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2025 Yearly Wrap
2025 Yearly Wrap
Putting together an end of year wrap up is a bit of a tradition of mine, that I’ve been doing for many years now. It’s a nice way to look back at the year gone, and to give you a starting place for moving forward into the new year.
Here’s what I did in 2025 …
Books Published:
I took a bit of a break from writing this year. After the mammoth effort getting all of the Shadow Dragon Saga written, I needed a break, and only wrote a couple of smaller works, both for that same series.
I added a prequel story (25k words) as an an extra, and also a bonus scene from towards the end of the series for readers to see those moments from another character’s point of view (about 3k words). The final book in the series was published (but written in 2025), and I also released the HUGE series omnibus.
Most of my colouring books released were re-used content books, like Minis, Grayscale books, and Bundles. I did do one new colouring book of Fairy Tale Princesses, that was originally commissioned by Colouring Heaven magazine. They had the rights for 6 months after which I was able to add a couple more designs and publish my own book with the images.
The Beshadowed omnibus audiobook, and the first audiobook in the Shadow Dragon Saga were also released.
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Books
Shadow Dragon Saga 6 – Secret of the Dragon Crown
US$4.39 US$16.50Price range: US$4.39 through US$16.50 Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page -
Books
Shadow Dragon Saga Complete Series Omnibus
US$16.45 US$49.45Price range: US$16.45 through US$49.45 Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page -
Books
Coloring Book – Grayscale Night Magic
Original price was: US$16.45.US$7.65Current price is: US$7.65. Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page -
Books
Shadow Dragon Saga 0 – Ruins of the Dragon Realm
US$1.09 US$14.25Price range: US$1.09 through US$14.25 Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page -
Books
Fairy Tale Princesses and Romance Coloring Book
US$9.85 US$10.95Price range: US$9.85 through US$10.95 Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
Art and painting:
I am moving back into art more and got a fair bit done this year, but mostly commissions rather than my own paintings. I completed around seven fairly big illustrations (things like this fox and library for BookSnout) plus a few little extras.
For myself, I completed two oil paintings, the book dragon and winged lion below, and ran some art print raffles in which people had a chance of receiving the original artwork instead of an art print.
Thanks to the Kickstarter I ran, I was also able to do four new illustrations for the Shadow Dragon Saga, one in watercolours, and three digital, and also designs for all six main books in the series for hardcovers.
Events, Personal, and other stuff:
This year, I became an award winning author for the second time, with A Wish of Ashes and Glass being selected in blind judging for the Lesfic Bard Award for best fantasy. Memory’s Wake is my other award winning novel. As it was the first book I wrote and I was an eager new author, I entered it into a competition, which it won, and then I haven’t really bothered with entering my work into competitions since then. But when I saw the gorgeous trophies that the Lesfic Bard Award presents, I had to try and get one!
With my first Shadow Dragon Saga audiobook kickstarter completed, I ran one for the second book in the series, and was blown away by the support I received again.
In my efforts to keep earning a living as a creative, I also ran a number of sales for my original artworks finding homes for many. On a whim, I decided to sell some twenty+ year old sketches for a bargain price. This turned out to be very popular, so I raided my sketchbooks and folders and sold upwards of 80 original sketches in the last couple of months.
I attended a heap of events this year, from huge ones like BABE, Winterfest, and Sydney Comicon, to smaller local markets, I was at an event at least once every month, sometimes three times a month. This year was also the first year that I helped plan and run an event, the Books and Beyond book market.
On the personal side, as some of you know I’ve been going through a separation, and this year the divorce was finalised. This also meant I’ve been able to reclaim a lot of space, including my studio, and make it my own again. I did a LOT of cleaning, maintenance, and painting of the house and it’s feeling like home again. It’s also incredible to have space to paint in again!
Next year-
2026 currently contains a lot of unknowns.
There are a couple of big things that are coming through that are likely to dominate my time for the entire year, but still require signature-on-contract confirmation before I will be confident they are going ahead (and before I can say any more).
I hope they will, because they are exciting and could be life-changing.
If not, 2026 will look a lot like 2025, with commissions and markets and me trying to continue to earn a living as a creative in a more and more difficult world.
I would also be aiming to get more new colouring books out. 😊
I wrote the below last year, but feel as though it’s even more fitting this year, so I’m going to say it again.
Thank you to everyone who has supported me this year and any time earlier with sales or kind words. In the attention seeking world of mass media and non-stop content we currently live in, I’m constantly in awe anytime someone chooses to spend their time or money on me and my creations.
Honestly it blows me away and is what keeps me going. So thank you!
I hope I can create more in 2026 that you’ll enjoy.
