In less than two weeks, it’ll be Christmas day.
We’ve got our place decorated. How about you?
See? Here’s Andréa, trimming the tree.
And here I am, pretending to stick a fake gift under the tree, for no purpose other than to take this photo.
At any rate, as the year draws to a close, I wanted to take this opportunity to say the following:
#1 — I’M HEADED OFFLINE…
I’m signing out of social media and I’m deleting the apps from my phone.
For now, at least.
Well, I might stay signed in to Instagram, but that’s about it. I haven’t decided yet.
Let me just say that, I think, every so often, we need to take breaks from social media. We need to interrupt the cycle of being contactable at all hours. We need to put our phones down and engage with the world around us. And we sorely need respite from the bombardment of click bait, breaking news, and daily outrage.
Not to mention that we, as indie authors, need to take breaks from compulsively refreshing our sales dashboards, to see how many free and paid units we’ve moved for the day.
What? It’s just me who does that? Not a chance. All of us do it. It’s human nature.
It’s good for our mental health to take breaks. I sincerely believe that.
When, exactly, will I be back online? I’ve got no idea. January, most likely, but it could be February or, hell, even March. I’m not sure. But I’ll be back online at some point.
If, in the meantime, you need to reach me for some reason, I’ll still be checking email. You can also leave a comment below this post.
But, before I go offline, let me first say…
#2 — ENJOY THE HOLIDAYS!
It’s been a wild year. Between fellow authors, readers, and reviewers, I’ve connected with so many new people.
To all who read and reviewed my work in 2018, you have my gratitude. You’ve played an important role in making this a very special year for me.
I’m wishing you and your family a beautiful holiday season, filled with love and laughter.
Merry Christmas — or Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa, or Diwali, or whatever it is you celebrate — and I look forward to reconnecting with you in 2019!
Merry Christmas Brent & Andrea. Love the personal touch with the Christmas tree. I admire you for disconnecting from Social Media. I’m looking forward myself to disconnecting from my clients, employees and associates during the Holidays to spend quality time with family. I bought the Afton series so I also look forward to diving in to see what all the buzz is about :-). Anyway, see you all soon.
Weather permitting, we’ll see you in — what? About ten days or so, give or take! Not looking forward to the drive, though, if I’m being quite honest. Especially if we get a dose of crap weather.
We all need to disconnect sometimes, even from the important things in life. We all need a break, right? There’s nothing wrong with being selfish with our time every now and again.
Funny enough, this is the first year we’ve ever thought to grab a tree skirt. We’ve meant to every year but, somehow, always ended up forgetting. I feel like our tree looks a little more complete this year.
Anyway, here’s hoping you enjoy The Afton Morrison Series. Thanks for picking up a copy, Mom, and thanks for the support!
—Brent
Happy holidays.as I’m bedridden i read alot so at this time I too sign off all social media a s just read.he books will b some i read.thank for them.see u in the new year.happy holidays
Same to you, Dana! Merry Christmas and all the best to you in 2019.
Merry Christmas to you and yours, Brent. I hope you have a lovely break because you’ll really enjoy it. Sometimes I feel like I’m being pulled in different directions and by my email, etc.So, I always take a break around the holidays to enjoy READING; that’s why we’re all here!!
Oh, God, yes! I’d love to put down the phone for long enough to pick up my Kindle. I did a fair bit of reading this year, but not nearly enough, especially for an author.
Have a wonderful finish to the year, Teresa. See you in 2019!
—Brent
Hey Brent,
This… “And here I am, pretending to stick a fake gift under the tree, for no purpose other than to take this photo.”
…is just fantastic.
I agree about unplugging.
So with that, I wish you both a happy holiday season and new year.
See you next year 🙂
D –
Yes, I stuck that photo in this post for exactly that reason — to underscore how much of what we see online is inauthentic.
Well, that, and I’m rather fond of how our tree looks, if I’m being honest.
At any rate, I appreciate the well wishes, and I look forward to reconnecting in 2019. Merry Christmas!
—Brent
Merry Christmas Brent and Andrea!!! Your tree is pretty and I am glad you faked the gift for the pic!!! Love seeing the real you!!! Have a happy break!!!
🎄💕🎅🏼
Thank you, Janis. I appreciate that. We made a big switch this year, trimming the tree in red and gold instead of our customary blue and silver. Ha!
I hope Santa is good to you.
—Brent
Happy Holidays to you and your family
I appreciate that, Matt. Thank you and Merry Christmas! —Brent