My “year in review” posts have become a tradition since I started this website back in 2016. If you’re feeling ambitious and want to relive the journey over the years, you can read my 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, and 2017 review posts.
With the third book in my award-winning fantasy series, The Chronicles of Avilésor, getting pushed back from an initial goal of publishing in 2022 to an early 2023 release date instead, I knew this was going to be a big year. Not only was this a book-release year, but it was also the second year of running my business as a full-time career. That meant a lot of events lined up on the calendar, plus new collaborations, products introduced to my inventory lineup, and more…
My 2023 Timeline of News & Events
Wednesday, January 18, 2023
Blood of the Enemy, the third novel in the Chronicles of Avilésor: War of the Realms series, was submitted to IngramSpark for processing. This was a MAJOR step in the publication process as the book officially shifted from the manuscript to proof copy phase.
Thursday, January 19, 2023
I released the timelapse video of Saros Manor’s floorplan on Patreon so subscribers could watch me create it by hand for the first phase and then finish it on the computer. This video condensed about two weeks of hard work into nineteen minutes.
This artwork was a major accomplishment because it was the final piece I needed to publish Book III. It was also a little daunting for me to finalize it. Once it was published, there was no going back and changing my mind! (But now, looking back on this moment almost a year later, it’s a huge relief to have cleared this hurdle and finally settled on the details.)
Patrons have access to the posts in my Patreon map series, including timelapse videos, posts, and videos where I discuss the creative process.
Sunday, January 22, 2023
I added a new product to my inventory — posterboard prints of the three maps published in Blood of the Enemy. I also introduced new mouse pad prints to my existing lineup.
Wednesday, January 25, 2023
Finally… the cover reveal of Book III!
Fans joined me as I unboxed the proof copies and saw Blood of the Enemy in print for the first time.
(Patrons had already seen an early sneak peek at the cover prior to this public release.)
Saturday, January 28, 2023
Event #1: Small Business Saturday in Michigan City, IN
Wednesday, February 08, 2023
PUBLICATION DAY!!!
Blood of the Enemy was released as a hardcover on 02.08.23.
Why did I choose this date? Because the numbers seven and eight are important in the series. (Book I was published on 07/08/18, and Book II was published on 08/07/20.)
7+8=15
2+8+2+3=15
Saturday, February 11, 2023
Event #2: NWI Comic-Con in Crown Point, IN
Saturday, February 18, 2023 – Sunday, February 19, 2023
Event #3: Shipshewana On The Road in Kalamazoo, MI
This event featured two brand-new debut products — bezel necklaces and wall-hanging canvas maps of the Ghost Realm, Phantom Heights, and Saros Manor.
Thursday, March 02, 2023
The Beacher featured my story as an up-and-coming local author in a seven-page spread that delved into my original career plans and landscape architecture college degree, the struggles I faced as an independently published author, the realization that Cato’s story explored my own feelings of depression, the candle collaboration with Old Soul Artisan, my artwork, mentors who guided me, and more.
Friday, March 03, 2023
The first 50 copies of Blood of the Enemy arrived!
Most of these copies were sent to fans who had preordered on my website. Alpha-level patrons also received free copies as part of their membership perk (they had to option of choosing a hardcover or waiting for the paperback version).
Also on this day… Blood of the Enemy took home a Literary Titan Award!!!
Saturday, March 11, 2023
Event #4: Book III Signing at the Co-Op Shoppes in La Porte, IN
Saturday, March 18, 2023 – Sunday, March 19, 2023
Event #5: Shipshewana On The Road in Valparaiso, IN
This event was really special… not just because it was a great weekend for sales, but because the outpouring of support made me feel fantastic! I was overwhelmed by the love from fans who asked me questions about the books and expressed their excitement about Book III. I even had a fan give me a special gift — a tiny crystal cat that I’ve kept in my pouch at every single event ever since.
