A few weeks ago I read the most wonderful blog post I've read in quite a while, maybe ever. It was written by Colleen Hoover (for those of you who don't know her, you're seriously missing out on some amazing talent). Needless to say, it brought me to tears. Reading along while she divulged information that was so personal, so intimate, but she chose to share it with her readers and fellow writers.
I wasn't crying because it was sad ... quite the opposite actually. CoHo's post was INSPIRING!! It hit home hard for me. When she wrote about taking her children to Walmart on payday to let them pick out a toy and that was their "splurge item" for the month, I had flashbacks of when we'd do the same for our children. As she was describing her and her husband dreaming up their dream home, I started to cry. BP and I actually have a plot of land all picked out and the kind of house we wish we had envisioned. I could go on and on about how her post struck to the very core of me, but I'm sure you've already read it. If you haven't, I really suggest you go to her blog and read up on it. I believe it's called "A Really Raw Blog Post".
I had the privilege of meeting Colleen at a signing this past August and it was a surreal moment for me. I've heard all these wonderful things about her ... how wonderful she is ... how humble she is ... how kind she is. Until I met her, I couldn't confirm these things. I will tell you from first hand experience ... it's all true. She was just as fantastic as I'd heard.
Now, we all know that when it comes to romance, CoHo is kind of the shiz. She's the epitome of success and what most of us writers dream of being, when in all actuality, not many of us make it to the level of success as Colleen Effin Hoover. But, nonetheless, her story is what dreams are made of; it's what keeps us going when we think we can't go on anymore.
I'm not sure if I'll ever have what she has, but each and every day, rain or shine, sickness or health, better or worse, I wake up, power on my computer and plug away at whatever my brain tells me to write. Sometimes it's for a story I'm working on, others it's just something I screw around with for fun. I've been very blessed for a little over a year, being able to write full time, but much like Colleen, before I lost my job, I was working a 9-5, doing the mom and wife thing and then staying up until the wee hours of the morning to plug away at a story I had to tell for ME.
I've been content self publishing, happy!! It's been a dream come true, being able to do what I love for a living, but dreams transform. When you achieve one thing, you have to pick a new goal ... a new aspiration. Well, I have a new one. I know where I want to take my career going forward. It's no easy dream, but it's one I plan to achieve.
A little over a month ago, I started thinking about getting an agent. I wanted to take myself to the next level. I wasn't sure if anything would come of it, but I knew I had to try. So, I spoke with Marisa Corvisiero from Corvisiero Literary Agency and came up with a game plan. We had a solid starting point. We knew where I wanted to go and Marisa was determined to get me there. I wrote. And wrote. Even wrote some more.
I started writing a book with a friend, something to do between the other projects I was working on. It was super fun and she and I had the best time together. Our plot began to twist into something amazing and we got really excited.
The real fun didn't even start until we received an email from a superstar. A superstar that just happened to be the editor for one of the largest publishing houses in the world. A publishing house that wanted to get some awesome books for their digital imprint. We were both stoked. We called our agents immediately to get some council, find out if what we were thinking was a good thing.
THEY WERE STOKED!
I'll cut to the juicy part. As of today, Missy Johnson and I are PUMPED to announce we've signed a contract for a stand alone and a three book series to be published under the RANDOM HOUSE digital imprint line LOVESWEPT and that stand alone is up for preorder!!!
It might seem really silly to a lot of you as to why this is so exciting, but to see my name listed with Random House as my publisher. I can't even ... Seriously, it's a DREAM come true. I have had some amazing friends hold my hand along this ride, reassure me that I was making the right decision, and until this very moment I really had no idea how right they were. I may not be the best writer, best storyteller, or even best author, but I've done enough to impress someone! I've done my job.
Thank you to everyone who has believed in us over the years. People who have helped us in our careers and pushed us to the next level. THANK YOU. We wouldn't have been able to get this far without the help and love from our readers, friends and family. You guys are our rockstars.
Now that I've held your attention for a really, really long time. It's time for something else. I've told you mine, you tell me yours. What is your dream? Where do you want to go?
And remember this ... you're the only one standing in the way. If you want something, sometimes you have to go out and just #MakeItHappen
If you'd like to pre-order Breaking Noah, here's your chance!!! May 26, 2015 is the release date. We're going to have a hard time containing ourselves until May, but just know, this story is pretty awesome and we're so excited to share it with everyone!
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