With great sorrow, I had to say goodbye to Sarge right before the holiday. His pain was short-lived, and he went with love and a smile. He lived a happy life with us. Because he came to us as a stray in desperate need, he’s extra special. I’ll miss talking to him (he always answered back and had different meows, so you could have a whole conversation) and his hugs. He was so sweet and gentle and had a million expressions. Despite the world being so cruel to him, he was always smiling and always happy (except when we didn’t get him a snack fast enough). I’ll miss him in a million different ways. Love you, Sargie Boy!

 

In author news, I played around with the Ai artist some and added new artwork to the Backworlds and Rifters series pages.

I’m working on turning Worlds on Edge, Backworlds Book 5 into an audiobook. I intend to finish the Backworlds series in audio in 2023. I’ll also be getting more titles back into print.

I finished the first round of edits in The Afterworlds and have started the second read-through. If life doesn’t get in my way too much, I plan to release The Afterworlds in 2023. Then it will be on to finishing the Rifters series!

Wishing you the best in 2023!

 

A few of these popular and best-selling science fiction and fantasy books came out this year, but what matters for this list is what I read. These were my favorite reads

10.  Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi. Giant monsters, adventure, and a unique setting. Pass the popcorn! Full review HERE

 

09.  Cage of Souls by Adrian Tchaikovsky. Thought-provoking and haunting. I still mull over this story. Full review HERE

 

 

08.   Midnight Library. A little bit sci-fi, a little bit fantasy. Inspiring story to warm the heart. Full review HERE

 

 

07.  Space Murder by Nikki Haverstock. Adventure and laughs in space. A very fun read. Full review HERE

 

 

06.  A Desolation Called Peace by Arkady Martine. The prose is like an aching poem. Lovely. Full review HERE

 

 

05.  Revenge of the Revenants by Christine Rains. If you love immersing yourself in a fantasy world, this series is the ticket. Adventure and a great story! Full review HERE

 

04.  A Shudder of Specters by Christine Rains. This was my first foray into LitRPG. This book made me a fan. What a treat! Full review HERE

 

03.  Dark Nebula: Isolation by Sean Willson. This is a juicy and engaging space opera. Can’t wait to start on the next book. Full review HERE

 

02.  House on the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune. I didn’t want this one to end. Full review HERE

 

 

 

01.  The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells. I’ve read 5 out of 6 so far, and I hope there will be more. Robot stories aren’t usually my thing, but I love this one. Full review HERE