Happy 2016! Now, where was I?

2015Collage-smallHappy New Year!

I hope you are all having a great start to 2016, or at least being comforted by endlessly watchable bad television. I’m tucked under a sherpa blanket and a boxer-shepherd mix watching Big Hero 6 with my family. Pretty sweet.

It’s been quite a year for me (and my family, who get dragged along on every adventure). In the world of books, I finished and published EVERY OTHER SATURDAY–a romantic comedy about second chances–in August. We had the re-launch of THE MARRIAGE PACT in November with St. Martins Press, my first time in hardback. I am so grateful to my whole publishing team (Beth Phelan, Nicole Sohl, and many others) for making the process incredibly easy and collaborative, and to FoxTale Book Shoppe for hosting my launch party.

In July, I did the Color Run 5K in Asheville with one of my best girlfriends. Way back in May, I attended my first big Readers Convention at Romantic Times in Dallas. In December, we had Hanukkah and a good friend’s wedding and THE FORCE AWAKENED. I even got a tattoo! Holy cow.

And, oh yeah, I turned 40. Which was awesome. (Not even kidding. I’ve decided to say “screw aging.” It’s going to be the best decade yet.)

I also started a new full-time job in October as a Communications Manager at a startup tech company. I love the job because it incorporates so many of my skill sets (writing, psychology, marketing, etc.) and is never the same from one day to the next. I like my coworkers a ton, and the company has an environmental mission I believe in.

So all that is really great; but it’s certainly been an adjustment for me and the boys. Hubs has been amazing – he helps with laundry and dinner and picks the boys up from school and is generally spectacular. Not that he was ever less than spectacular, but you know what I mean. We’ve had a little down time over the holiday break (thank goodness) and spent some of it enjoying Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, Georgia, some of it celebrating with friends, and some trying to rein in the chaos at our house with some new shelving and a van-load of unnecessary clutter to Goodwill.

I’m hopeful that as the year turns over, I’ll be able to settle into a new, more purposeful routine in 2016. I hope that will allow me to add back two important elements I’ve been missing for the last couple of months: my physical health journey and my own, non-work-related writing (including this blog – I’ve missed you guys!).

So, welcome back to the blog. I’ve got some fun stuff planned for this year, including updates on those weight loss challenges I set myself to back in April and August. [Short version: some success, some setbacks, and it’s time for renewed focus on health and wellness]. The blog should also be getting a refresh this year, with a new look, some new themes and more frequent updates. (There may even be some flash fiction – eek!)

I hope you’ll join me by reading and commenting when posts strike your fancy (or don’t), and making suggestions when you’d like to hear more about something.

In the meantime, best wishes for a healthy and prosperous 2016!

xoxox,

m.j.

MJ Pullen

M.J. Pullen is a distracted writer and the mom of two boys in Roswell, Georgia, where she is absolutely late for something important right now. Her books include quirky romantic comedies and playful women's fiction. She blogs erratically with writing advice, random observations, and reflections on raising very loud kids and dogs. Join her Distracted Readers newsletter list for updates, free content, giveaways and more.

One thought on “Happy 2016! Now, where was I?”

  1. The Distracted Writer: New Year's Resolutions - MJ Pullen

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