Many Thanks

I'd say the ride started on May 31, 2013, when I hit the 'Publish' button, but in reality, it began a long time before that.  But now, I can really say that I'm an official author.

I got my first royalty payments.

They're not much.  In fact, I'm still a long way from breaking even on the whole process.  But, at 9:00 last night, when I checked my e-mail and had received the notices from Amazon that the money had been deposited in my account, it was a milestone.

I didn't know that I wanted to be a writer.  I still don't really consider myself one.  It was an accidental discovery, fueled by an overactive imagination and insomnia.  I love to read, and I think it was a natural progression.  I don't think I'll ever be the next J.K. Rowling or Stephenie Meyer, but I'm quite alright with that (Although, it would be nice.  There is some real estate I'd like to invest in, and that's not going to happen without me hitting the lottery or hitting the best seller list).

The book is selling, albeit slowly.  Every day (ok, several times a day--I'm a little lot OCD), I go in and check my sites to see if I've sold any.  Most of the time, the numbers haven't changed.  Sometimes, when my book is featured on a blog, or when a review is posted, I see a small spike in sales.  And I'm excited for every single one.  Each one makes me nervous that the reader is not going to enjoy it.  That they're not going to like me.  It is hard, putting yourself out there, just waiting for the next review.  It's like walking into the cafeteria as the new kid every single day. But that's the risk you take for putting yourself out there.

So, now that I can officially check 'become a writer' off my bucket list, I need to stop and send a shout out to all the people who have helped with that check mark.  From my friends who read the book and listen to me talk endlessly about it, to my husband who works really hard at being supportive, to the people who have given reviews or let me crash on their blog, a huge THANK YOU!!  I know I wouldn't have gotten this far without your help.

And please, keep up the good work!

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