Hope is a funny thing. It sustains us through dark times, nurtures the good inside us, and gives us a reason to move forward. The act of hoping can make us happier. Some say that writing your hopes and dreams down on paper, or saying them out loud to the universe, can make them come true. Paul Coelho writes in The Alchemist, “When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”

Hope can also be frightening. Sometimes I want to spit three times and turn in a circle just to be safe. It’s a fragile thing, but it blooms in the darkest corners of our hearts.

I love starting a new year, like starting a new book. It is full of the promise of good things to come. The anticipation is the often the best part. The heartache is when reality doesn’t measure up to our dreamy expectations, so this year I’m not going to make any new year’s resolutions. I’m going to go with the flow, play it by ear, let the universe unfold as it will. I’m sure it will have many surprises in store.

What are you looking forward to this year? (Besides, of course, reading SHADOWFEVER and finishing Karen Marie Moning’s riveting Fever series. All I can say is, if Barrons and Mac don’t end up HEA, my expectations will have been cruelly dashed.)