Saturday, March 25, 2023 – Sunday, March 26, 2023
Event #6: Shipshewana On The Road in Fort Wayne, IN
I met some amazing people, but the highlight of the event was when the sweetest little girl told me that my art was “so beautiful, it should be hung in a museum right next to the Mona Lisa.”
March 26th was also On The Cobblestone Road‘s seventh anniversary!
Friday, March 31, 2023
The paperback proof copy of Book III arrived in the mail.
While the first hardcover copies were missing the award medallion on the cover, the paperback version never had a sans-award print run.
This is the first photograph of all three paperbacks together:
Friday, April 07, 2023
Event #7: Lit AF First Friday in Michigan City, IN
I was honored to have my artwork on display at the Artspace Uptown Artist Lofts. The display of local art was so popular that it was extended an extra month through the end of May!
Saturday, April 08, 2023
I launched the seasonal “Springtime Kit” emoji on Discord. This design also became a sticker and keychain that I sold at events… but only for a limited time.
(Springtime Kit will return again this spring before she goes back into the vault again in the summer.)
Saturday, April 15, 2023
Event #8: Artist Pop-Up in Michigan City, IN
Thursday, April 20, 2023
I introduced new keychain designs:
- The rainbow Amínyte symbol
- “Kit-Kat”
- “Looking Back”
- “Dandy Bee”
- Blood of the Enemy book cover
- Calypso’s white paw print
I also restocked several popular designs that were out of stock (or pretty close). Some of the new acrylic keychains were converted to earrings.
Saturday, April 22, 2023 – Sunday, April 23, 2023
Event #9: Shipshewana On The Road in South Bend, IN
Friday, May 04, 2023
Event #10: First Friday Artist Pop-Up in Michigan City, IN
Saturday, May 05, 2023 – Sunday, May 06, 2023
Event #11: Shipshewana On The Road in Crown Point, IN
I introduced a new product!
C-Sully’s menu is a novelty item featuring appetizers, entrees, and desserts that were inspired by major characters (good and bad) from the books… so only real fans can fully appreciate it!
Saturday, May 13, 2023
Event #12: The European Market in Chesterton, IN
Thursday, May 18, 2023
New mouse pads arrived! I added some new designs, including:
- “Selenophile”
- “Nymphalidae”
- “Looking Back”
- “Dahlia Dragonfly”
I had first introduced a few of my art prints as mouse pads at the end of 2022 as a test run to see how they would do. To my surprise, mouse pads were more popular than I’d expected! With trackpads and touch screens, I wasn’t sure if many people still used mouse pads… but apparently they do!
Saturday, May 20, 2023
Event #13: The European Market in Chesterton, IN
Thursday, May 25, 2023
The paperback version of Book III was enabled for distribution.
(I had lots of four-legged helpers when I was reviewing the proof copy!)
Also on this day… new prints arrived on ARTBOARDS!
I phased out my matted prints (although I do still have a few left) to be replaced by these gorgeous artboards. My artwork is printed on PVC, making them much more durable.
They come with an attachable hanger if you would like to mount it directly on the wall as is, or they can be matted and framed just like a regular print. This versatility made the upgrade a no-brainer for me!
Also in this order was a rolled canvas map of Avilésor, which I do have for sale at events.
Friday, May 26, 2023
Event #14: The Market on 12 Pop-Up in Michigan City, IN
Saturday, May 27, 2023
Event #15: The European Market in Chesterton, IN
Sunday, May 28, 2023
Event #16: HCA Dockside Market in Michigan City, IN
Friday, June 02, 2023
Event #17: First Friday Artist Pop-Up in Michigan City, IN
Saturday, June 03, 2023
Event #18: The European Market in Chesterton, IN
Sunday, June 04, 2023
Event #19: HCA Dockside Market in Michigan City, IN
Friday, June 09, 2023 – Saturday, June 10, 2023
Event #20: The Strawberry Festival in North Liberty, IN
I debuted several new products at this event, including:
- Character book prints featuring sketches of Chronicles of Avilésor characters printed on pages torn directly out of A Fallen Hero
- Custom 3D-printed Amínyte pendants made in collaboration with Hic Sunt Dracones (including a subtle rainbow design for Pride)
- New keychain designs (Valdenar’s Bow, Dahlia Dragonfly, Solstice, and Springtime Kit)
Saturday, June 17, 2023
Event #21: Pride Fest in Michigan City, IN
Not only was this a fun event, but it ended up holding the record as my best single-day event I’ve ever done!!
