November is always a great time to reflect and take a moment to recognize what you are thankful for. A good friend of mine is posting something she is thankful for every day this month, and it is wonderful to see how the little things impact her life and what she truly values. Her posts made me think about what I am thankful for, specifically in this writing journey and some things may surprise you.
First and foremost, I am SO thankful for my family and all of the support they have given me and continue to give on a regular basis. My husband is my biggest cheerleader and my kids are my inspiration. They understand and support my passion and allow me the time—away from them—to pursue my dream.
Secondly, I am thankful to my amazing network of friends and extended family who continue to be a positive light on what can sometimes be a dark journey. Even after rejection from book agents, they encouraged me to continue writing and to pursue my dream. It is a true friend who supports your dreams no matter how unattainable they may seem at some point along the journey.
Next, I am thankful to the book agents who rejected my initial submissions, surprising I know! Without their feedback and “NO,” I wouldn’t have pushed myself to keep writing and improve my skills to the point where I eventually received a “YES!”
This leads me to the next person to thank on this journey- my illustrator Angie. She captured the very essence of the story so beautifully it takes my breath away every time I open the book. It has been an amazing journey to share with Angie and I am thankful, not only that we were awarded a book contract, but also that I met and became friends with an amazing person.
Another team I couldn’t have done this without is obviously Schiffer Publishing. The team at Schiffer awarded me a book contract for SOAR, and it has been an amazing experience. I have learned so much along the way about the publishing process and about myself as a writer. I am so thankful to be experiencing this opportunity that I have worked toward for years with the team at Schiffer.
My final THANK YOU goes to all of the people who have supported me on this journey by purchasing a copy of SOAR. So many people have reached out to me that I haven’t heard from in years, and it has been so wonderful connecting with them again. I love seeing their kids reading a book I have poured so much time and energy into knowing they are connecting with Ramone. I have also heard from many people who don’t know me at all, but instead reach out because SOAR has made such a positive impact on their children. It is heartwarming to see how many people are connecting with Ramone and opening up a dialogue with their children about anxiety and fears. These are hard discussions, but it is nice to know SOAR is helping make them a little easier, and for that I am truly grateful.