suspect that may be wishful thinking.
 
And of course, this milestone meant the chance for a celebration. I've learned how important that is, and enjoyed myself to the full.
 
How about you? Do you have something to celebrate now or soon? If not yet, what achievement would you like to celebrate down the track?
 
I'm so chuffed about my 21 that I'll give away a copy of my new book AN ENTICING DEBT TO PAY to someone who leaves a comment. Just pop back at the end of the day to see the winner's name.

34 comments:

  1. Congratulations, Annie!
    Since 2009 (when I started keeping track of books I'd read), I have read (and kept) 11 of your books! I am so glad you are continuing to write, as I look forward to catching up on ALL your books. It may take me awhile, but it's sooooo worthwhile (and exciting too!).
    As for ME celebrating, well, next year my husband and I will celebrate our (combined) 120th birthday! Yep. He turns 65 and I turn 55. We hosted a dance for our 90th birthday but can't afford that this time around. (Having a roof over our heads, medical expenses paid, and food on our plates seem more important somehow....) We host a potluck every year, so we'll just incorporate it into that one instead. (When we celebrated our 30th anniversary a couple of years ago, good friends in a band surprised us by performing in our backyard for everyone!)

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    1. Laney, wow, I'm so very touched that you've read 11 of my books! That makes me feel very special.

      I think the idea of celebrating joint total birthdays is wonderful. I've never heard of that before. What a great excuse for a party! I hope there are many more to come.

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  2. Whoo Annie huge congrats on reaching 21 :)

    I have read everyone of them and loved them all you write such great stories that give me hours of reading pleasure they make me smile and shed a tear here and there :)

    I don't have anything to celebrate at the moment but watching my grandchildren gorw and laugh is always something to celebrate and hopefully it won't be too long before I can retire from work and yay that will give me more reading time

    Have Fun
    Helen

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    1. Hi Helen, thanks for sharing the excitement of my 21. I feel honoured that you've read all my books. That surely makes you an expert! I'm glad to hear about the tears and smiles along the way.

      Celebrating your grandchildren sounds wonderful, as does retiring and finding more time to read. The latter sounds like pure bliss.

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  3. Congratulations, Annie. 21 books is way up there. Awesomeness. Funny that it doesn't get any easier. I was hoping it might. I would absolutely love to reach your milestone. It seems forever away but anything worth while is worth working for. Or so they say.
    So thrilled for you.

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    1. Hi Sue and thanks for the congratulations!

      Yes, I wish I could say it gets easier writing stories. I think in some ways at does - at least now when the going gets tough I recognise going through that before and realise it's not necessarily the end of the world! Looking forward to celebrating some writing milestones with you along the way.

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  4. Annie! Huge congratulations on your 21st! That's a fantastic achievement! And what a "backlist"! You write such wonderful stories and I'm sure there are many more milestones to come for you!

    But it doesn't get easier? Oh, I do wish you could say that it did! And I guess you do too! LOL

    I'll be raising a glass to you and your accomplishment this evening! :)

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    1. Thanks, Sharon. I like to think of this being a reason for you to enjoy a toast and a glass of something nice.

      As for the backlist - I love it, especially now it's available in ebook format so new-to-me readers can (and do) go back to read earlier releases.

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  5. Yay, Annie!!! What a fabulous milestone!!
    Happy, happy 21st from me :-)

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    1. Thanks, Amy. I'm telling myself this means I'm all grown up. Still wondering why I don't feel that way.

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  6. Congrats on reaching 21, Annie! You don't look a day over 20 though. ;)

    Marcy Shuler

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    1. Thanks, Marcy. It's the mood lighting, obviously.

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  7. Congrats on 21 books, Annie!!!!! Right now I have 11 of the 18 US (Harlequin Presents) books that have been printed.

    Today (October 15th), I am celebrating a birthday at the beach

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    1. Ooh, a beach birthday - sounds a great way to celebrate, Amanda. Hope you have a fabulous day.

      Hey, I'm chuffed that you've read so many of my US editions. That's made me smile.

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  8. Woohoo! Congratulations, Annie. You're a fabulous writer and here's to the next 21!

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    1. P.S. I'm celebrating having tidied up my office! ;-)

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    2. Thanks, Yvonne. I'm under deadline with the current book and right now can't see past it. Hopefully though there'll be more to come.

      Oh, how nice to have a tidy office. I told myself I'd do some tidying today but not sure how much will get done.

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  9. Yay! Congratulations on your 21st Annie! It's a fabulous achievement -- and definitely a reason for posting pics of cherubs on wineglasses. :-)

    Something I'm hoping to celebrate soon (well, before Christmas if I get my way) is the addition of a furry, four-legged friend of the barking variety into our little family.

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    1. Michelle, how wonderful! A dog to join the Douglas household? I look forward to meeting her or him. Now that IS something to celebrate.

      Thanks for the congratulations. I think it calls for cherub wineglasses too!

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  10. Happy 21st book!

    I'm looking forward to just under 5 years from now to when my husband and I celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary.

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    1. Kaelee, that's definitely something worth celebrating. I hope you find a few other things along the way to celebrate in the meantime.

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  11. Annie, huge congratulations on your fabulous 21st! And the fabulous 20 that preceded it. What a wonderful milestone. I know how hard you've worked and what talent and dedication you've poured into your stories so I hope you're partying big time to celebrate this milestone. By the way, those glasses look STRANGELY familiar! ;-)

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    1. Thanks, Anna. It is a lot of work, isn't it? Sometimes it's easy to forget that when you look at a shiny new book, but there's so much effort goes into each one. Yes, I've been celebrating.

      Funny about the glasses...

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  12. Congratulations!!! Quite a milestone. Here's to the next 21.

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    1. Hi Mary, it is rather exciting. I think if I looked at the next 21 I'd get nervous. I'll have to concentrate on one book at a time.

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  13. Wow Annie - what an incredible achievement! What a wonderful feeling to have achieved so much. Congratulations!

    I'm celebrating too - its my birthday today!

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    1. Happy birthday, Jennifer! I hope you have a wonderful day and feel suitably special. Yay!

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  14. Congrats! Not celebrating anything now

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    1. Hi BN100. Thanks for the congratulations. Hope you have something soon to celebrate.

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  15. Wow, Annie! What a fabulous milestone. Having written 21 books is a phenomenal achievement.

    We're celebrating my twins boys' 10th birthday this weekend. We're going to a fabulous camp in the Marlborough Sounds with 10 kids. Can't wait!! (kind of)

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  16. Hi Barb! Sounds like you've got your hands full this weekend. Enjoy!

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  17. Annie, congratulations on your 21st! This month I'm celebrating my eighth book being released - 21 seems like a far distant mountain, so you have my complete admiration.

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    1. Rachel, congratulations on the 8th book! You'll probably find, like I did, that the total just creeps up. Good on you!

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  18. Hi everyone. I just popped back to thank you all for posting and sharing my celebration.

    I've also drawn a winner at random to receive a copy of my latest 'An Enticing Debt to Pay'. Congratulations AMANDA GARDNER! If you email me, Amanda, at annie(at)annie-west(dot)com with your postal address, I'll pop the book in the mail.

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