Skip to content

Writer. Editor. Tired Person.

Laura Anne Gilman

Darkly HumanCollaredCover of Silver on the Road by L A GilmanDragon Viruscover for Sylvan Investigations - Miles To Go
  • Home
  • Books
    • The Devil’s West
      • Silver on the Road
      • The Cold Eye
      • Red Waters Rising
      • GABRIEL’S ROAD: a novella of the Devil’s West
      • WEST WINDS’ FOOL and Other Stories of the Devil’s West
    • The Cosa Nostradamus Stories
      • Lightning Strikes: Stories of the Cosa Nostradamus
      • Retrievers Series
        • Retrievers #1: Staying Dead
        • Retrievers #2: Curse the Dark
        • Retrievers #3: Bring It On
        • Book #4: Burning Bridges
        • Book 5:Free Fall
        • Book 6: Blood From Stone
      • Paranormal Scene Investigations
        • Hard Magic
        • Pack of Lies
        • Tricks of the Trade
        • Dragon Justice
      • The Complete Sylvan Investigations
      • Cosa Nostradamus F.A.Q. (updated 5/2019)
      • Excerpts…
        • EXCERPT: Staying Dead
        • EXCERPT: Curse the Dark
        • Excerpt: DRAGON JUSTICE (PSI #4)
        • EXCERPT: Burning Bridges
        • EXCERPT:Free Fall
    • L.A. Kornetsky
      • The Gin & Tonic Mysteries
        • Collared
        • Fixed
        • Doghouse
        • Clawed
    • The Vineart War Trilogy
      • Book 1:Flesh & Fire
      • Book 2:Weight of Stone
      • Book 3: The Shattered Vine
    • Other Works
      • I Have Strong Opinions
      • Finder’s Keeper
      • The Collected Cases of Duchess, PI
      • Darkly Human
      • Dragon Virus
      • The Portals Duology
        • Heart of Briar
        • EXCERPT: Heart of Briar
        • Soul of Fire
      • Short Fiction
      • Practical Meerkat’s 52 Bits of Useful Information for Young (And Old) Writers
      • From Whence You Came
    • Foreign Edition Information
    • Where The Books Are (direct buying links)
  • Signings and Appearances
    • 2019 events
  • Contact Info & Publicity
    • About the Author
    • Publicity/Publisher Inquiries
    • Mailing List
  • Social Media
    • On the Blog
    • Twitter
    • Tumblr
    • Facebook
    • Mastodon
    • Pillowfort
  • Links
    • LAG @ Curious Fictions
    • D.Y.M.K. Writing & Editorial Services
    • Where The Books Are (direct buying links)
    • Sundry Silliness
      • Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That)
      • A Contracts Line: The Musical – “One”
      • Under Deadline
      • Number One on the New York Times
      • “She’s Tired (agent’s remix)
      • The Hunting of the Catnap Vibe (with apologies to Lewis Carroll)
      • Written on the Occasion of a Book-Birthday
      • The Writer’s Psalm
      • The Tasty Goatherd
      • Sonnet 139 (the Cannabis Remix)
    • 9/11 Memories
      • Observations and Trauma
      • Aftershocks
      • Giving Blood
      • Visiting Ground Zero

A Pause and A Step (First Night 2020)

Laura Anne December 31, 2019

I don’t do round-ups or retrospectives or any other kind of year-end wrap-up, partially because I’m too lazy, but  also because First Night/New Year’s Eve isn’t, for me, a time to look back. It’s a time to pause and look around, and then step forward into the yet-unknown.

But there  are things about 2019 I want to remember, in that pause.  The good: the publication of Gabriel’s Road and Lightning Strikes,  a trip to Ireland with friends old and new, my nephew’s marriage, the  finding of new friend  and allies. And oh yeah, not dying.  And also the bad: the seemingly endless corruption and moral cowardice of our current government, the no-longer-hidden streak  of cruelty and violence in too many of our fellow citizens.  I want to remember in that pause that the good  is greater than the bad,  and it will in the end be stronger, because nothing good happens alone.  We happen together. 

Hold onto that.  Hold onto each other, in all the gloriously complicated mess that is this world.  Hold on, pause long enough really look around, and step forward.

And, as is my traditional toast and wish; may the best of 2019 be the very worst that we see  in 2020, and the very best be wonderful beyond all hope.

I’ll see you all there.

Share
Posted in Latest News, the (alleged) real world
Tagged New Year's Eve, personal
Previous Post: Update on the State of the Meerkat
Next Post: The State of the Meerkat: 8 Weeks Gone
A Pause  and A Step (First Night 2020)

Latest Tweets

  • RT @Stonekettle: Which he would barely notice and which would be a fraction of what he makes by stiffing his employees on pay and he… https://t.co/Kx93gS9zBJ

    1 year
  • I may have ordered a new fountain pen to celebrate surviving another month. (It was an inexpensive pen, but pretty color! Flex nib!)

