What a strange year it has been… The pandemic disrupted life as we know it at every level. Events, conferences, school, work, travel, etc., were all cancelled. Work went remote for office workers and students. COVID ravaged our country and the world, taking far too many lives too soon. And many of us stayed home, trying to keep our loved ones (and our community’s) safe.

For many, podcasts became another way to stay connected as we stayed apart. The Writer’s Story continued this year, too, with many marvelous guests. We recorded 11 new episodes from a diverse slate of authors. We spoke to writers of mystery, thrillers, literary fiction, young adult, poetry and non-fiction. Disappointed that my Virginia Festival of the Book panels were cancelled, I attempted to recreate them virtually and posted them on the podcast as well.

Kristin Swenson and I had to adapt this year, from sitting cozily side by side, to zooming remotely from our individual houses with our guests on the podcast. We like to think we got better with experience–at least better at recording and editing. We were fascinated by all our guests and listening to their stories, that each podcast flew by. They all kept us inspired and motivated as we continued to write this year, despite the challenges.

Thank you to all who listened in this year and reached out with support and encouragement! May everyone have a happy and healthy holiday, and stay safe this year.