Welcome to my final* post of 2022! The blog will be quiet for the rest of the year because the spouse and I are once again hitting the high seas for a tropical holiday cruise with my extended family. We’re spending Christmas zip-lining in Honduras, and we’ll return to Maryland in time to spend New Year’s Eve/my birthday with local friends.
My annual holiday letter is posted below, slightly redacted for privacy.
Thanks so much for another year of your amazing support. I’ll be back in 2023 with more book reviews, writing and publishing news, and cat pictures.
*Technically, I’ve already written my review of Distraction (Mobsters + Billionaires #4) by Kelly Fox, which will be posted on its release day, December 28.
Dear Family & Friends,
Not much changed at Casa Siamese in 2022, but Hanna, Erik, and the cats are happy and healthy. We’ve increased our travel a bit in the past year, but both of us finally caught COVID-19 in May via exposure at Erik’s work. We’re both incredibly thankful that staying up to date with vaccinations meant that we were just bleh and cranky for a few days. We celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary this fall, which also marks 10 years living in our amazing home.
Hanna jokes that she is never leaving academia, but that’s because she still loves her job working from home full-time as a senior medical editor for [redacted], splitting her time between editing, managing publications, and social media work. She did not publish any new books in 2022, but she did finish writing the final book in her Steel Empires fantasy series. She looks forward to releasing that in 2023 with her amazing publisher along with launching her own self-publishing venture in paranormal romance. Along with a slow return to some local in-person events, Hanna now regularly participates in virtual panel discussions for a never-ending online “convention.” This fall, she also had the honor of guest teaching one afternoon at the Naval Academy in Annapolis. The rest of her limited time is spent building LEGO, playing video games, and lots of reading, as she is now a regular advanced book reviewer for multiple authors.
Erik continues his civilian job with the [redacted], growing a beard between drill weekends where he maintains his previous Guard position with [redacted]. August 2022 marked his 20th year in the U.S. Air Force Maryland Air National Guard, with the desire to continue as long as he’s able. He continues to take classes in Networking and Cybersecurity with [redacted] where he’ll be graduating with his Bachelor’s degree in May 2023. Shockingly, Erik has decided age 38 is when he would start regularly working out. He goes to the gym 4-5 times a week after work and enjoys being healthier overall. Erik also plays video games, helps friends with home renovation projects, and attempts to watch as many rocket launches online as possible.
Our travel this year included multiple trips to visit our good friends in Atlanta and a return to our favorite comic con in Salt Lake City where Hanna was a panelist and presenter. Erik attended a friend’s graduation from Air Force officer training in Alabama, where he was honored to be her “first salute.” The highlight of Hanna’s year was 10 days in Israel for a large family reunion of descendants of her great-grandmother. She met other Judah family members from Israel, Australia, and England while visiting Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and other areas of the country. We’re closing out the year with another family holiday cruise to the Western Caribbean.
Our cats are officially teenagers! Nicki and Alex are doing very well, and we’re managing Lucy’s minor health issues with relative ease. They are as loveable (and loud) as ever. For regular cat pictures and to stay up-to-date on Hanna’s writing news, sign up for her monthly email newsletter. We can’t wait to see what 2023 brings.
Love,
Hanna & Erik
With Lucy, Alex & Nicki
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