Autumn Equinox and new beginnings...

Wow, so the Autumn Equinox is here - the official start to the end of the year! I can't believe that the year has moved so fast, it seems like only yesterday that we were filling in out New Year's Resolutions and starting the new journals. Did anyone manage to keep up their resolutions or journals? I know I didn't... I lost interest in my bullet journal around April time - it just wasn't for me!

Instead I bought a lovely planner from personal-planner.com which I use to organise my author side of life, and I love it - you can choose the layout and design of your planner to suit your needs! I will definitely be getting another one for next year! For my personal and work life, I use the calendar in my phone - it's easy and it's always with me to check or add to... I used a diary for so many years but always found flaws with it - like not having it on you when someone wanted to make plans...

Anyway, I digress. The equinox brings with it a new start - the trees show us that loosing yourself is only a way to start again, and I don't think that this is an unhealthy way to view life. Too many people worry about staying on form and ensuring that they are always on top of everything - I am never on top of everything - I try to do so many things in life that I can never keep on track; recently it is my reading schedule that is all up in the air... I am in the middle of sorting myself out where that is concerned; I need some structure to my bookshelves! It's okay to sometimes lose the plot a little, or step back and breathe, in order to work out where the next step is and then take it.

My new beginning starts with a job promotion to Events Manager for Waterstones' Orchard Square branch - which will involve a move to the Sheffield store in the next couple of weeks! I am so excited that it is unreal still. I think once I make the move and get stuck in it will soon come crashing down and I may re-evaluate my earlier statement about keeping on top of everything. But for now, I have so many ideas that I can't wait to get started. I bought myself a 2019 diary to schedule events in and keep a track of big publication days. I also bought a lovely notebook for keeping my ideas, to-do lists and contacts in. I've even packed my pencil case with new coloured pens to take with me! I'm such a nerd!

The move brought up travel issues - obviously no one wants to park in town all day every day, so I have been for a test run on the park and ride tram at Halfway - who knew?! I've never used it before, having had my car, I've always used it - who wouldn't. But it makes too much cost effective sense to use it, so I went and parked up, paid my tram fair and got on the tram - one way from the stop, always good - means I can't get on the wrong one! I have a forty minute journey to the Cathedral, which means a bonus hour and twenty minutes reading time a day! It was awesome - then a short walk to the shop... On the way home, I had the hysterical realisation that my tram was taking me back to Halfway, which was the end of the line... Now that's true irony!!

So, watch this space for news and events coming up - I hope to see some familiar faces at the events I will be planning! There are some great books due out in 2019 and it's going to be my job to make sure that Sheffield is the place to be!! I am so excited!!

Vanessa x