end of the year wrap-up.

Happy New Year, friends! I hope you celebrated a new beginning with kind people, fuzzy animals, and lots of cheese dip. Last year felt like a shooting star for me. A few years ago, when A Snicker of Magic first found a publisher, I thought 2014 was forever far away. 

And the year is gone, a quick sparkle across my life and done. 2014 was a year full of joy and sadness and hope and wonder and worry and - unforgettably - a year when a long-time dream came true. I will never forget it. 

On New Year's Eve, Biscuit and I went to bed early. We snuggled and read until it was almost midnight. And then I turned on the song "Oceans," by Hillsong United, which is one of my Most FAVORITE Songs Ever. I wanted to hear that song when the clock ticked into newness. I wanted the first words I heard in 2015 to be beautiful. I sang along with the song too. Because I wanted the first words I said to matter. Inevitably, I'll say words I regret this year. I'll write a billion words I end up deleting because they don't fit. But I wanted 2015's first Once Upon a Time to feel exactly right. It was a sweet way to say goodbye to one year, and welcome a new one. 

I have an entire sappy post scheduled to run this week, about the best part of last year when it comes to the big journey I've taken with Snicker. I'm certain there will never be another year like this last one, and I'm so grateful for all of it. 

A Snicker of Magic also made a few lovely end of the year lists in 2014. I'm overwhelmed with gratitude for the time folks have taken to share the story and wanted to share them here: 

On New Year's Day, Colby Sharp announced that A Snicker of Magic is one of the 2014 Nerdy Award winners. I love that community, and I'm honored to see Snicker on a list of such incredible books! Here's the link! 

NPR named A Snicker of Magic one of the best books of 2014! HOORAY! Thank you, NPR! Here's the link!

Parents Magazine named Snicker one of their Top 10 Children's Books of 2014! Here's the link!

The New York Public Library named Snicker one of their top children's titles for reading and sharing in 2014! Here's the link! 

Travis Jonker and John Schu, awesome librarians and passionate advocates for children's literature, named Snicker one of their best books of 2014. Whoa, am I honored to see the book on their list. Here's the link! 

I've also received some kind tweets from folks who picked it for one of their favorite books in 2014, and shared it on their blogs. Thank you for taking the time to do that! It means so much to me that you would take the time to write about the story. 

Today I'll dive back into revisions for the next book adventure, and while I can't WAIT for you to meet these new characters ... I know Felicity Pickle will always hold a special place in my heart.  I thought I visited Midnight Gulch (in my imagination) to tell Felicity's story. I had no clue how those wild characters - and the very real and wonderful readers I've met along the way - would change my life. This has been an amazing adventure. I feel so blessed to be able to share stories with you. Thank you, thank you for reading them. 

Here's to a new year, a new start, and a shining new day. Happy 2015! I hope this year is the best once-upon-a-time you've ever had.