Saturday, June 24, 2023
Event #22: Pride Fest in Benton Harbor, MI
I introduced another new item — lumenite! These crystals are mentioned in Book III. (Technically, they’re rough chunks of labradorite since lumenite is fictional.)
Saturday, July 01, 2023
Event #23: Independence Day Fest in Mishawaka, IN
Friday, July 07, 2023
Alpha-level Patreon subscribers had a month to vote, and they decided on the name of a new character in Book IV. The name they chose for Ero’s former student is… drum roll, please…
NICOLAI
Saturday, July 08, 2023
Event #24: The European Market in Chesterton, IN
Also… Happy book birthday! Phantom’s Mask celebrated its third anniversary.
Sunday, July 09, 2023
Event #25: HCA Dockside Artisan Market in Michigan City, IN
Thursday, July 13, 2023
A batch of stickers arrived with several new designs, including:
- Springtime Kit
- The Amínyte symbol (grayscale & rainbow)
- Amínyte Kit
- Skull Butterfly
- Banned Books (black-and-white & rainbow)
- Subjects of Project Alpha
- All three book covers
Friday, July 14, 2023
Event #26: Market on 12 Pop-Up in Michigan City, IN
Saturday, July 15, 2023
Event #27: The European Market in Chesterton, IN
Saturday, July 22, 2023
Event #28: Kogan Con in Grand Haven, MI
Also on this day… Alpha patrons got to read the VERY FIRST official sneak peek at a scene from Book IV!
Friday, July 28, 2023 – Sunday, July 30, 2023
Event #29: The Festival of Magic in Chesterton, IN.
Saturday, August 05, 2023
Event #30: The European Market in Chesterton, IN
Sunday, August, 06, 2023
Event #31: St. John Farmer’s Market in St. John, Indiana
Sunday, August 07, 2023
A Fallen Hero turned five years old! It was released on 08.07.18. And what a journey it’s been…
Saturday, August 19, 2023
Event #32: The European Market in Chesterton, IN
(Check out the new display for the book prints!)
Saturday, August 26, 2023 – Sunday, August 27, 2023
Event #33: The Michiana Renaissance Festival in South Bend, IN
Friday, September 01, 2023 – Monday, September 04, 2023
Event #34: Oktoberfest in Michigan City, IN
A new product arrived for this event… glow-in-the-dark Amínyte pendants from HSD Prints!!
And I also introduced a new postcard design featuring all of the characters I drew from the Project Alpha lab-family.
Saturday, September 08, 2023
Event #35: The European Market in Chesterton, IN
Monday, September 10, 2023
New Kit emojis were added to the Discord server! “Sunshine Kit” stayed on as a full-time sticker while “Sunflower Kit” without the text became the summer seasonal design. And “Pizza Kit,” no surprise, became a fan favorite!
Saturday, September 16, 2023
Event #36: The Sunflower Fair in La Porte, IN
At this event, I introduced new laminated bookmarks featuring my character sketches printed on pages from A Fallen Hero.
I also teamed up with a local crystal retailer to upgrade my lumenite (labradorite) with STUNNING larger shards that have one polished face and are rough on the other edges.
The rough labradorite is more accurate to lumenite in the books, but after having good luck ordering the first batch online, I kept striking out and getting low quality pieces that didn’t have much “flash.” They looked like regular stones.
So, I decided to talk to someone local who was much more trustworthy… and she delivered with Grade A labradorite — the highest quality you can find! It’s all ethically sourced, and the polished face of each piece shows off that amazing flash while the rough parts still show fainter colors and flashes.