    1 year
  • RT @cstross: Clearly, if it's a human equivalent AI the only person qualified to give consent is the robot. Any other answer con… https://t.co/Ete19TFkEK

    1 year
  • I Have Strong Opinions
  • Laura Anne Gilman

        • The Complete Sylvan Investigations
        • The Collected Cases of Duchess, PI

        • Finder’s Keeper
        • Lightning Strikes: Stories of the Cosa Nostradamus
      • The Complete Sylvan Investigations

        • An Interrupted Cry

        • Miles to Go
        • Promises to Keep
        • Work of Hunters
      • The Devil's West

        • WEST WINDS’ FOOL and Other Stories of the Devil’s West
        • Silver on the Road
        • The Cold Eye
        • Red Waters Rising
        • GABRIEL'S ROAD: a novella of the Devil's West

      • Paranormal Scene Investigations

        • Hard Magic
        • Pack of Lies
        • Tricks of the Trade
        • Dragon Justice
      • The Vineart War Trilogy

        • Book 1:Flesh & Fire
        • Book 2:Weight of Stone
        • Book 3: The Shattered Vine
      • Retrievers Series

        • Retrievers #1: Staying Dead
        • Retrievers #2: Curse the Dark
        • Retrievers #3: Bring It On
        • Book #4: Burning Bridges
        • Book 5:Free Fall
        • Book 6: Blood From Stone
      • The Portals Duology

        • Heart of Briar
        • Soul of Fire
      • Other Works

        • Short Fiction

        • Darkly Human
        • From Whence You Came
        • Dragon Virus
        • Practical Meerkat’s…
  • L.A. Kornetsky

      • The Gin & Tonic Mysteries

        • Collared
        • Fixed
        • Doghouse
        • Clawed
  • Recent Comments

    • Laura Anne { Right now, Gideon's Road is on track (heh, sorry) for winter 2018.... }
    • Wendy { Finished "Red Waters Rising" at 3:30 this a.m. and no, I am... }
    • Laura Anne { Audible passed initially, but I'm hoping now that the arc is complete,... }
    • Josh { Any plans on audio versions? }
    • Laura Anne { It may be Patreon, it may go directly to sale for general... }
    • Larisa { Does that mean the whisky witches are elbowing into line for patron... }

    Subscribe to The Gilman Quarterly

    * indicates required

    LAGilman / d.y.m.k. productions will use the information you provide on this form to be in touch with you and to provide updates and marketing. Please let us know all the ways you would like to hear from us:

    You can change your mind at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in the footer of any email you receive from us, or by contacting us at lag@lauraannegilman.net. We will treat your information with respect. For more information about our privacy practices please visit our website. By clicking below, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with these terms.

    We use MailChimp as our marketing automation platform. By clicking below to submit this form, you acknowledge that the information you provide will be transferred to MailChimp for processing in accordance with their Privacy Policy and Terms.

    Copyright © 2021 Laura Anne Gilman.

    • Home
    • Books
      ▼
      • The Devil’s West
        ▼
        • Silver on the Road
        • The Cold Eye
        • Red Waters Rising
        • GABRIEL’S ROAD: a novella of the Devil’s West
        • WEST WINDS’ FOOL and Other Stories of the Devil’s West
      • The Cosa Nostradamus Stories
        ▼
        • Lightning Strikes: Stories of the Cosa Nostradamus
        • Retrievers Series
          ▼
          • Retrievers #1: Staying Dead
          • Retrievers #2: Curse the Dark
          • Retrievers #3: Bring It On
          • Book #4: Burning Bridges
          • Book 5:Free Fall
          • Book 6: Blood From Stone
        • Paranormal Scene Investigations
          ▼
          • Hard Magic
          • Pack of Lies
          • Tricks of the Trade
          • Dragon Justice
        • The Complete Sylvan Investigations
        • Cosa Nostradamus F.A.Q. (updated 5/2019)
        • Excerpts…
          ▼
          • EXCERPT: Staying Dead
          • EXCERPT: Curse the Dark
          • Excerpt: DRAGON JUSTICE (PSI #4)
          • EXCERPT: Burning Bridges
          • EXCERPT:Free Fall
      • L.A. Kornetsky
        ▼
        • The Gin & Tonic Mysteries
          ▼
          • Collared
          • Fixed
          • Doghouse
          • Clawed
      • The Vineart War Trilogy
        ▼
        • Book 1:Flesh & Fire
        • Book 2:Weight of Stone
        • Book 3: The Shattered Vine
      • Other Works
        ▼
        • I Have Strong Opinions
        • Finder’s Keeper
        • The Collected Cases of Duchess, PI
        • Darkly Human
        • Dragon Virus
        • The Portals Duology
          ▼
          • Heart of Briar
          • EXCERPT: Heart of Briar
          • Soul of Fire
        • Short Fiction
        • Practical Meerkat’s 52 Bits of Useful Information for Young (And Old) Writers
        • From Whence You Came
      • Foreign Edition Information
      • Where The Books Are (direct buying links)
    • Signings and Appearances
      ▼
      • 2019 events
    • Contact Info & Publicity
      ▼
      • About the Author
      • Publicity/Publisher Inquiries
      • Mailing List
    • Social Media
      ▼
      • On the Blog
      • Twitter
      • Tumblr
      • Facebook
      • Mastodon
      • Pillowfort
    • Links
      ▼
      • LAG @ Curious Fictions
      • D.Y.M.K. Writing & Editorial Services
      • Where The Books Are (direct buying links)
      • Sundry Silliness
        ▼
        • Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That)
        • A Contracts Line: The Musical – “One”
        • Under Deadline
        • Number One on the New York Times
        • “She’s Tired (agent’s remix)
        • The Hunting of the Catnap Vibe (with apologies to Lewis Carroll)
        • Written on the Occasion of a Book-Birthday
        • The Writer’s Psalm
        • The Tasty Goatherd
        • Sonnet 139 (the Cannabis Remix)
      • 9/11 Memories
        ▼
        • Observations and Trauma
        • Aftershocks
        • Giving Blood
        • Visiting Ground Zero