.
Frankly, a damned good year.

January:

• Started the year writing the book now called Stormlord Rising (and finished the year proofing the publisher’s proofs for it) and with the news that Heart of the Mirage had been on the 2008 bestseller list for a specialty bookstore in Perth, my hometown.
• Went to Yogyakarta, my first trip ever to Java.
• Had the car broken into which included the loss of my prescription dark glasses. I have been doing without ever since. Thanks, you thieving S.O.B.

February:

• The Aware and Gilfeather went to reprint in Oz.
• Two fun weeks at a lighthouse in Malacca, spent watching raptors arrive from Indonesia.

March:

• Husband finally started to be paid (no backpay though) for the job he had been doing 10 months without pay.

April:

• Song of the Shiver Barrens went to reprint in the UK
• Proofed The Last Stormlord
• Final draft of Stormlord Rising under way.
• Malaysian govt announced they were going to submit my husband’s name for post of DG of the IAEA. Local press almost unanimously ignored this story,
• which was probably just as well, as the Japanese made some promises and the Malaysian Govt changed their minds.

May:

• The Aware went to reprint again in Australia
• Delivered MS of Stormlord Rising to publishers
• Husband went to meeting in Chicago sponsored by American Academy of Arts and Sciences on nuclear stuff.

June:

• Went to Tioman Island for the first time, with dear friend visiting from UK.
• The Tainted went to reprint again in Australia

July:

• New IAEA DG named, a Japanese. (Connect the dots.)
• Went to Charlottesville to babysit grandson while parents in China.
• Saw Iceland (from plane), then stopped over in Princeton and Baltimore en route.
• Second daughter came to help babysit.
• Did a bit for book 3, but not much

August:

• Started Stormlord’s Exile in earnest
  
• The Last Stormlord was published in Australia. Inital reactions seemed excellent.
• Blanvalet in Germany bought the rights to the The Isles of Glory
• Pygmalion bought the French rights to the Mirage Makers

September:

• Working on two separate copy edits of Stormlord Rising
• Was interviewed and photographed for Her World magazine.
• Husband was made Professor Emeritus at the Malaysian National University.
• Some wonderful reviews of The Last Stormlord

October:

• Good reviews of The Last Stormlord continued.
• Got to be one third of the way through Stormlord’s Exile
• Clairvoyante and Guerisseur were published (The Aware and Gilfeather in French)

November:

• Joined NaNoWriMo for the first time ever and achieved over 53,000 words.
• More great reviews of The Last Stormlord.
• Husband went to Houston, met daughter; went to Washington DC, met other daughter, and had talks with govt officials on nuclear safety stuff.

December:

• The Last Stormlord was shortlisted for the Best Fantasy Novel of 2009 (Aurealis Awards) and got some more wonderful reviews.
• The Shadow of Tyr and Song of the Shiver Barrens both went to reprint again, in Australia.
• Two-thirds of Stormlord’s Exile now written
• Two more publishing houses are showing strong interest in Mirage Makers for translation
• A scout shows interest in my work after a growing buzz in the UK
• Daughter and grandson came for two weeks.
• Had a holiday at a beach resort on Pangkor Island. Spent most of the time checking proofs.
• Husband went to Abu Dhabi. During the year he has received a great deal of international recognition for his knowledge on nuclear matters. A prophet outside his own country, perhaps? (At home, a certain department in charge continues to make gaffe after gaffe in this field. They could try listening to someone who does know a bit. You know, like a nuclear man with many years experience on the international scene?)
• Husband made an Visiting* Professor at Uniten, another university. He will spend one day a week over there.

*Not Adjunct Prof as I originally wrote.