Big, Happy, Fantastic News!

Cue fireworks, pull out the noisemakers, get the ice cream! I’ve officially signed a contract with Crescent Moon Press for my YA book, Demons of the Sun. I’m ecstatic to be joining a talented group of authors. Here’s a little bit about the book:

The week I was getting ready to send queries for this book, about a thousand (slight exaggeration) other books with Greek Mythology came out. Which meant I was about a year or two too late. Or so I worried. But books with Greek Mythology are awesome, right? I added some twists. It wasn’t just like any of the other books—mine has a lot more swordplay and there are demons and, and it’s different, I swear! Still, I worried the book I’d been pouring my heart and soul into would never see the light of day. My critique group and teen readers liked it, though, so I crossed my fingers and sent it out into the world. Held my breath and waited.

See, I’ve been through a lot of ups and downs with my writing career. Rejection letters, close calls, revisions with agents—you name it. I remember Janet Evanoich said that she wrote a book, then presto, ten years later she was a published author. I thought, man, I hope it doesn’t take me that long. Well, here I am, eight years into writing—two and a half of workshops, critique group, and really hitting it hard, really looking at it as a career. After a lot of heartbreak, am I glad for all the rejection? Well, glad might not be the right word. But it forced me to push myself. I got better. Feedback, while difficult sometimes, made me better. I can honestly say I’d rather be published now, having my best possible work out there.

I realize there might not be many people who read this post. Hell, my mom probably won’t even read it. And if she does, she’ll be mad I used “hell.” But over here, I’m celebrating that one of my dreams has finally come true.