Friday, September 22, 2023 – Sunday, September 24, 2023
Event #37: The Scarecrow Festival in Wanatah, IN
New stickers debuted at this event! In addition to the seasonal Kit emojis, I also added my “Amínytes” and “The Raven” art prints.
Saturday, September 30, 2023
Event #38: The Pumpkin Festival in Westville, IN
“Boo!” Kit made her first appearance at this event, joining the popular “Spooky Kit” design on Discord as a second autumn design. I also added new keychains:
Saturday, October 7, 2023
Event #39: Wolf Hollow Witches Market in Belvidere, IL
This was one of my favorite events of the year! I wish I’d been able to get more photos and videos with fans, but I’m not exaggerating when I say that we were jam-packed and insanely busy for most of the event. I was lucky to get those videos right before the market started!
Friday, October 13, 2023 – Saturday, October 14, 2023
Event #40: Wickedly Whiting in Whiting, IN
(We braved some heavy rain and gale-force winds off Lake Michigan for this one!)
Friday, October 20, 2023 – Saturday, October 21, 2023
Event #41: Mystical Magical Market in Berrien Springs, MI
Not only did I change up my display by adding grids to hang some of the mouse pads across the back of the table, but I also added two new book prints AND I debuted the very first batch of handmade resin page holders. (I had NO idea how popular those would be moving forward!!)
Thursday, October 26, 2023
New artboards arrived! I restocked several popular prints that had been sold out, but I also introduced some new ones, including two compilations of the Project Alpha lab-family character sketches.
I also added “The Magic of a Book,” “Amínytes,” and “Valdenar’s Bow” as the inverted version that I had introduced as a mouse pad earlier in the year.
Friday, October 27, 2023
Event #42: Hocus Pocus Market in Crown Point, IN
Saturday, October 28, 2023
Event #43: The European Market in Chesterton, IN
Tuesday, October 31, 2023
At midnight on Halloween, Alpha Patreon subscribers got access to the prologue of Lab Rat! Later, I posted a follow-up video where I discussed the prologue, how Book IV differs from the other three books, and why I’m really excited about this installment.
Saturday, November 04, 2023
Event #44: The Festival of Owls in Munster, IN
Thursday, November 16, 2023
I got a new banner! Unfortunately, my sign for A Fallen Hero fell apart after several years of surviving some rough weather at outdoor events. I decided to do a redesign featuring my name and what I do instead of replacing the old one that had only the book cover. What do you think?
Saturday, November 18, 2023 – Sunday, November 19, 2023
Event #45: Valpo Holidaze in Valparaiso, IN
I brought back my holiday gift boxes, but a little different this year. Customers had the opportunity to build their own box by choosing from various product options.
Tuesday, November 21, 2023
I launched two new designs in my online apparel shop. “Read Banned Books” and “The Arena” are available on T-shirts, hoodies, drinkware, and other items.
Saturday, November 25, 2023
Event #46: Hometown Market in Chesterton, IN
I introduced a new experimental product — resin bookmarks. Like their laminated counterparts, these are character sketches printed on book pages from A Fallen Hero. I then encase them in UV resin. Customers pick their own tassel!
Friday, December 01, 2023
Christmas Kit arrived in the Discord server! (I think this is my favorite Kit emoji I’ve designed so far.)
Stickers and keychains were available in December before Christmas Kit went into the vault for next year’s holiday season.
Saturday, December 02, 2023
Event #47: Mistletoe Market in Chesterton, IN
New stickers!!
Sunday, December 03, 2023
Friday, December 08, 2023
I shared a new product that has been in development since the summer. Check it out… authentic Kit and Rayven pendants!!
I partnered with The Gaming Geeks to bring the pendant from the back cover of A Fallen Hero to life. These pendants were designed digitally, but then each one is individually cast in resin by hand, creating slight variations so no two are exactly the same. I then used an acrylic marker to darken the linework before sealing them with Mod Podge.
These pendants are for sale at events… and VERY soon, they’ll be available for online orders as well!
