It’s official…I’m getting published!

Can I just take a minute to say: HOLY COW!!

If you’ve been following along on Facebook or Instagram, you know that I’ve had a fairly eventful week. Let’s go through the list, shall we?

1. Went to my niece’s wedding last Saturday
2. Wrote multiple chapters for my sequel
3. Started implementing a series of changes for a fresh start
4. Sprained my ankle on a trail run for said “fresh start”

Okay, so that may not seem like much to you, but for an introvert who prefers to stay in and read all day, it’s a bit daunting. But all of this is nothing compared to what happened last night.

I signed a contract with Tule Publishing Group.

 

That’s right. I have a book deal. I am officially going to be a published author. My debut novel–my blood, sweat, tears, joy, and heartbreak–will be on sale and available for others to love or hate. It is such a big deal, in fact, that my two sisters and I went out for a special celebratory dinner in honor of this moment. I’m talking IHOP, baby!

Some people choose to celebrate with fancy lobster dinners and an expensive bottle of champagne. We celebrate with pancakes. What can I say? I’m a girl with simple tastes.

The best part? This deal isn’t just for my completed romance manuscript. They want a three-book standalone series.

That’s crazy, right? And I’ve even had a month to get used to the idea. Yeah, no, that still hasn’t happened.

I’m so incredibly, beyond-words excited for what this means. This dream, this crazy impossible dream I’ve had since my freshman year of college (seriously, eight years ago?) when I finished my first god-awful manuscript, is actually coming true.

It’s amazing to look back on it, on how many times my sister and I joked about how much easier life would be after I sell a few books, on all the times my best friend swore I’d get my thirty-five bestsellers. Sure we joked and laughed about it, but deep down I don’t think I ever truly believed it would happen. I liked to create and write my own stories, and my friends/family seemed to like them, but that was all it would be. I knew that. I knew being a writer was just a happy-place fantasy I liked to go to whenever the real world left me feeling unsatisfied and unfulfilled.

The day I told my mom I got a legitimate publishing offer for my book, she cried. I was on the phone with both my parents, and when my dad heard her sniffling he went into the room to tease her about it. Only before he could even get the words out, he started tearing up to. (Sorry, Dad. You’ve been outed.)

They were overwhelmed by how happy they were for me. Their baby’s dream was coming true, my mom said. And it’s so weird to me because for the longest time I tried to convince myself that it was nothing more than a fantasy idea. You know, that one unattainable thing you want but know would never really happen. A pipe dream.

Getting published was my pipe dream. Except it’s not anymore, is it?

Needless to say, my parents have been bursting at the seams for the last month or so, waiting for the day they could start telling their friends all about my publishing offer. And with the help of Facebook, they did not hold back.

Man, if you’d told me back in March that I’d have a literary agent and a three-book deal in less than six months, I would have laughed right in your face. I am so incredibly lucky and blessed to have so much happening for me in such a short time. And I am so grateful for every person who has helped me get to this point. You have no idea what it means to me to have this crazy dream actually within my grasp. Seriously.

I’m sure I’ll have a lot more to share as the weeks come, so be sure to check back here for more Author Updates (or even better, you can subscribe to start getting emails whenever I post on the website). I’ve also got some book reviews and recommendations that I’m woefully behind on, so they should hopefully be making their appearances soon.

Thanks for the read, and I’m sure I’ll be talking to you all again soon!