What's Another Year?

It's hard to believe my first book was published way back in 2001. It doesn't seem that long! I've lost count of the ups and downs during that time, the successes and the not-so-goods. I won't say failure, because I've not had one of those, not completely. I've had books that have done really well, and books that haven't.
Looking back, yes, it's surprising. My first success was the Richard and Rose series. I planned it as a historical mystery series, with the hero and heroine as two quiet, unprepossessing minor aristocrats who solved country house mysteries.
It didn't quite turn out that way. Richard Strang turned out to be far from unprepossessing, and minor was not a description that suited him in any way at all! I wrote the series in the first person, with the same protagonists in each book, showing what happened before, and during their marriage. All those things were no-nos when I wrote the series, and yet they were a huge success for me.
And should I write paranormals? The prevailing wisdom was that you should stick to your genre, and yet the Department 57 series, about a group of Talents (vampires, shape-shifters, mermen) who worked as secret agents did so well I started a new series, STORM, which is being reissued next year.
Rock stars fighting for their women? Yup, Pure Wildfire and Nightstar.
Back to history, and I'm in the throes of writing two series. One is about the children of the Old Pretender (Bonnie Prince Charlie's father). They have a lot of history about them, with a big helping of romance. The first three books have all featured in the Amazon Top Ten.
I'm writing a series about the Roman gods and goddesses come back to life in the 18th century. That's another thing you're not supposed to do. Paranormal and historical aren't supposed to do well.
Now they tell me that vampires are dead. Darlings, vampires will never die. Not as long as I'm here to write about them!
I guess what I want to say is that new year resolutions and a structured career are good ideas, but phhht - who wants to do that when you can be having fun?
I did make an effort this year to structure my novels, but Things Happen and as I get to know my characters, it becomes clear that's not going to work out like I wanted it to. So yet again, I'm doing a plan, but I'm not counting on it happening.
Next year I'll probably look back and laugh. Just like I'm doing now.