This month, I am 'feline' good! Wanna know why? This month is my ten-year author anniversary! That's right! Ten years as a published author! I began my journey on July 21, 2010 with a paranormal historical romance novella called The Witch and the Wolf. It's been a wild ride ever since!
I've always wanted to write. I've been telling stories since I was a kid. My first series I wrote was an adventure series about my brother's pet turtle. I was even the illustrator for that one! I might have been about 11 or 12 years old.
The first full-length novel I wrote when I was 15. It was based on an incredible dream I'd had. It took me a week to write. Thankfully, it was during summer vacation, so I didn't have to worry about school. I wrote from day to night all week long until the story was complete. It turned into a young adult fantasy romance about a teenager who went camping with her friends and got zapped into an alternate dimension where she met some people who needed help fighting the bad guys. It was a fun story to write!
I took a creative writing class during my senior year in high school. That was informative and horrifying for a shy, young girl. I was the wallflower type. My mother had died years earlier and I had quietly withdrawn into myself. Most of my friends were either older or younger than me, so I didn't socialize much with kids in my class. When my creative writing teacher, Mr. McCormick, recommeded the entire class should read my short story assignment, I turned the brightest shade of red to match my hair! Everyone turned in their seats to stare at me with astonishment and curiosity. Sure enough, after class, several students asked to read my story. That was my first experience with people reading my stories! My teacher pulled me aside once everyone was gone and told me he thought I had incredible talent. He said I could easily turn this short story into a novel and seek publication with it.
That was the moment when I realized that being an author was an actual career. Taking Mr. McCormick's advice, I began reading books on how-to-write. I devoured them. Once I graduated high school and got a job working at Waldenbooks (I swear, the Universe has been pointing me in this direction my whole life!), I had enough money to attend writing workshops and conferences. I met other authors and absorbed their every word!
For the next several years, I wrote and wrote and wrote, submitting to editors at publishing houses and magazines. I got some nonfiction articles and poetry published and won some awards for my short stories.
In March 2010, I got 'the call' from The Wild Rose Press! In July, The Witch and the Wolf was released into the world!
Since then, I've published 18 short stories, novella and novels. I've explored several subgenres of romance including paranormal romance, gothic romance, historical romance, fantasy romance and more recently, sci-fi romance. My work has also been published in anthologies and boxed set collections. I've won awards for my writing, including an Amazon Bestseller, but I'm still working toward that elusive NY Times Bestseller list. We all have goals, right?
Looking back at ten years, I'm pleased with the work I've accomplished.
For a look at excerpts and reviews, check out my website.
Here are my available titles:
The Merriweather Witches
The Cougar Shifters
Claiming Cody (coming soon!)
This has been an exciting and life-changing ten years! Thank you to my readers who've accompanied me on this journey! You are precious to me! I wouldn't be here without you!
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
To celebrate my 10-Year Anniversary, I'm giving away a $20 Amazon Gift Card!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Be sure to check out the other bloggers on this blog hop!
Special thanks to Mommy Island, The Kids Did It
and Zombie Parenting for hosting this event!
Special thanks to Mommy Island, The Kids Did It
and Zombie Parenting for hosting this event!
Thank you for the opportunity to win
ReplyDeleteYou're very welcome! Thank you for visiting my blog! :)
Deletesubscribe email: slehan at gmx dot com
ReplyDeleteThanks for the contest.