Saturday, December 09, 2023 – Sunday, December 10, 2023
Event #49: Shipshewana On The Road in Valparaiso, IN
Thursday, December 21, 2023
Event #50: Hometown Santa Market in Crown Point, IN
Reflecting on My Accomplishments of 2023 & Goals for 2024
And here I thought doing 35 events in 2022 was a lot!! I hadn’t realized I did 50 events in 2023 until I sat down and put together this post! (No wonder I’ve been so exhausted…)
Last year was a huge stride forward, not only because I published the third novel in my series, but also because my business grew by leaps and bounds. I met a lot of new people at all of those events. New fans, new vendor friends, new opportunities. I added new products and phased out some others. I set up my booth at new cons, markets, and festivals.
But that’s not to say 2023 was perfect. From the comments I’ve been hearing, it feels safe to say that the year was a struggle for just about everyone. This was a rocky recovery period after the pandemic turned our lives upside down, and although the economy’s stats look promising, regular working people aren’t feeling the relief yet.
With interest rates up and record-high inflation (thanks, corporate greed), money wasn’t exactly flowing this year, and that made it hard for vendors like me who rely on people having extra spending money for nonessential items like art and books.
It also doesn’t help that markets are oversaturated right now. There are so many events and markets happening on the same dates that people have to choose which ones they want to attend, thereby dividing the crowd and reducing the overall foot traffic for everyone.
There also seems to be an influx of MLMs and “flea market vendors” who peddle cheap products purchased in bulk from overseas. That hurts local artists who actually design and/or make their own products, not to mention it drastically lowers the overall quality of the market; people don’t want to come and shop for cheap crap they can buy anywhere. I’ve noticed a frustrating disconnect between consumers who want high-quality handmade items but want to pay Temu or Amazon prices rather than what those products are actually worth.
Unfortunately, some of the events on my list this year were duds; I barely made back my vendor fee to participate, let alone cover gas and the base costs of the products I sold. And in some cases, an event that had been a success for me the previous year was a disappointment this year. That makes it difficult to prioritize which events to do again this year. On a more positive note, some events were surprising successes!
My goals for 2024 are fairly simple:
- Work on Book IV. Is an end-of-2024 publication date possible? Maybe… but that will depend on a lot of factors, including my event schedule. Speaking of…
- Reduce my number of events by prioritizing quality over quantity. To be fair, that was also a goal last year, but I had a hard time regaining my momentum after the winter break. That put me in a tough position where I had to fill my calendar with whatever I could find to make ends meet. The good news is that my 2024 schedule is already looking MUCH better than my 2023 calendar at this time last year. I have a lot more events locked into place before event season even starts.
- Launch my ecommerce website. This goal is VERY close to fruition (we’re talking about a matter of days)! It will be a soft rollout with more products and images being added over time. The website it technically already live, although I haven’t shared the link yet. It will enable me to manage online orders instead of relying solely on in-person events. It will also give customers the chance to buy my art products since I don’t sell them anywhere else, plus order autographed copies of the books from me rather than having to either catch me at an event or buy an unsigned copy from a third-party retailer such as Amazon or Barnes & Noble (which also benefits me since I lose profits after those retailers take their cut). Preorders for Book IV will also be much smooth on my ecommerce site than they were on my WordPress site.
Let’s circle back to Book IV and discuss just how realistic the publication timeline looks. The best case scenario would be an end-of-year release. The manuscript is coming along nicely, but the first draft still has a ways to go before it’s done and can start going through multiple rounds of editing. I also still have to create the cover for the book.
After launching Book III, I put most of my focus on growing my business and bringing in revenue, which meant less time for writing. Remember, I’ve been a full-time author and artist for less than two years. That’s a critical stage for any new business, especially in the wake of a pandemic! And it required a lot of my time and energy.
When I pack my calendar with too many events (on top of my usual to-do list of writing articles for my two blogs, creating Patreon content, managing my social media accounts, creating handmade products, tracking and placing inventory orders, drawing new art pieces, accepting freelance writing projects, etc.), I’m at risk of burning out. Even now, my six-week “break” is packed with so many projects I’m trying to finish in my down time that it doesn’t feel like a break at all.
