Silent All These Years

My first November thankful post (assuming I remember to do more this month) is about my writing career.

Last month, I attended the Carolina Book Fest in Charlotte. The signing was divine! The hotel was great. The venue was huge and so well air-conditioned. One of my “fangirls” decided to fly into Charlotte from the Chicago area to be my assistant.

If I was busy with another reader or author, Carina set up sales at my table. If I ran out of swag, she helped restock the table. Carina kept me focused and in a great mood. She even brought battery-operated fans because I once said I sweat like crazy at signings. The chick was dynamite, and what a great personality! After the signing, we ate at one of the hotel restaurants where I talked her ear off. I can’t wait until we hook up again in the future.

I was also able to talk with another fangirl named Melinda. She’d come to see me in 2015. This time, she brought her sister who was as cool as her. I wish we could have hung out a bit more. The next time I travel to Charlotte, I plan to arrive earlier, so I can take Melinda to dinner.

The signing once again showed me how blessed I am. Melinda and Carina have supported me since the beginning of my Bijou writing career. They’ve read all of my books from the darker ones like Gator to the funnier ones like Junkyard Dog. They followed me through my journey as a writer as I honed my skills and voice.

In addition, there was the moment at the signing when I was speaking to a traditionally published author my mother loves. She signed Sally’s paperbacks and was so sweet. I was surprised when she explained how close she got to giving up on writing. She stressed for me to never give up.

She's right, of course. No matter how anxious I get about deadlines or burned out from writing so fast, I remind myself how I have my dream job. Writing is something I’ve wanted to do since I was a kid, and now it’s a reality.

In 2016, I enjoyed my best sales while writing books I once worried wouldn’t be appreciated. Back in 2014, I wondered if I could write anything other than the Damaged series. I'd tried a few darker books like Gator and Used. I’d written a short “happy” romance for a box set.

However, I’d never fully embraced my sarcastic Lala side in one of my Bijou books. With Junkyard Dog, I let loose and unleashed my inner snark. The book added a new layer to my Bijou brand and allowed me to push my writing beyond what I’d done before.

As with many things this year, the Carolina Book Fest gave me a jolt of enthusiasm and confidence for my career.

Hopefully, I’ll be back next week with another post about why I’m thankful in 2016. If not, just assume writing Train Wreck has made me flakier than usual.