2015 - A Big Year for Me, How About You?

Dan Walsh is the award-winning and bestselling author of 12 novels, including The Unfinished Gift, The Dance and When Night Comes. He has won 3 Carol Awards and 2 Selah Awards. Three of his books were finalists for Inspirational Book of the Year. Dan is a member of ACFW and Word Weavers. He lives with his wife, Cindi, in the Daytona Beach area where they love to take long walks. Click here to connect with Dan or check out his books.

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I'm writing this yesterday. It's actually today for me. What I mean is, I'm writing this on New Year's Eve but it will come out on New Year's Day. Anyway...I'm not one who puts a lot of stock on celebrating New Year's. I'm more of a Christmas guy. New Year's seems anti-climactic to me by comparison. My wife and I typically stay-at-home, watch the new year role in on one of the TV shows.

My son holding our granddaughter

But the New Year's holiday does have some benefit to me. Almost involuntarily, it causes me to take stock. To look back over the year that's finishing up, and look forward to the year ahead. Mostly when I look back, it's about focusing on the things I'm thankful for, the things God has done that make me very glad He is in charge of my life. When I do take time to do this, it's not hard to come up with a number of things to rejoice about. Probably topping the list, for me, was seeing my son get engaged to a wonderful girl we really love, and my daughter giving birth to our second grandchild (who, at 6 months of age, gives away the most beautiful smiles for free).

As I look forward, I can almost become overwhelmed at all the big things happening in 2015. Moving in some new directions this year, both in my writing and non-writing life. My tendency is to overthink things, but with all these changes I can already see this is a season where I need to be more childlike in my walk.

In my writing, I will likely have 5 books coming out. The most I've ever had. Two of them will be the final 2 books written this past year under contract with Revell. The 4th and final book in the Restoration series with Gary Smalley, called The Legacy (releasing in April). And a new Christmas novel coming out in Sept, called Keeping Christmas (featuring an empty nest couple facing their first Christmas alone).

I also plan to release 3 new indie books in 2015. The sequel to my newest suspense novel,

When Night Comes, and the first 2 books of a new fiction trilogy that will be in the same genre as all my other novels (Nicholas Sparks-type books). I'm writing the first one now, called Rescuing Finley (Finley is a dog).

I'll also be working on something pretty exciting. That is, helping the writer/director who is adapting my novel, The Reunion, into a screenplay. He's working on it right now and plans to start production early in 2016. This year will be all kinds of behind-the-scenes movie stuff.

And finally in my non-writing life...after being out of pastoral ministry for 5 years, I'll be moving into an increasing role in my local church this year, leading a ministry to disciple new converts.

Well, that's what I've got coming up in 2015. Let's hear what's going on with you in the New Year!