I’m hoping to strike a better balance this year so I can spend time on Book IV while doing fewer yet larger events with online orders helping to fill in the gaps. I want to steer away from the little artist pop-ups and low-quality markets to prioritize conventions and events that value local artisans over MLMs and flea market vendors.
2024 has a lot of potential to be an even better year, and I’m looking forward to continuing to grow my business!
Artwork
Every month, I draw a new piece of art and share a Patreon-exclusive timelapse video of my process from start to finish. Here are the sketches I drew this past year:
Blog Posts
- Tentative Release Date Set for Blood of the Enemy
- FAQs: Everything You Need to Know About Blood of the Enemy
- Award-Winning Author’s Top 3 Tips to Improve Your Writing
- Blood of the Enemy Receives Literary Titan Book Award
- Author’s Perspective: Why I Rarely Do Bookstore Signings
- Author’s 20 Tips for a Successful Book Signing
- GREAT News! IngramSpark Is Revising Their Fee Policy
- Author’s Review: Polgarus Studio Ebook Formatting Service
- What is Patreon? Free Trials Are Now Available!
- What Does “Write to Market” Mean (And Should You Do It)?
- Photo Canvas Land Review for Professional Art Prints
- 3 Tips I Learned in My First Year as an Entrepreneur
- Are Vanity Presses a Reliable Option for Authors?
- DIY: Best Way to Glue a Cabochon in a Bezel Setting
- 3 Recent Tech Investments That Benefitted My Art Business
- Author Confession: The Guilt of Writing (And Not Writing)
- The #1 Rookie Mindset That Serious Vendors Must Overcome
- 8 Tips to Stay on Your Freelance Writer’s Good Side
- The Witching Hour (Sandcastle 20.10)
- Artist’s Confession: I Rarely Appreciate My Work at First
- Entrepreneur’s Perspective: Are Square Loans Worth It For Your Small Business?
- 3 Ways Indie Authors Can Make Extra Money with Their Website
- Gifts for Readers & Writers: 2023 Holiday Shopping Guide
- 2024 Literary and Book-Themed Holidays for Your Calendar
Top 5 Most Popular Posts of 2023
- 2023 Literary and Book-Themed Holidays for Your Calendar
- Author’s 20 Tips for a Successful Book Signing
- The “Theory of Omission” in Writing | Hemingway’s Iceberg Theory
- What To Do If Someone Wants Your Art as a Tattoo
- Self-Publishing Review: Barnes & Noble Press vs. IngramSpark
Newsletters
Did you miss any of 2023’s newsletters? Catch up with all of the year’s newsletters below, and don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter list if you aren’t already on it!
I wish everyone a happy, healthy, positive 2024!
I'm an award-winning fantasy author, artist, and photographer from La Porte, Indiana. My poetry, short fiction, and memoir works have been featured in various anthologies and journals since 2005, and several of my poems are available in the Indiana Poetry Archives. The first three novels in my Chronicles of Avilésor: War of the Realms series have received awards from Literary Titan.
After some time working as a freelance writer, I was shocked by how many website articles are actually written by paid "ghost writers" but published under the byline of a different author. It was a jolt seeing my articles presented as if they were written by a high-profile CEO or an industry expert with decades of experience. I'll be honest; it felt slimy and dishonest. I had none of the credentials readers assumed the author of the article actually had. Ghost writing is a perfectly legal, astonishingly common practice, and now, AI has entered the playing field to further muddy the waters. It's hard to trust who (or what) actually wrote the content you'll read online these days.
That's not the case here at On The Cobblestone Road. I do not and never will pay a ghost writer, then slap my name on their work as if I'd written it. This website is 100% authentic. No outsourcing. No ghost writing. No AI-generated content. It's just me... as it should be.
If you would like to support my work, check out the Support The Creator page for more information. Thank you for finding my website! 🖤