Six years ago today, I independently published a book called Way Off Plan. It was terrifying to put my work out there, and I went in without a clue about the business of bookselling. I just knew I had stories I wanted -- and needed -- to write, so I took a chance.
And then this amazing thing happened. Readers found my book, and they wanted more. Way Off Plan began a successful series that lives on to this day. In fact, I just published a collection of holiday stories with characters from the Firsts and Forever Series and its new spin-off, the Castaways Series. I'm beyond grateful for its longevity.
So much has happened over the past six years, both good and bad. On the plus side, my son has grown from a little 5th grader to a 15-year-old high school sophomore, and he's such an amazing young man. Also, I've published 23 books so far, and there are more to come!! Less positive, and something I don't discuss very often, is the constant chronic pain that's been chipping away at my mobility. I worry about what that'll mean for me down the road. And my 20-year marriage ended unexpectedly just a few months after I published that first book, so writing went from a hobby to my full-time job literally overnight.
It's so much more than a job, though. Writing has been my therapy, my safe place, and my sanity saver. No matter what's going on in my life, I can open my laptop and step into the world I began building six years ago, which has been growing and evolving ever since. The characters feel like family after all this time, and they mean so much to me.
So do my readers. I can't begin to tell you how grateful I am for you. Whether you've been a part of this journey for six years, a few days, or something in between, thank you. I want you to know I appreciate you, and I look forward to bringing you many more stories about love in the years ahead.
