i thought it was 2021 this morning

 2023 is a number I like. I do like the odd years more; 2022 was a blip, but 2021 was fun. 2020 was too even, 2019, great. Don't even get me started on 2017. Harsh edges. Odd numbers have harsh edges that I like. 

So. New year. I do have some goals. I would like to publish another four or five books. This will be my fourth year publishing books. I am currently working on a rewrite of Bandit Born, the third Tinon book. (Link to book one is here.) I don't know what I'll do after that because I do randomize which project I work on next, which is how I ended up working on Bandit Born. But, some possibilities: Class B, which would be a companion-y continuation of the Pentalogy--the main series concluded last year. Flip Flop Felony--third book in Abnormal Murders. For My Country--novella/prequel for the aforementioned Tinon books. Until I Fall Away--fifth Aughts Boys book, ladies and gents, it's the Matt book. Sunset--third and final Vendettic book. And there's a lot of options for my standalones. I could work on New Match, AKA the Christian Mingle Thriller. I could work on Kaz at the Approach, which is cult-y and fun. We could do Guillaume, which is not LOTF fanfiction. I will also be writing a ton of first drafts for continuing on the Aughts Boys series. This series will be the longest. 

If you want a break-down, here it is. The first four books are out. Here's a link to my series page. That has more links for purchasing and Goodreads and whatnot. So. Aughts Boys. We start with Zeke's book, One More Sad Song, which takes place in the 2004-2005 school year. Then, Elliot's novella, The Horror at Camp New Woods--summer of 2004. Luke's book, Right or Wrong, 2003-2004 school year. Finally, Ashton's book, Hit or Miss, which just came out last month, the 2005-2006 school year. The aforementioned Matt book will take place over the summer of 2006, and then we've got the Kevin book, which will jump forward to sit at around 2012 or so. Have not figured out date details but they are adults. Then, Quinn in the 2001-2002 school year, Eddie in the 2004-2005 school year, Nick in the 2003-2004 school year, Vic in the 2006-2007 school year, Benjamin in the 2007-2008 school year, and the one I am working on right now, which is Benji in the 2001-2002 school year. Am I dumb for putting two characters with essentially the same name right up on each other in publication order? Yes. Yes I am. What the fuck, Aurora. 

But the thing with the Aughts Boys books is that they do not need to be read in publication order. They are a series of loosely connected stories. Each of them stands on its own just fine. Sometimes they take a weird turn and become a horror novel (Elliot, Eddie, Nick, Benjamin). They take place, primarily, in three places: Daisy, Ohio, which is not a real town, Monticello, Minnesota, which is, and Priory/surrounding area, North Dakota, again, not a real town. Matt has been everywhere except Priory (he was in surrounding area; camp situation). Matt is what sometimes brings books into the fold, except now Elliot started showing up in stuff which is why Eddie's book became an Aughts Boys book. 

Anyway, any other goals. My reading goal is 473. Last year I read 527 books and I'm pretty sure that was a fluke, but I figured to keep an average of 500 I should shoot for 473. I've been doing good on the book wall front but like, the bitch still has over 2000 books on it. Speaking of, the book wall at the beginning of the year: 2047. First year starting with less books than the previous year. 

Any other goals? I dunno. Keep working on chipping my student loans down, I guess. Maybe I'll buy another car. I sold my car in November and it's been great but I might need one when we inevitably leave this job and I have to get a job that I cannot get driven to each day and so then I'll need a car, I guess. I do have a good chunk of change in my car fund, so. 

I'd like to start my master's soon, but I'd also like to not be in student loan debt when I did so, so that might have to wait another year. We'll see. Maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised and the debt relief thing will go through and knock off 10k and then I'll only have like 2k left to do which I could like, do right now. But we'll see.