Greetings everyone! Queen here.

I debated heavily on whether I wanted to do any type of reflection for 2020. Anything prior to March 2020 seems like a blur. I mention March 2020 because that is when word of COVID-19 hit my particular area. Shutdown ... it sounded like something out of a post-apocalyptic story, series, or movie. Yet, it's the end of the year, and the words "pandemic", "infections", "hospitalizations", "deaths", and "masks" still dominate the airwaves, leaving little to no room for positivity, good feelings, and hope.

But it is the latter that we must have and hold on to, in order to survive.

The pandemic hit close to home. I lost two people I knew dearly to the virus. One was a family member. I know many co-workers who have also lost loved ones. We welcome 2021 with open arms, giving 2020 side-eye and wishing it good riddens.

But, with a lot of things that I achieved on a professional level, I cannot regard the whole of 2020 with a full tenacity of disregard.

At the beginning of 2020, the 4th book of the Concordant Vibrancy collection "Inferno" hit retailers. My contribution to the anthology was a story entitled "The Calefaction of Insight" where the main theme I highlight is empathy.

Told from the 1st person perspective, Keller is an individual who has always struggled with his weight, and with the encouragement of a group he is a part of, decides to incorporate exercise as part of his weight loss journey. At one point, Keller overexerts himself, but luckily, a young lady is around to assist him. The remainder of the story tackles many topics, such as Keller's struggle with his own internal voice, the developing feelings he has for the beautiful stranger that helped him, and navigating through the judgment of others because he is obese.

Empathy as well as sympathy is needed to navigate through the tough times.

In addition to being featured in Concordant Vibrancy 4: Inferno, I also provided assistance to other authors in the All Authors Publishing House family.

Founder of All Authors, Y. Correa, came out with the 3rd installment of the Earth 8-8-2 Saga, "Armageddon's Rise" in April 2020.

In honor of National Short Story month, each All Authors Publishing House author produced a free offering for others to partake, which are as follows:

Myself: "Finding My Heart"

Da'Kharta Rising: "Apoca-What?"

Synful Desire: "Brielle"

Adonis Mann: "Twin Flame Duplicity"

Y. Correa: "A.L.O.M. 3"

Paranormal Author C. Desert Rose came out with two works, "Hairy Situations" in June 2020 and the highly anticipated 3rd book in The Fate's Endeavor Series "If Death Should Find Me" in October 2020.

Synful Desire also teamed up with Adonis Mann for an unexpected follow-up to Simmer: Smoothe & Sweet, called Simmer: Sensual & Spicy, under the moniker Whimsical Liberation, earlier this month.

So, overall, the flame of All Authors has been burning brightly, and there's a lot more to come in 2021, including but not limited to:

(1) The return of something old, but reimagined.

(2) A collection coming full circle - the release of the final Concordant Vibrancy 5 book.

(3) More book(s) in the Divergent Ink collection and

(4) New material from yours truly.

I raise my glass to give a toast .... to a better, peaceful, safer, and healthier New Year. Continue to love with vigor and be thankful for each day of your existence. Strive to do all you can and the best you can, and the times you fall short, forgive yourself and press forward.

Thanks to those who are reading. Thanks to those who continue to support me as well as the All Authors Family. You are a blessing, and continue to be a blessing to others.