Happy New Year’s Eve, everyone! The end of the year is a time for reflection and as a horror author, a huge part of my life revolves around books. I’ve had several books published this year, and my journey in publishing is always full of ups and downs. Want to know my book winners and losers of 2025? Here’s my book summary of a year in the life of a horror author…
The winner? Love you to Death, my collection of ghost stories for Valentine’s Day was my biggest seller of 2025. It was published in February 2025. At the time I wasn’t sure what to expect, considering ghosts and romance don’t tend to go hand in hand, but it did better than I could have hoped for and continues to sell copies all year round, so this was a nice surprise.
The loser? The Wabi-sabi Doll was my biggest flop of 2025. This one was requested by fans of The Buddha’s Bone, book 1 in the series, but copies of the sequel to this Psychological duology haven’t been snapped up quite as anticipated. I admit to being surprised by this, considering The Buddha’s Bone is my third bestseller after The Blue Man and The Fairy Lights. Maybe it’s the title: even when I was on BBC Radio Ulster back in October, host Kathy Clugston asked me what the Japanese word ‘wabi-sabi’ means. What can I say? Oh well. Hopefully readers will give it some love at some point, sniff. Cue world’s smallest violin.
The biggest loser of 2025? Me!!! I have lost 16lbs (7.2kg) this year thanks to the best book I read in 2025, The Obesity Code. In April 2025, while in hospital, I found out I have an underlying health condition that required me to lose weight. Ever since I initially lost 42lbs (18kgs) by doing a strict keto diet 5 years ago during lockdown in 2020, my weight has fluctuated with gains and losses of 14-17lbs a year. Yo-yoing weight is not good for my health and, determined to lose weight and keep it off for good, I discovered this amazing book. By following a strict 24 hour intermittent fasting plan 2 x a week, to initiate autophagy, along with low carb/keto dieting and weightlifting exercise plan, I have regained my health. This is the first Christmas that my weight is down by 16lbs and not up by 14lbs.
So overall, the biggest book winner of 2025 therefore is… The Obesity Code. I recommend this gem of a book if, like me, you need to lose weight for medical reasons.
Here’s to a happy, healthy and literary 2026!
Leilanie Stewart 
All the best for more winners and less losers in 2026, Leilanie! Enjoy the journey. 🙂
Thanks Laura, and the same to you! After 5 years of self-publishing, I have learned that marketing is at best an educated guess and at worst a big gamble. Still, I’ll keep writing what I write. 🥳
Sounds like we’ve both been at this game for about the same length of time, and my findings on marketing are about the same as yours. Like you, I’ll keep on writing what I write and what I like. There are worse things I could do! 🙂
Hurray to that! I’ll toast to the start of another literary adventure for 2026 for us both. 🤗🥂🎉
Cheers! xxx 🙂 🙂 🙂
Hello 👋 nice pic