Off You Go...

I can't believe it's been one year since Destiny was first accepted for publication and now, twelve-months later, all three books in the Hilltops Series have left the safety of my caring arms. Well, as of Tuesday, Diversity will join its mates. As I've said, I feel like these books are my babies. I created them and gave them an immense amount of time, love, and support, only to set them free in the hopes they fly on their own. Yes, like my oldest who just left the nest. I'm still in the process of dealing with that change, some days better than others.

Back to my point though because I get easily side-tracked, I don't write for fame and fortune. I write for myself because it's something I feel compelled to do, as if built into my DNA.

Seeing the finished products of my books with cover art for sale on websites with my name next to them is mind-boggling, a difficult concept for me to grasp. I actually did it. I got published!

I still can't believe it at times. And as each new book I write comes to an end, I doubt myself and wonder whether I have created a story I can be proud of, one I want to willingly share with others so they too can enjoy the magical journey of my characters.

An incredibly fulfilling part of the process so far has the positive feedback I've received. When you put your entire heart into something and put it out there for the entire world to see, it's terrifying. People will love it, hate it, judge it, criticize it, etc. For me, it's been nerve-wracking because I'm such a sensitive person. In other words, I have a difficult time taking things with a grain of salt when I put my everything into something and get negative results. Have I mentioned I'm a perfectionist? I think I have on multiple occasions.

With that being said, I don't think anything can duplicate the sense of accomplishment I feel with the upcoming release of the final book in my first trilogy. When I originally wrote the series, I made up my mind I would get the books out there, no matter what it took. I believed in them. The fact I brought all of this to life is one of the most gratifying accomplishments I have experienced thus far in my life. The reason for that is because I walked through my fear of failure and rejection.

We all have an internal drive that pushes us to take risks. It's a matter of walking through the fear, self-doubt, and excuses and in the words of Nike, Just Do It, anyway.

Our passions might be something we don't share with others. It doesn't matter. Bring them to life because the feelings we get in return are priceless. At least that's been the case for me so far in my journey.

Cheers to sending my babies off to the readers who will hopefully cradle them and love them as much as I enjoyed making them.

Happy reading!