New Author: Welcome to the Rest of Your Life

According to Google Dictionary, the definition of an author is "a writer of a book, article, or report." Whoa. I guess that means me.

First Book Jitters

I've been writing since I was eleven years old. Just short stories and poems that I would show to my friends before tucking them in a diary or pitching them into the trash. During my teenage years, I began to dream about writing my own books. You rarely find me without a book stashed away (in my car, purse, nightstand, etc) in case I find myself with a few spare minutes. The idea of creating my own characters and worlds fascinated me; could I do it?

My first love was fantasy. Magic, dragons, and the seemingly impossible have intrigued me since I first read The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, by C.S. Lewis. It continues to be my go-to genre to this day. I started writing a fantasy series in 2012, but it remains unfinished. I hope to someday get back to it.

It wasn't until I picked up The Apocalypse Trail series, by N.A. Broadley, that I started getting into post-apocalyptic stories. The question of what-if can be answered in so many magnificent ways. I was hooked.

It still seems surprising to me that the first book that I have written to completion is apocalyptic, but it feels right. Yesterday, 1/14/2020, my publisher (the lovely DJ Cooper from Angry Eagle Publishing) sent me the above image. My first thought was... Wow! Is this really happening? Is this a dream?

Everything feels so surreal. My first book will be released on Amazon this Sunday, 1/19/2020. I still can't believe it. I find myself checking Facebook and Instagram every five minutes to look for updates. Everyone has been so supportive! It's terrifying at the same time, to think that all of these people are going to read MY thoughts. I'm just trying to enjoy this new book high!

And finally... finally, I have earned the title of 'author.' Where will this journey take me?